With the rise of Abstract Expressionism, New York City became the acknowledged center of the avant-garde. Diana Crane documents the transformation of the New York art world between 1940 and 1985, both in the artistic styles that emerged during this period and the expansion of the number and types of institutions that purchased and displayed various works.

Crane's account is built around discussions of seven styles: Abstract Expressionism in the forties; Pop art and Minimalism in the sixties; Figurative painting, Photorealism, and Pattern painting in the early seventies; and Neo-Expressionism in the early eighties. Demonstrating that the New York art world moved toward increasing acceptance of dominant American cultural trends, Crane offers a fascinating look not only at the intricacies of New York's artistic inner circle but also at the sociology of work and professions, the economics of culture markets such as "dealing art," and the sociology of culture.

戴安娜·剋蘭（Diana Crane），美國著名文化社會學傢，賓夕法尼亞大學社會學係榮譽退休教授，曾任美國社會學協會文化社會學部主席、法國社會科學高等研究院客座教授。主要研究方嚮為藝術社會學、大眾文化研究、媒介研究等。著有《無形學院：知識在科學共同體中的擴散》（1972）、《先鋒派的轉型：1940—1985年的紐約藝術界》（1987）、《文化生産：媒體與都市藝術》（1992）、《時裝及其社會負載：服飾的階級、性彆與身份》（2000）等。