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eBook
Straight white men can't dance : American masculinity in film and popular culture
Tsai, Addie
Bloomsbury Academic
, 2025
; English
; 217 Pages
Straight White Men Can't Dance: American Masculinity in Film and Popular Culture investigates a trope proliferating throughout popular American media over the last half-century: that straight white men can't dance.
Addie Tsai traces this reiterative moving image of vaudevillian buffoonery in film, television, and video from the mid-1980s to present-day. During the height of homophobic hysteria in response to the AIDS epidemic, dance began to be used as a marker to scrutinize white men's position within homosexuality and masculinity. Therefore, white men could misperform good dancing to more securely sit within hegemonic masculinity.
Tsai establishes how ethnic mimicry within American popular media, even that of white masculinity, is produced and reiterated from the 19th-century theatrical practice of blackface minstrelsy. This history resurfaces in one of the exceptions to the trope: when white men use the hip currency of blackness to affirm their (dancing) masculinity through theft and positionality.
By revealing how dance in American popular media reifies and problematizes gendered and racialized economies, Straight White Men Can't Dance demonstrates how the image of the buffoonish white male dancer operates as a smokescreen for the more violent manipulative forces of the reigning figure of white supremacy.
Tsai, Addie
Bloomsbury Academic
, 2025
; English
; 217 Pages
Straight White Men Can't Dance: American Masculinity in Film and Popular Culture investigates a trope proliferating throughout popular American media over the last half-century: that straight white men can't dance.
Addie Tsai traces this reiterative moving image of vaudevillian buffoonery in film, television, and video from the mid-1980s to present-day. During the height of homophobic hysteria in response to the AIDS epidemic, dance began to be used as a marker to scrutinize white men's position within homosexuality and masculinity. Therefore, white men could misperform good dancing to more securely sit within hegemonic masculinity.
Tsai establishes how ethnic mimicry within American popular media, even that of white masculinity, is produced and reiterated from the 19th-century theatrical practice of blackface minstrelsy. This history resurfaces in one of the exceptions to the trope: when white men use the hip currency of blackness to affirm their (dancing) masculinity through theft and positionality.
By revealing how dance in American popular media reifies and problematizes gendered and racialized economies, Straight White Men Can't Dance demonstrates how the image of the buffoonish white male dancer operates as a smokescreen for the more violent manipulative forces of the reigning figure of white supremacy.
eBook
Visual counterculture in Japan : political shifts and the dynamics of resistance
Bohr, Marco
Bloomsbury Visual Arts
, 2025
; English
; 265 Pages
This book presents innovative analysis of emergent visual trends in Japan from the late 1960s to the present day. Adopting a thematic approach, this interdisciplinary text deconstructs the role that visual practices played in shaping a variety of countercultural discourses related to politics, gender, identity, sexuality, censorship, ethics and disasters. The book makes the case that visual practices do not merely function as a way to record counterculture, but that such practices are in themselves contributing to dynamics of resistance.
By considering a wide range of artists, photographers, film makers and practitioners, the book focuses on the way that visual culture transgresses, subverts or in the very least questions assumed socio-cultural boundaries in Japan. In doing so, the book foregrounds the crucial role that images play in our society today. Images are no just depictions of political shifts as and when they do occur, but they form part of this very shift in their own right. The book also highlights the interconnectedness between various visual practices and how they fit into wider geopolitical considerations on a global scale.
Bohr, Marco
Bloomsbury Visual Arts
, 2025
; English
; 265 Pages
This book presents innovative analysis of emergent visual trends in Japan from the late 1960s to the present day. Adopting a thematic approach, this interdisciplinary text deconstructs the role that visual practices played in shaping a variety of countercultural discourses related to politics, gender, identity, sexuality, censorship, ethics and disasters. The book makes the case that visual practices do not merely function as a way to record counterculture, but that such practices are in themselves contributing to dynamics of resistance.
