Distemper: Dissonant Themes in the Art of the 1990s

The Hirshhorn's landmark show 'Distemper' defined what may be the last major art trend of the 20th century -- the prevailing sense of social and cultural dismay that Washington columnist E.J. Dionne called the 'distemper' of the 1990s. This brilliant exhibition catalog presents the work of ten younger artists whose work reflects the distemper of the times: Miroslaw Balka, Marlene Dumas, Robert Gober, Mona Hatoum, Mike Kelley, Guillermo Kuitca, Charles Ray, Doris Salcedo, Thomas Schutte, and Rachel Whiteread. Together, they represent a wide swath of the globe, from Europe and the Americas to Africa and the Middle East. Although their artistic agendas vary widely, they share a sense of being cultural barometers.