During the 1990s a particular focus of discussions on American culture has been the role of visual arts in public life. In this volume, five cultural critics and two contemporary artists set out to show the ways in which this debate has profoundly reshaped the view of American culture.

During the 1990s American culture has been divided by debates over social identity, public morality, communal values and freedom of expression, and a particular focus of these polarizing discussions has been the role of visual arts in public life. In this volume, five cultural critics and two contemporary artists set out to show the ways in which this debate has profoundly reshaped the view of American culture. The topics discussed are transformations in visual art; high art, popular culture and African-American identity; homosexual culture and AIDS; censorship and sexually explicit imagery; and democracy and culture. Projects designed to provide a context for these debates are included. The book also presents a detailed examination of attempts to develop alternative funding sources for artists, focusing specifically on the influential private foundation, Art Matters, which became a proponent for new forms of art and for protecting freedom of expression.