Critical Condition: American Culture at the Crossroads

In Critical Condition, Eleanor Heartney examines the art world from 1985 to 1994, a tumultuous period that ushered in the art boom and bust, the emergence (and in some cases disappearance) of developments like Appropriation, Neo-Geo, and multiculturalism, and the ongoing attack on art by the religious right and political conservatives. Chronicling events that took place during this decade, with a particular focus on public art, Heartney also examines the mechanisms of the gallery and media system, especially as they relate to the practice of art criticism; as well as the complexities of the debate on art and pornography. Written during a pivotal period of contemporary art, Heartney's essay provides a picture of a culture in a crisis of values which has yet to be resolved.