The Art and Films of Lynn Hershman Leeson: Secret Agents, Private I

Book Description

Lynn Hershman Leeson's groundbreaking installation, performance, photography, video, digital, and film works have earned her an international reputation as a prodigious and innovative artist. This first historical and critical analysis of her work by prominent scholars and the artist herself brings nearly forty years of creative output into focus by tracking the development of her constant themes through each medium. The provocative essays in this volume, ranging from formal to theoretical to psychological to poetical analyses, establish her place at the forefront of contemporary art.
Hershman Leeson's work explores vision, spectatorship, and the construction of sexed subjectivity, touching on key feminist concerns relating to the lived experience of the physical body and the body as a medium on which social law and values are inscribed. Her projects of self-analysis and self mythification explode stable notions of identity. The Art and Films of Lynn Hershman Leeson demonstrates how Hershman Leeson's work uniquely mirrors fragmented human subjectivity at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Especially useful are the artist's updated chronology and a DVD with excerpts from several of her works.
Copub: Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington

Customer Reviews:

Excellent overview while providing detailed analyses.......2006-08-15

Documenting 35 years of cutting-edge work from one of America's most important contemporary artists, The Art and Films of Lynn Hershman Leeson is a "must have" for academics, artists and anyone interested in contemporary film, video, performance art, installation art, feminism or new media. If Leeson's range of media seems impressive, run down the list of her technical innovations, which reads like the dreams of several artists rather than the achievement of one (a theme, by the way, underscored throughout her work): creator of one of the first interactive videodisc artworks, one of the earliest networked robotic art installations, the first artwork to use touch-screen interface and, most recently, a process for making virtual sets, called LHL, designed for her first feature film, Conceiving Ada. Her reputation as a constant innovator and "pioneer of new media" isn't surprising, unlike the fact that this book is the first comprehensive look at her work. If you don't know about Lynn Hershman Leeson already, you should.

Published in conjunction with the exhibition Hershmanlandia: The Art and Films of Lynn Hershman Leeson, this book does an excellent job of both providing coverage while offering detailed analyses of Leeson's work. Edited by artist and art historian Meredith Tromble, the text includes a well-balanced selection of multidisciplinary essays written by art critics, historians and curators, film historians and theorists, and Hershman herself. Hershman's "Private I: An Investigator's Timeline," gives a succinct yet detailed account of her career while reenacting her playful, witty and sophisticated use of autobiography as a means to articulate the complexities of subjectivity in general, where binary distinctions such as public vs. private, personal vs. political, human vs. machine, art vs. science, fantasy vs. reality, and art-making vs. world-making are, through a plethora of odd meetings and wild matings, playfully problematized and profoundly upended.

The collection of essays are, for the most part, concise and insightful, produced by some of the best scholars in their respective fields. For example, Abigail Solomon-Godeau reads Leeson's strategies of "conscientious objectification," her "intervention into the mechanics of spectacle," as a form of "ethical self-reflection," while Amelia Jones locates Leeson in a genealogy of performative photographic self-display routed through Claude Cahun, recognizing Leeson's ability to simultaneously affirm both surface and depth in an image, the "simulacral nature of postmodern culture" and the lived experience of a subject in the flesh--in this case, "female experience in patriarchy." David E. James also addresses Leeson's work as a performance of self, but shows how Leeson complicates and extends this strategy by working with the influences, tensions and contradictions that circulate between autobiography (as authorial agency, biographical truth as well as fabrication) and the materiality of representation (in this case video), throwing into relief the tenuous and porous boundaries between the individual and the social, subjects and objects of knowledge, truth and fiction, life and death, and trauma and healing.

The book contains 17 color plates, a good number of figures, and a beautifully organized DVD that includes presentation of the artworks (both stills and clips), more essays on Hershman's work, and selected histories: videos, films, exhibitions and awards. While much of the material overlaps, the DVD will also point you to Hershman's website and impressive web-based projects, such as Agent Ruby. Be sure to check them out.

