An introductory guide to a prominent and expanding field of study: artists’ unique contribution to the art of the moving image in the 20th and early 21st centuries.



This detailed survey presents for the first time an alternative history of the moving image, chronicling artists’ ever-evolving fascination with filmmaking from the early twentieth century to now.

From early pioneers to key artists of the present, leading authority and film expert David Curtis offers a vivid account of the numerous individuals who have been inspired by the cinematic medium and felt compelled to interpret and respond to it in their own way. In doing so, he discusses artists’ widely differing achievements, aspirations, theories and approaches.

Featuring over 400 international moving-image makers and drawing on examples from across the arts, including experimental film, video, installation and multimedia, this generously illustrated account offers an incomparable introduction to this increasingly popular and continually evolving art-form.

With 153 illustrations in colour