Charlotte Mullins

Figurative art is currently riding high. Contemporary works depicting the human form grace the walls of public institutions and commercial galleries alike. Champions of paint, such as Katherine Bernhardt and Adrian Ghenie; photographic artists, such as Gillian Wearing and Cindy Sherman; Charles Avery's drawings, Grayson Perry's tapestries and Kara Walker's silhouettes - these and many other artists from diverse backgrounds are working in a range of media to explore new ways to depict the human form. Charlotte Mullins explores the reasons behind this resurgence and considers what the figure means to the artists who depict it in their practice. Her accessible yet highly perceptive introduction includes works by 70 artists, all created in the past five years. These artists successfully employ the figure to help make sense of the mercurial, fast-paced and challenging world we live in.

A thrilling journey through 100,000 years of art, from the first artworks ever made to art's central role in culture today "This lively volume is ideal for the precocious high-schooler, the lazy collegian . . . and any adult who wishes for greater mastery of the subject. . . . Mullins leav[es] readers with an expansive, no-regrets appreciation of art and the human story."-Meghan Cox Gurdon, Wall Street Journal "A fresh take on art history as we know it."-Katy Hessel, The Great Women Artists Podcast Charlotte Mullins brings art to life through the stories of those who created it and, importantly, reframes who is included in the narrative to create a more diverse and exciting landscape of art. She shows how art can help us see the world differently and understand our place in it, how it helps us express ourselves, fuels our creativity and contributes to our overall wellbeing and positive mental health. Why did our ancestors make art? What did art mean to them and what does their art mean for us today? Why is art even important at all? Mullins introduces readers to the Terracotta Army and Nok sculptures, Renaissance artists such as Giotto and Michelangelo, trailblazers including Kathe Kollwitz, Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, and contemporary artists who create art as resistance, such as Ai Weiwei and Shirin Neshat. She also restores forgotten artists such as Sofonisba Anguissola, Guan Daosheng and Jacob Lawrence, and travels to the Niger valley, Peru, Java, Rapa Nui and Australia, to broaden our understanding of what art is and should be. This extraordinary journey through 100,000 years celebrates art's crucial place in understanding our collective culture and history.