Help me learn about Modern art

Hans Richter's http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0500200394/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/ is a terrific insider's view of Dada, and its relation to Surrealism as well as to the postwar movements (Pop, Fluxus, etc.) that drew on it.

Just a few books I've enjoyed: Marjorie Perloff, The Futurist Moment Maurice Nadeau, The History of Surrealism Greil Marcus, Lipstick Traces That would be a nice 201-level intro to Dada, Futurism, Surrealism, Situationism, and incidentally Punk. But nothing really beats reading avant-gardist manifestos. There are lots of anthologies of them, e.g. the one Mary Ann Caws put together if you can find it. I'll also toss out Andy Warhol's (partially? ghost-written) The Philosophy of Andy Warhol, because it's hilarious and insightful--again, great reading for sophomore art history.

If you're looking for poet-critics of the 60s (and after), the person you're looking for is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Danto I would probably start with the Transfiguration of the Commonplace and then go to The Philosophical Disenfranchisement of Art.

Check out http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hans-Ulrich-Obrist-Curating-Documents/dp/390582955X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362779100&sr=8-1 which is a series of interviews with important modern (some very modernist) museum directors and curators that influenced much of the contemporary art landscape. It's very good and a very easy read, and the interviews are conducted by Hans Ulrich Obrist, who is arguably one of the most influential curators today. http://www.amazon.co.uk/World-History-Art-Hugh-Honour/dp/1856695840/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362779133&sr=1-1 has a relatively concise overview of modern and contemporary art. Might not be worth buying the book for but if you manage to borrow a copy somewhere, it's a good read. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Six-Years-Dematerialization-Object-1966/dp/0520210131/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362779889&sr=8-1 is also an important book in helping with contemporary art. In general though, I wouldn't get too worried, the type of knowledge you're looking for takes time to accumulate and can't happen from a single source. Start checking out stuff like http://www.e-flux.com/journals/ on occasion as well, and other magazines like dot dot dot and http://www.cabinetmagazine.org which are good examples of the kind of critical engagement necessary nowadays in dealing with contemporary art. Start going to (assuming you live in NY seeing as you mentioned the MoMA) influential contemporary galleries; more experimental and avantgarde ones like http://www.gavinbrown.biz/home/exhibitions.html but also more commercial ones like http://www.gagosian.com Other interesting places are http://artistsspace.org and http://www.theartistsinstitute.org/main.html?id=1. Even if you don't live in NY (I don't), there must still be plenty of contemporary art around you. Just engage and checkout stuff often, no book will replace actually seeing something (take this with a grain of salt though). Hope this helps; while it might seem heavy on the contemporary side of things, informing yourself on anything contemporary automatically nets you an understanding of modernist principles and basically everything 1960's and 1970's because we all just love being so nostalgic and spill references.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679728767/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/ is also a great book. And another great PBS series would be http://www.pbs.org/art21/. Additionally, if you have Netflix, there are usually lots of great documentaries rotating on and off the streaming titles list.

You're in NYC according to your profile, so go to http://www.thearmoryshow.com/ this weekend. It's a modern and contemporary art exhibition. (I know it's not a book, but the timing is pretty right.)

It seems counter-intuitive in a way to recommend http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0868404071/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/ (What's Wrong With Contemporary Art? by Peter Timms) but I found it a very interesting read. As part of his larger argument on the "marketplace" which dominates modern art, the author "walks through" a few of pieces explaining in detail the symbolism and effects (good and bad) of the works.

Great thread!!! Here's my suggestion: Go to the largest bookstore you can find with a few hours to kill and do some serious browsing. You'll be amazed as you discover the things that catch your eye, including all sorts of things you'd never have expected. It's great to have titles to start with, but I learned the most about my own tastes and interests through random browsing. It gave me a great starting point for learning more since I knew I wanted more things "like this."

I've been to the Museum of Modern Art. Maybe this is obvious, but keep doing that. You aren't supposed to run through once and call it a done thing. Become a member ($85 at the moment)Unlimited free admission to MoMA without waiting in ticket lines. Members-only gallery talks, exhibition previews, $5 guest tickets, free films, great discounts, exclusive digital content, and more! and then go at least once a season, four times a year. If there's something especially interesting, go a few times. Take a friend with you on your discount.