Humor in Global Contemporary Art

(Hardback)

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The first book to thoroughly examine the role of culture-specific and transcultural humor in contemporary art from a global perspective, Humor in Global Contemporary Art pursues a new line of research in world art studies. The volume examines the degree to which humor has played a role in art created from the 1960s onwards, its function as a cultural signifier, and the tensions that arise from the transcultural movement of art in different contexts. Since the 1960s, an increasing number of artists from across the world have applied humor in their work, often to ridicule ethical transgressions such as corruption, inequality, humiliation, greed, and abuse of power. As the first book to analyse the social use of humor in art, this book will open new conversations regarding the significant role that humor plays in politically and socially-engaged art. In these times of globalization and biennialization, when we are increasingly confronted with humorous art from a variety of cultures and countries, this book will provide readers with a culturally sensitive understanding of the ways in humor has become vital to many contemporary artists working in a globally-connected world.

Author Bio

Mette Gieskes is Assistant Professor at Radboud University, The Netherlands. Gregory H. Williams is Associate Professor of Contemporary Art at Boston University, USA.