By considering a wide range of artists, photographers, film makers and practitioners, the book focuses on the way that visual culture transgresses, subverts or in the very least questions assumed socio-cultural boundaries in Japan. In doing so, the book foregrounds the crucial role that images play in our society today. Images are no just depictions of political shifts as and when they do occur, but they form part of this very shift in their own right. The book also highlights the interconnectedness between various visual practices and how they fit into wider geopolitical considerations on a global scale.
eBook
Pop & postfeminism : female dandyism in popular music
Weidhase, Nathalie
Bloomsbury Academic
, 2024
; English
; 233 Pages
Nathalie Weidhase conceptualises the female dandy as a figure that simultaneously embodies and disrupts postfeminist notions of femininity, including maintaining a physique conforming to contemporary beauty standards, constant self-surveillance and self-improvement, and the naturalisation of gender difference and heterosexuality.
She examines how music videos function as spaces in popular culture where the politics of the feminine can be articulated. These spaces allow female pop stars to be valued as artists with distinct contributions to popular music. Focusing on Amy Winehouse, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Lana Del Rey, Weidhase illuminates different characteristics of the postfeminist dandy in popular music. Amy Winehouse's work makes visible the commodification of the female spectacle in popular culture, highlighting how her image and persona were marketed and consumed. Rihanna performs black femininity as postfeminism's abject Other. Lady Gaga queers monstrous motherhood and celebrates female musical lineage. Lana Del Rey's work demonstrates how whiteness operates as a canvas for postfeminist and post-racial fantasies, offering a platform for their deconstruction and critique.
In doing so, Weidhase provides a comprehensive understanding of how these pop stars navigate and challenge the intricate landscape of postfeminism, offering a nuanced perspective on contemporary femininity and its representations in popular culture.
Weidhase, Nathalie
Bloomsbury Academic
, 2024
; English
; 233 Pages
Nathalie Weidhase conceptualises the female dandy as a figure that simultaneously embodies and disrupts postfeminist notions of femininity, including maintaining a physique conforming to contemporary beauty standards, constant self-surveillance and self-improvement, and the naturalisation of gender difference and heterosexuality.
She examines how music videos function as spaces in popular culture where the politics of the feminine can be articulated. These spaces allow female pop stars to be valued as artists with distinct contributions to popular music. Focusing on Amy Winehouse, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Lana Del Rey, Weidhase illuminates different characteristics of the postfeminist dandy in popular music. Amy Winehouse's work makes visible the commodification of the female spectacle in popular culture, highlighting how her image and persona were marketed and consumed. Rihanna performs black femininity as postfeminism's abject Other. Lady Gaga queers monstrous motherhood and celebrates female musical lineage. Lana Del Rey's work demonstrates how whiteness operates as a canvas for postfeminist and post-racial fantasies, offering a platform for their deconstruction and critique.
In doing so, Weidhase provides a comprehensive understanding of how these pop stars navigate and challenge the intricate landscape of postfeminism, offering a nuanced perspective on contemporary femininity and its representations in popular culture.
eBook
Queer literature in the Sinosphere
Bao, Hongwei; Ma, Yahia Zhengtang
Bloomsbury Academic
, 2024
; English
; 297 Pages
Queer Literature in the Sinosphere is the most up-to-date English-language study of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) themed literature and culture in the Chinese-speaking world. From classical homoerotic texts to contemporary boys' love fan fiction, this book showcases the richness and diversity of queer Chinese literature across the full spectrum of genres, styles, topics and cultural politics. The book features authors and literary works from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and the global Chinese diaspora. Featuring chapters by leading scholars from around the world, this book rewrites literature, history and culture from a queer lens in China and globally.
Bao, Hongwei; Ma, Yahia Zhengtang
Bloomsbury Academic
, 2024
; English
; 297 Pages
Queer Literature in the Sinosphere is the most up-to-date English-language study of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) themed literature and culture in the Chinese-speaking world. From classical homoerotic texts to contemporary boys' love fan fiction, this book showcases the richness and diversity of queer Chinese literature across the full spectrum of genres, styles, topics and cultural politics. The book features authors and literary works from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and the global Chinese diaspora. Featuring chapters by leading scholars from around the world, this book rewrites literature, history and culture from a queer lens in China and globally.
