Carrick (art history, Carleton University, Canada) takes a revisionary look at the short-lived movement of Nouveau Réalisme in 1960's France. It was defined, and ridiculed, as an art of consumptionism since it was created with found objects and the artists often used storefronts as sites. Art critic Pierre Restany defined the movement as one that mirrored contemporary life rather than following theoretical concepts. His words were taken as gospel but Carrick believes that the art deserves a new look. She feels that Restany spoke more about his own social concerns than the art he championed. She then reevaluates several artists in the light of more recent trends, finding complexity and current relevance in the work of Arman, Spoerri and Saint-Phalle, all of whom might now be seen as precursors of contemporary performance and installation art. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)