Why Your 5-Year-Old Couldn't Have Done That is Susie Hodge's passionate and persuasive argument against the most common derogatory commentary directed at modern art.

In this enjoyable and stimulating book, she examines 100 works of modern art that have attracted critical and public hostility, from Cy Twombly's scribbledOlympiad (1957) and Jean-Michel Basquiat's raw but spontaneous LNAPRK (1982), to the seemingly careless messiness of Tracey Emin's My Bed (1998), and explains how, far from being insignificant novelties, they are inspired and logical extensions of the ideas of their time.

She explains how such notorious works as Carl Andre's Equivalent VIII (1966), the infamous bricks, occupy unique niches in the history of ideas, showing influences of earlier artists and influencing later artists.

With illustrations of works from Hans Arp to Adolf Wölfli, Hodge places each work in its cultural context to present an unforgettable vision of modern art. This book will provide you with an understanding of the ways in which modern art differs from the realist works of previous centuries, transforming and informing your gallery visits for years to come.

• Pages: 224
• Language: English
• Author: Susie Hodge
• Year: 2012
• ISBN: 9780500290477

Publisher: Thames and hudson