What is the relation of art and history? What is art today? Why does art affect us? In Field Notes on the Visual Arts, 75 scholars, curators and artists traverse chronology and geography to reveal the meanings and dilemmas of art. The eight topic headings — Anthropomorphism, Appropriation, Contingency, Detail, Materiality, Mimesis, Time and Tradition — are written by historians of art, literature, culture and science, archaeologists, anthropologists,...

At the core of both art and science we find the twin forces of probability and uncertainty. However, these two worlds have been tenuously entangled for decades. On the one hand, artists continue to ask complex questions that align with a scientific fascination with new discoveries, and on the other hand, it is increasingly apparent that creativity and subjectivity inform science's objective processes and knowledge systems. In order to draw parallels...

This book is a description of the work I have done with the fibrous materials paper, textiles and wood since I became a pensioner in 2010. It is a book for practitioners, not a discourse on the history of fibre art. If you, the reader, are interested in creating art with these materials then you may find something useful in the section on Methods.

This compendium comprises three individual research studies that examine contortion and practices of body flexibility in East Asia, namely China, Mongolia and Japan. It explores the performance art forms Chinese contortion, Mongolian contortion and the Kakubei Jishi lion dance of the Niigata prefecture in Japan which utilizes body flexibility. Common points of discussion in these research studies are the investigation of the history and genesis of...

Released in 1965, Sergei Paradjanov's Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors is a landmark of Soviet-era cinema – yet, because its emphasis on folklore and mysticism in traditional Carpathian Hutsul culture broke with Soviet realism, it caused Paradjanov to be blacklisted soon after its release. This book is the first full-length companion to the film. In addition to a synopsis of the plot and a close analysis of the many levels of symbolism in the film,...

Delve into the profound and transformative world of visual aesthetics with Herbert Read's seminal work, "The Meaning of Art." This classic text, written by one of the 20th century's most influential art critics and philosophers, offers a comprehensive and accessible exploration of the nature and significance of art across various cultures and historical periods. In "The Meaning of Art," Read addresses fundamental questions about the purpose and value...

"The Symbolism of Color by Ellen Conroy is a comprehensive guide to the meanings and significance of colors in art, literature, and culture. The book explores the symbolism of colors across different cultures and time periods, delving into the psychological, emotional, and spiritual associations that people have with different hues. The book begins with an overview of the history of color symbolism, tracing the roots of color symbolism back to ancient...

Europe, China, and India had distinct world views and inclinations. Europe excelled in science, China tended to art or aesthetics, and India's forte was religion or spirituality. Their mutual influence, which started in earnest in the 19th century, is shaping our planetary culture.The book is well-organized and easy to understand. The author takes concepts that are quite difficult to understand but somehow manages to make them easily digestible for...

A rough and ready look at the current state of the American Dream through the mirror lens of poetry and short fiction.

Saint-Exupéry might have had the Little Prince say that he liked the desert because that is where camels can hide out. Dubai is one of the seven Gulf Emirates and has become a high-tech avantgarde metropolis where superlatives are superfluous. Major wonders of architectural imagination and scale include the National Bank of Dubai, Clock Tower, Creek Side and Dubai Internet City. It also operates the world's largest man-made harbour in Jebel Ali,...