Curator Anthony Bond began building a contemporary international art collection at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney in 1984. The collection now features many important artists, including Anselm Kiefer, Antony Gormley, Francis Bacon, Anish Kapoor and Doris Salcedo.

In The Idea of Art, Bond discusses the guiding philosophies that steered his formation of the gallery's collection. Incorporating conversations with many high-profile contemporary artists, the book offers important insights into how recent innovations connect with the art of the past, and with human experience.

'Anthony Bond's intimate knowledge of and friendship with artists and empathy with their processes gives his insight a particular richness and relevance.' – Antony Gormley