eBook
Appreciation post : towards an art history of Instagram
Ward, Tara
University of California Press
, 2024
; English
; 322 Pages
What does an art history of Instagram look like? Appreciation Post reveals how Instagram shifts long-established ways of interacting with images. Tara Ward argues Instagram is a structure of the visual, which includes not just the process of looking, but what can be seen and by whom. She examines features of Instagram use, including the effect of scrolling through images on a phone, the skill involved in taking an "Instagram-worthy" picture, and the desires created by following influencers, to explain how the constraints imposed by Instagram limit the selves that can be displayed on it. The proliferation of technical knowledge, especially among younger women, revitalizes on Instagram the myth of the masculine genius and a corresponding reinvigoration of a masculine audience for art. Ward prompts scholars of art history, gender studies, and media studies to attend to Instagram as a site of visual expression and social consequence. Through its insightful comparative analysis and acute close reading, Appreciation Post argues for art history's value in understanding the contemporary world and the visual nature of identity today.
Ward, Tara
University of California Press
, 2024
; English
; 322 Pages
What does an art history of Instagram look like? Appreciation Post reveals how Instagram shifts long-established ways of interacting with images. Tara Ward argues Instagram is a structure of the visual, which includes not just the process of looking, but what can be seen and by whom. She examines features of Instagram use, including the effect of scrolling through images on a phone, the skill involved in taking an "Instagram-worthy" picture, and the desires created by following influencers, to explain how the constraints imposed by Instagram limit the selves that can be displayed on it. The proliferation of technical knowledge, especially among younger women, revitalizes on Instagram the myth of the masculine genius and a corresponding reinvigoration of a masculine audience for art. Ward prompts scholars of art history, gender studies, and media studies to attend to Instagram as a site of visual expression and social consequence. Through its insightful comparative analysis and acute close reading, Appreciation Post argues for art history's value in understanding the contemporary world and the visual nature of identity today.
eBook
Diseño, Ricardo; Mockus, Steve
Chronicle Books LLC
, 2024
; English
; 147 Pages
A fascinating and frightening collection of folk tale monsters, ghosts, and other scary things that dwell in the dark.
Our world is a strange place. This hauntingly illustrated book peers into the dark spaces that lie somewhere between belief and imagination, and into the weird stories we tell to make sense of where and who we are. Here are tales of vengeful ghosts, bloodthirsty monsters, internet-conjured nightmares, lost souls, cryptid curiosities, demons, aliens, the undead, and the inexplicable, including:
• Enfield Poltergeist
• Jersey Devil
• Mothman
• Krampus
• El Silbón
• Betty and Barney Hill Abduction
• Headless Horseman
• Skunk Ape
• Onryō
• Loab
• Isla de las Muñecas
• Slender Man
• La Llorona
• Loch Ness Monster
• And many more...
Acclaimed artist Ricardo Diseño brings a lifelong fascination with eerie folklore to electrify the artwork depicting each spooky subject, accompanied by evocative descriptions and history and a flash-fiction story in which readers encounter the dark presences themselves.
FEARFUL WONDERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD: Stalking these pages are Brazilian sleep paralysis ghouls, Japanese spider-women, a shape-shifting Slavic forest guardian, and creepy North American cryptids. Pay a visit to Madagascar's human-eating tree, the Mexican island of haunted dolls, a ghost-cursed California mansion, and the spooky darkness of the tombs beneath the streets of Paris.
FAVORITES OLD AND NEW: Including the first reported alien abduction (and the folklore root of the alien "greys") as well as the first phantom believed to be conjured by AI, this collection brings horror, occult, and classic campfire story vibes in equal measure. Entries end with a shock-fiction encounter with the monster itself or a tale told from its perspective.
GORGEOUSLY ILLUSTRATED BOOK: Ricardo Diseño's signature style brings each of the more than 30 entries to frightening life with a knockout full-page image, hand-illustrated border design elements, and a vivid spot illustration.
TURN OUT THE LIGHTS: The cover art glows in the dark.
