Painting is a continually expanding and evolving medium. The radical changes that have taken place since the 1960s and 1970s – including the shift from modernism to postmodernism – have been accompanied by fierce debates regarding the place of painting in contemporary culture, and have led to its reinvigoration as a practice, lending it an energy and excitement that persist today.

Renowned critic and art historian Suzanne Hudson offers an intelligent and original survey of the subject, exploring the ways in which the medium is being approached, re-imagined and challenged by contemporary artists. Her rigorous critical record brings together more than 250 eminent artists from around the world, whose diverse ideas and aesthetics characterize the painting of our time. They include Cecily Brown, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Theaster Gates, Josh Smith, Jenny Saville, Takashi Murakami, Gabriel Orozco, Kara Walker, Kehinde Wiley, Zhang Xiaogang and many others. Hudson’s compelling text is sensitive to issues such as queer narratives, race, activism and climate, and demonstrates the continued relevance of painting today.