The waning of the century-old modernist movement in the arts has called forth an array of artistic and critical responses. The 25 essays in this text provide a survey of the most provocative directions taken by art and criticism in the postmodern age. Recent directions in paintings, film, video and photograhy are explored, alongside visual artists' work with mass-media systems and imagery. The dynamics of the social network in which art is produced and disseminated is also examined. This collection should provide a useful guide to the ideas and issues surrounding the much misunderstood concept of postmodernism.