A new and much updated edition of David Buckman's celebrated dictionary, which was hailed as 'the year's most important contribution to British art history' when first published in 1998. The book is far and away the most comprehensive source of biographical information about the artists working in Britain in the past sixty years. It covers painters, sculptors, printmakers, mural painters and performance, installation and video artists. At one extreme, artists prominent in the 1920s and 1930s who were still active post-World War II are included; at the other, some of the hottest properties on London's vibrant art scene. From Duncan Grant to Sam Taylor-Wood and beyond; from painterly certainty to edgy ambiguity. The dictionary also includes many artists from abroad who worked or settled in Britain, plus others better known in other disciplines, such as David Bowie, Brian Eno and Tommy Steele. As well as extensive updates, there are around 4,000 entirely new biographies. The number of featured artists totals 14,500.

Many contemporary artists have been included for the first time. The information is presented in a readable, easily assimilated form. Basic biographical facts are supplemented by associative material, notes on artists' styles, teachers, preferred media and major exhibiting venues.