Perfect for:
• Readers who enjoy folklore, fairy tales, and ghost stories
• Horror and horror movie fans
• Fans of Ricardo Diseño's Classic Horror Oracle Deck
• Gift-giving for Halloween or any occasion that celebrates the macabre and mysterious
Diseño, Ricardo; Mockus, Steve
Chronicle Books LLC
, 2024
; English
; 147 Pages
A fascinating and frightening collection of folk tale monsters, ghosts, and other scary things that dwell in the dark.
Our world is a strange place. This hauntingly illustrated book peers into the dark spaces that lie somewhere between belief and imagination, and into the weird stories we tell to make sense of where and who we are. Here are tales of vengeful ghosts, bloodthirsty monsters, internet-conjured nightmares, lost souls, cryptid curiosities, demons, aliens, the undead, and the inexplicable, including:
• Enfield Poltergeist
• Jersey Devil
• Mothman
• Krampus
• El Silbón
• Betty and Barney Hill Abduction
• Headless Horseman
• Skunk Ape
• Onryō
• Loab
• Isla de las Muñecas
• Slender Man
• La Llorona
• Loch Ness Monster
• And many more...
Acclaimed artist Ricardo Diseño brings a lifelong fascination with eerie folklore to electrify the artwork depicting each spooky subject, accompanied by evocative descriptions and history and a flash-fiction story in which readers encounter the dark presences themselves.
FEARFUL WONDERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD: Stalking these pages are Brazilian sleep paralysis ghouls, Japanese spider-women, a shape-shifting Slavic forest guardian, and creepy North American cryptids. Pay a visit to Madagascar's human-eating tree, the Mexican island of haunted dolls, a ghost-cursed California mansion, and the spooky darkness of the tombs beneath the streets of Paris.
FAVORITES OLD AND NEW: Including the first reported alien abduction (and the folklore root of the alien "greys") as well as the first phantom believed to be conjured by AI, this collection brings horror, occult, and classic campfire story vibes in equal measure. Entries end with a shock-fiction encounter with the monster itself or a tale told from its perspective.
GORGEOUSLY ILLUSTRATED BOOK: Ricardo Diseño's signature style brings each of the more than 30 entries to frightening life with a knockout full-page image, hand-illustrated border design elements, and a vivid spot illustration.
TURN OUT THE LIGHTS: The cover art glows in the dark.
Perfect for:
• Readers who enjoy folklore, fairy tales, and ghost stories
• Horror and horror movie fans
• Fans of Ricardo Diseño's Classic Horror Oracle Deck
• Gift-giving for Halloween or any occasion that celebrates the macabre and mysterious
eBook
Mashya and Mashyana unearthed : myth, metonymy and the unknowing subject
Dabashi, Hamid
Edinburgh University Press
, 2024
; English
; 344 Pages
Examines the continuity between a people’s ancient mythologies and their contemporary aesthetic tastes
- Offers a provocative retrieval of the ancient Iranian myth of creation to enable a fresh new way of looking at contemporary art and culture
- Critically reflects on how cultural continuities and civilizational endurance defy, overcome and correct the course of history and the logic of chronological periodisation
- Provides a detailed study of contemporary Iranian visual and performing arts with reference to their global context, exploring themes of gender and sexuality, self and society, home and exile, solitude and liberation, mysticism and philosophy
- Explores the world of Iranian film, fiction, poetry and drama as the wellspring of modern mythologies of selfhood and personhood rooted in hidden and unexplored subterranean visions of an alterity we have not yet assayed
- Examines the ways in which the ancient Iranian myth of creation resurface in contemporary film, fiction, and poetry, as metonymic allusions that accommodate to overcome a politics of despair
What if all we see, read, feel, fear, desire and repress in contemporary film, fiction and poetry are metonymic substitutes for much older and more ancient mythologies? What if our modern mythologies are not actually that modern?
Using Iran as an example of an ancient civilization with a sustained course of continuity all the way to the present time, this book moves towards a philosophical reflection on the relationship between what we see and feel today when engaging with art, literature and film and what we have otherwise deeply buried in the forgotten layers of our collective consciousness from time immemorial.
