American art : a cultural history / David Bjelajac.
"In this newly revised and expanded survey, David Bjelajac punctures the idea of a uniquely American way of seeing or representation. Instead, he sifts painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, and contemporary new media within a broader material culture, documenting a visual history char...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Upper Saddle River, NJ :
Prentice Hall,
©2005.
|
| Edition: | [Newly rev. and expanded ed.] |
| Subjects: |
| Summary: | "In this newly revised and expanded survey, David Bjelajac punctures the idea of a uniquely American way of seeing or representation. Instead, he sifts painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, and contemporary new media within a broader material culture, documenting a visual history characterized by conflict and a rich diversity - from European colonial settlement to the themed environments of Disney and art exhibitions in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in America." "Dismissing the idea of art as a stately evolution of styles or "-isms", the author sees America's visual culture as an arena in which conflicting notions of class, gender, race, and regional allegiance are fought. Stepping outside traditional art-historical discourse, he launches into the realms of politics, religion, science, literature, and popular culture in order to analyze individual art works within their specific historical contexts. Throughout, using generous quotations from primary sources, Bjelajac pays close attention to how contemporary artists, audiences, and beholders from different backgrounds have talked about specific works, the nature of art, and the artist's role in American society."--BOOK JACKET. |
|---|---|
| Physical Description: | xi, 512 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 29 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 490-496) and index. |
| ISBN: | 013145580X (paper) 0131455796 (case) |