This course will examine major artistic movements and developments in America and Europe since 1945. Whether we're studying the "cool" art of the Cold War or the "hot" productions of artists engaged in the recent culture wars, we will consider artworks as social documents as well as aesthetic objects. Taking our cue from the artists themselves, we'll investigate post-studio practices and materials; the function of art in a multicultural society and global economy; the relation between high art and popular culture; and the clash of modernism and postmodernism. We'll discuss the reactions of various audiences to contemporary art's provocations and the heated debates on freedom of expression vs. the control of obscenity. Whether we find it awesome or abominable, weird or wonderful, contemporary art is never boring!