This is the story of Mashya and Mashyana Unearthed, an exploration of when and where ancient myths become metonymic in varied forms of contemporary cultural and aesthetic representations.
Dabashi, Hamid
Edinburgh University Press
, 2024
; English
; 344 Pages
Examines the continuity between a people’s ancient mythologies and their contemporary aesthetic tastes
- Offers a provocative retrieval of the ancient Iranian myth of creation to enable a fresh new way of looking at contemporary art and culture
- Critically reflects on how cultural continuities and civilizational endurance defy, overcome and correct the course of history and the logic of chronological periodisation
- Provides a detailed study of contemporary Iranian visual and performing arts with reference to their global context, exploring themes of gender and sexuality, self and society, home and exile, solitude and liberation, mysticism and philosophy
- Explores the world of Iranian film, fiction, poetry and drama as the wellspring of modern mythologies of selfhood and personhood rooted in hidden and unexplored subterranean visions of an alterity we have not yet assayed
- Examines the ways in which the ancient Iranian myth of creation resurface in contemporary film, fiction, and poetry, as metonymic allusions that accommodate to overcome a politics of despair
What if all we see, read, feel, fear, desire and repress in contemporary film, fiction and poetry are metonymic substitutes for much older and more ancient mythologies? What if our modern mythologies are not actually that modern?
Using Iran as an example of an ancient civilization with a sustained course of continuity all the way to the present time, this book moves towards a philosophical reflection on the relationship between what we see and feel today when engaging with art, literature and film and what we have otherwise deeply buried in the forgotten layers of our collective consciousness from time immemorial.
This is the story of Mashya and Mashyana Unearthed, an exploration of when and where ancient myths become metonymic in varied forms of contemporary cultural and aesthetic representations.
eBook
K-pop innovation : the future of Korean innovation that took the world by storm
Lee, Jangwoo; Pyun, Lynn
World Scientific
, 2024
; English
; 288 Pages
K-pop's remarkable global popularity is no coincidence. Its success cannot be attributed to a talented individual or a set of favourable government policies but is instead the result of continuous innovation by risk-taking entrepreneurs.
For the first time in English, this book presents a focus on the managerial and structural features of the K-pop industry to unpack the resounding success of K-pop companies and the Hallyu Wave phenomenon. It analyses leading industry players, explaining the success strategies of K-pop from the perspective of innovation management theory. It places a particular special emphasis on SM Entertainment, a leading pioneer in the South Korean entertainment industry, and sheds light on the company's strategies for success.
As the book examines how K-pop developed over time, it draws an interesting parallel with the semiconductor and IT industries, noting common characteristics between them. It concludes with thoughts on K-pop's future and advises K-pop innovators on developing new business models combining new technologies in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and augmented reality (AR) to keep the momentum going. It is a must-read for readers interested in innovation, the entertainment industry, and the global phenomenon that is the Hallyu Wave.
Lee, Jangwoo; Pyun, Lynn
World Scientific
, 2024
; English
; 288 Pages
K-pop's remarkable global popularity is no coincidence. Its success cannot be attributed to a talented individual or a set of favourable government policies but is instead the result of continuous innovation by risk-taking entrepreneurs.
For the first time in English, this book presents a focus on the managerial and structural features of the K-pop industry to unpack the resounding success of K-pop companies and the Hallyu Wave phenomenon. It analyses leading industry players, explaining the success strategies of K-pop from the perspective of innovation management theory. It places a particular special emphasis on SM Entertainment, a leading pioneer in the South Korean entertainment industry, and sheds light on the company's strategies for success.
As the book examines how K-pop developed over time, it draws an interesting parallel with the semiconductor and IT industries, noting common characteristics between them. It concludes with thoughts on K-pop's future and advises K-pop innovators on developing new business models combining new technologies in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and augmented reality (AR) to keep the momentum going. It is a must-read for readers interested in innovation, the entertainment industry, and the global phenomenon that is the Hallyu Wave.
eBook
Behind the screens : illustrated floor plans and scenes from the best tv shows of all time
Lizarralde, Iñaki Aliste; Fischer, Neal E.
