American art historian and critic Suzanne Hudson (b. 1977) explores painting, a medium central to classical Western art but, in today's post-medial world, merely one among many equally valid means of expression. Analyzing the art of the first two decades of the 21st century, the author considers this duality: painting is viewed not only as a hand-made image on a flat surface but also as a tool for reflection on authorship, artist identity, the history and institutional structure of art, an element of installations and conceptual projects, and a vehicle for addressing pressing political issues. The book focuses on the diversity of artistic practices using painting: an illustrated overview of the work of more than two hundred artists from around the world convincingly demonstrates that painting—good or bad, figurative or abstract, material or virtual, original or appropriated—remains an excellent framework or arena for innovative explorations in art.