How many times have you read the caption next to a work of art in a gallery, or a review of a contemporary art exhibition in a magazine and found yourself none the wiser? For many, the language in which modern art is described can be even more mystifying than the art itself.

Now, a fully updated and expanded edition of the bestselling Tate Guide to Modern Art Terms offers a clear and reliable guide through the confusing terrain, with more than 450 pithy entries on the full range of modern and contemporary art. Drawing on the expertise of the most visited modern art gallery in the world, the book provides a comprehensive, authoritative and completely up-to-date resource for gallery-goers, art students and general readers alike, comprehensive in scope but small enough to fit into a bag or pocket.

From Abstract Expressionism and Body Art through to Young British Artists (YBAs) and Group Zero, the book ranges in time from the dawn of Impressionism through to the digital age. Every term – whether a theme, movement, medium or practice – is defined with clarity and precision, with new entries on a broad range of subjects including Aesthetics, Afrofuturism, Chance, Ethnography, Identity Politics, Taller Gráfica Popular and the Uncanny. International in scope, and now with more than 60 illustrations, this is the perfect companion for all those wanting to increase their understanding and appreciation of modern and contemporary art.

About the Authors
Simon Wilson is former head of interpretation at Tate.

Jessica Lack is an arts writer for the "Guardian."