art21

How do artists tell stories in their work? How does contemporary art reflect and reveal narrative traditions? How does the art of today record and describe the world around us? The "Art in the Twenty-First Century" documentary “Stories” explores these questions through the work of Charles Atlas, Kara Walker, Kiki Smith, Do-Ho Suh, and Trenton Doyle Hancock.

How do artists evoke and transform time in their work? Can a work of contemporary art be timeless? How does contemporary art relate to art of the ancient past, to nature, and to the rhythms of the life? The "Art in the Twenty-First Century" documentary “Time” explores these questions through the work of Charles Atlas, Martin Puryear, Paul Pfeiffer, Vija Celmins, and Tim Hawkinson.

How do contemporary artworks embody emotion? How do artists express longing, love, and human experience in their work? The "Art in the Twenty-First Century" documentary “Loss & Desire” explores these questions through the work of Charles Atlas, Collier Schorr, Gabriel Orozco, and Janine Antoni.

How do artists use irony, goofiness, satire, and sarcasm in their work? Can an artwork be funny and critical at the same time? Do contemporary artists always take themselves seriously? The "Art in the Twenty-First Century" documentary “Humor” explores these questions through the work of Charles Atlas, Eleanor Antin, Raymond Pettibon, Elizabeth Murray, and Walton Ford.