Description: The book Action Art written by the theorist and art historian Pavlina Morganova, is a key academic monograph, comprising the origin and evolution of the Czech conceptual and, first and foremost, the performance art form from the 1960s to 1990s. Moreover, this publication is the only document in existence that provides a complete record and analysis of Czech conceptual art movement between the 60s and 80s. Not only does the author discuss the first collective actions, happenings and movement Aktual, she also gives a lot of attention to Czech land art and body art. While using a very approachable narrative style, the author not only demonstrates the changes in art forms themselves, but also in the roles of the artist and the spectator after WWII. While relying on very precise source research, she introduces the most prominent Czech artists of this specific art niche and presents a comprehensive view of the Czech parallel of the international 60s and 70s neo-avant-garde."
Brief description: Pavlína Morganová is director of the Research Center at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague and a lecturer in art history at the Anglo-American University in Prague.
Review Quotes: "The fact that this pioneering study breaks new ground is just one of its many merits. Morganová presents a nuanced overview of the genre of action art and its particular manifestations in the Czech lands. Her analysis combines local and global art historical and sociopolitical contextualization."--Amy Bryzgel, University of Aberdeen