This reasonable size book, it measures 25.5cmm x 20cm (10”x8”) is packed full if images. It covers the work of 137 different artists from the areas of painting, photography, film and video, sculpture, performance art and installation. Each artist is allotted four pages, has a brief introduction of one paragraph (printed in English, German and French), along with a thumb-nail photograph of the artist and a short list of selected exhibitions and bibliography. The pictures fill the pages, sometimes several to a page; in total I estimate there are around 750 illustrations almost entirely in colour. The book concludes with a glossary and brief biographical notes on the authors, plus a section entitled The Art Newspaper which provides art market details and facts about leading art cities in the world.

It covers well many known names including Jeff Koons, Damien Hurst, Luc Tuymans, John Currin, Peter Doig, Tracey Emin to mention a few, plus some less familiar, providing a very useful if brief summary of art today.

It should be noted that the more recently published special 25th anniversary edition (ISBN 9783822840931, “Art Now Artist at the rise of the new Millennium”) is a scaled down reissue of this book; scaled down in dimensions and number of artists featured but otherwise identical. ( )

How much visual beauty can you stand from one book? Be ready to be overwhelmed by the creativity shown by artists of the late twentieth century. Cindy Sherman (page 288) alone is worth the price. Or Gary Hume (page 140). John Currin, a dutch master reincarnated into the last century. Not heard of them yet? Maybe you will, someday. Get ahead of the curve. ( )