Chronicle Books LLC
, 2023
; English
; 139 Pages
Hand-drawn floor plans and richly imagined architectural illustrations tell the story of television's most memorable on-screen sets and scenes.
Come explore where Lucy and Ethel baked a monstrous loaf of bread, where Phoebe performed "Smelly Cat," where Jim and Pam fell in love, and countless other homes, offices, and towns as familiar to you as your own living room. Illustrator Iñaki Aliste Lizarralde has expertly rendered thirty-five of the most memorable television floor plans in modern history—puzzling together the layouts with an architect's eye for detail and a director's sense of storytelling.
TV fans will delight in the interiors and exteriors from shows like Friends, Seinfeld, and The Simpsons, where characters and plotlines converge to create worlds so mesmerizing you want to binge-watch season after season. With immersive illustrations from shows across decades and countries, this truly unique art collection offers hilarious TV moments, Easter eggs, and behind-the-scenes trivia to test even the biggest superfans.
GIFT OF AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE: Here is a thorough deep dive and binge-worthy art collection for television superfans, cinephiles, fans of the Warner Brothers' studio tour, and anyone who likes to watch hours of TV at a time.
A NEW WAY TO BINGE YOUR FAVORITE TV: Rediscover your love of the classics like I Love Lucy and Little House on the Prairie
revisit childhood favorites like The Brady Bunch and Sesame Street
or explore recent classics like The Office, Sex and the City, and Friends.
HAND DRAWN, HIGHLY INTRICATE: Imagine living and working in your favorite fictional worlds—these floor plans are drawn as if they could exist in your neighborhood or town rather than on a soundstage. Created from memory and research by a trained architectural illustrator, each image gives you a sense of place in the context of the show's world.
INTERNATIONAL APPEAL: Throughout the book you'll find fan favorite shows from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Shows like Kim's Convenience, Schitt's Creek, Killing Eve, and Sherlock appear alongside U.S. favorites like Seinfeld, Gilmore Girls, New Girl, and The Big Bang Theory.
Perfect for:
• TV fans and cinephiles
• Pop culture enthusiasts
• Fans of Hollywood studio tours and interactive set re-creation experiences (like Friends or The Office)
• Gift for TV lovers who already have multiple streaming subscription services (like Netflix and HBO)
• Anyone interested in interior design
Lizarralde, Iñaki Aliste; Fischer, Neal E.
Chronicle Books LLC
, 2023
; English
; 139 Pages
Hand-drawn floor plans and richly imagined architectural illustrations tell the story of television's most memorable on-screen sets and scenes.
Come explore where Lucy and Ethel baked a monstrous loaf of bread, where Phoebe performed "Smelly Cat," where Jim and Pam fell in love, and countless other homes, offices, and towns as familiar to you as your own living room. Illustrator Iñaki Aliste Lizarralde has expertly rendered thirty-five of the most memorable television floor plans in modern history—puzzling together the layouts with an architect's eye for detail and a director's sense of storytelling.
TV fans will delight in the interiors and exteriors from shows like Friends, Seinfeld, and The Simpsons, where characters and plotlines converge to create worlds so mesmerizing you want to binge-watch season after season. With immersive illustrations from shows across decades and countries, this truly unique art collection offers hilarious TV moments, Easter eggs, and behind-the-scenes trivia to test even the biggest superfans.
GIFT OF AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE: Here is a thorough deep dive and binge-worthy art collection for television superfans, cinephiles, fans of the Warner Brothers' studio tour, and anyone who likes to watch hours of TV at a time.
A NEW WAY TO BINGE YOUR FAVORITE TV: Rediscover your love of the classics like I Love Lucy and Little House on the Prairie
revisit childhood favorites like The Brady Bunch and Sesame Street
or explore recent classics like The Office, Sex and the City, and Friends.
HAND DRAWN, HIGHLY INTRICATE: Imagine living and working in your favorite fictional worlds—these floor plans are drawn as if they could exist in your neighborhood or town rather than on a soundstage. Created from memory and research by a trained architectural illustrator, each image gives you a sense of place in the context of the show's world.
