Shows us how we can refine analytical tools we already possess to understand and enjoy unfamiliar paintings and sculptures. This book helps viewers feel comfortable around art and see aspects of it they could otherwise miss. It discusses how nontraditional works of art are made, and thus how to talk about their composition and formal elements.

Yet, if we can relax, we can use the aesthetic awareness developed in everyday life to analyze almost any painting, sculpture, or installation. Heller also gives concise answers to the eight questions she is most frequently asked about contemporary art - from how to tell when an abstract painting is right side up to which works of art belong in a museum. This book is for anyone who agrees with art critic Clement Greenberg that 'All profoundly original art looks ugly at first'. It's also for anyone who disagrees. It is for anyone who wants to get more out of a museum or gallery visit and would like to be able to say something more than just 'yes' or 'no' when asked if they like an artist's work.

PREFACE 6
INTRODUCTION 9
1. EXACTLY WHAT IS "ABSTRACT" ACTS? 13
2. WHY IS A PAINTING LIKE A PIZZA? 21
3. MAKING AETHETIC DECISIONS IN ART AND IN DAILY LIFE 35
4. PAINTINGS THAT PEOPLE LOVE TO HATE 65
5. BENDING--AND BREAKING--THE RULES 83
6. NEW MATERIALS, NEW RULES 101
7. ART INVADES LIFE, AND VICE VERSA 115
8. THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT OF (SOME) ABSRTACT ART 133
9. COMMONSENSE ANSWERS TO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS MOST OFTEN ASKED ABOUT MODERN ART 149
NOTES 173
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 182
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING 184
INDEX 186