INTERNATIONAL APPEAL: Throughout the book you'll find fan favorite shows from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Shows like Kim's Convenience, Schitt's Creek, Killing Eve, and Sherlock appear alongside U.S. favorites like Seinfeld, Gilmore Girls, New Girl, and The Big Bang Theory.
Perfect for:
• TV fans and cinephiles
• Pop culture enthusiasts
• Fans of Hollywood studio tours and interactive set re-creation experiences (like Friends or The Office)
• Gift for TV lovers who already have multiple streaming subscription services (like Netflix and HBO)
• Anyone interested in interior design
eBook
Keshmirshekan, Hamid
Edinburgh University Press
, 2023
; English
; 329 Pages
Explores and theorises the modern and contemporary art of Iran from the mid-twentieth century to the present
- Critically rereads the concepts of modern and contemporary art in the context of Iran
- Discusses discourses such as nativism, nationalism, anti-westernism or Gharb-zadegi (Westoxification), modernism, secularism, Islamicism, identity versus cultural globalisation, cultural essentialism, global market demands and exoticism
- Looks at the representation of these discourses in art and artistic movements such as Saqqā-khāneh, revolutionary art and diasporic art or artistic strategies such as humour, criticism of cultural past, deconstructive and subversive language,
etc.
- Shows how globalisation and its attendant cultural transformations and alternative visions of cultural particularities have emerged as new themes for Iranian artists
- Based on primary sources including interviews with artists, curators, art critics and cultural activists from a range of disciplinary media such as painting, sculpture, photography, video, performance, installation, and participatory projects
- Examines how political events such as the 1979 Revolution, its aftermaths and the so-called Reform period (1997-2005) impacted cultural and artistic modes in Iran
This book deals with the exploration and theorisation of Modern and Contemporary art of Iran through the examination of art movements and artistic practices in relation to other cultural, social and political discourses during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It focuses on discourses and their impact on art movements and practices and aims to selectively explore certain prevailing debates in action during this time. To come to grips with the way that artistic trends in Iran can be traced within the intellectual and political landscape of the country mainly from the 1940s to the present, Keshmirshekan articulates new ideas for relating art to its wider context – whether social, cultural or political – and to bring together critical and historical evidence in order to provide an insight into current artistic concerns. The book explores these underlying themes and discourses through a series of case studies, including through close scrutiny of works of artists.
Keshmirshekan, Hamid
Edinburgh University Press
, 2023
; English
; 329 Pages
Explores and theorises the modern and contemporary art of Iran from the mid-twentieth century to the present
- Critically rereads the concepts of modern and contemporary art in the context of Iran
- Discusses discourses such as nativism, nationalism, anti-westernism or Gharb-zadegi (Westoxification), modernism, secularism, Islamicism, identity versus cultural globalisation, cultural essentialism, global market demands and exoticism
- Looks at the representation of these discourses in art and artistic movements such as Saqqā-khāneh, revolutionary art and diasporic art or artistic strategies such as humour, criticism of cultural past, deconstructive and subversive language,
etc.
- Shows how globalisation and its attendant cultural transformations and alternative visions of cultural particularities have emerged as new themes for Iranian artists
- Based on primary sources including interviews with artists, curators, art critics and cultural activists from a range of disciplinary media such as painting, sculpture, photography, video, performance, installation, and participatory projects
- Examines how political events such as the 1979 Revolution, its aftermaths and the so-called Reform period (1997-2005) impacted cultural and artistic modes in Iran
This book deals with the exploration and theorisation of Modern and Contemporary art of Iran through the examination of art movements and artistic practices in relation to other cultural, social and political discourses during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It focuses on discourses and their impact on art movements and practices and aims to selectively explore certain prevailing debates in action during this time. To come to grips with the way that artistic trends in Iran can be traced within the intellectual and political landscape of the country mainly from the 1940s to the present, Keshmirshekan articulates new ideas for relating art to its wider context – whether social, cultural or political – and to bring together critical and historical evidence in order to provide an insight into current artistic concerns. The book explores these underlying themes and discourses through a series of case studies, including through close scrutiny of works of artists.