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The Windberg technique of oil painting
Dalhart Windberg
Manufacturer: D. Windberg
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006ELZZO

Average customer rating:

For the passion of art

Windberg Oil Painting Technique

Windberg Oil Painting Technique
Dalhart Windberg
Manufacturer: Windberg Enterprises, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Painting | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0962194603

Customer Reviews:

For the passion of art.......2006-05-17

This book was my favorite resource, to capture a likeness to the masters in technique. Windberg offers a unique and unselfish instruction, sharing his most amazing method to capture this "Old World" yet remarkable painting technique as though you were in his classroom. If I could ever have studied under him, I would have, but this book hands down, is simply the best alternative to class study.

Windberg Oil Painting Technique.......2000-02-07

Brief overview of Mr. Windberg's technique. Chpt.1 explains surface preparation for stretched canvas as well as Masonite.This covers his "Tooth Coat" formula. Chpt. 2 discusses his Windberg Oil Painting Medium & Winberg Slow Drying Medium for his smooth-surface painting technique.Chpt. 3 explains his palette- choice of colors,color mixing and his selection of brushes. It goes on to explain paint application techniques-how he achieves his soft blends. Chapters 4 & 5 demonstrate a still life and a landscape. The final chapter in the 50 page booklet explains Varnishing and its importance to his technique.

Book Description

The story of Dwight McCarthy, a clean-living photographer who tries to avoid trouble because he knows what he's capable of. His tactics don't do him much good when a girl from his past shows up and professes her love for him. When he finds out she's in way over her head, it looks as though trouble has found him. A Dame to Kill For (mataria por ella) won a 1995 Eisner Award for Best Limited Series.

Book Description

A critical celebration of HBO's popular and acclaimed series Praised for its unabashed portrait of the 'death care' industry, HBO's Six Feet Under is less about the business of death than the art of living well. Created by the Oscar winner Alan Ball (Ameri-can Beauty), this innovative, controversial show charts difficult territory-from death, dying and bereavement, to female and gay sexualities, to family obligation and relationships-laying bare in the process an American cultural consciousness. This book examines such predominant themes as the dead body, magic realism and the grotesque, American cultural politics, family re-lationships, homosexuality, motherhood and more. A complete episode guide to the first four seasons is included.

Customer Reviews:

SFU fun for the English Major in you.......2007-05-17

Obviously only for the Six Feet Under enthusiast, Reading SFU does a good job of canvassing a number of interesting approaches to the show (examining specific characters, specific themes, etc.) and the essays are on a whole well-written and quite insightful.

A few small caveats - the essays were written at varying times and none were written after the series' final season. Given the rather significant plot points of the final season, I did often find myself wishing that the essays could have been re-visited, to address their points with the perspective of the series taken as a whole. Similarly, while the collection of essay approach allows the book to handle a number of different themes, I longed for a more cohesive view, and I think there still exists a potential for a volume written by one author to explore the show.

Finally, the book is very much composed of academic essays - things you would be writing as an English PHD student. As that implies, there's plenty of pretension and obscure points, but the good news is that it's well worth sorting through the vernacular and the show is substantive enough to support such an approach. If you don't enjoy reading that type of work, however, the book is certainly not for you.

Given the general lack of SFU literature out there, this book is the closest I've seen to engaging the series on the level it deserves.

Serving the living by caring for the dead.......2006-06-19

Most of the contributors to this volume of essays on HBO's 5-season hit SIX FEET UNDER praise the series as groundbreaking, smart, well-written, honest, and deeply felt. I share their high opinion of SFU and find that I continue to find new things to delight in (if you can use that expression for a series that focuses on death and damaged human relations) each time I watch an episode.

If you're a fan of SFU or just someone who likes to watch television thoughtfully, you'll find this volume helpful. These are not newspaper style reviews; most are essays by academics focusing on one character or aspect of the show. There is academic jargon here to be sure (in some essays more than others), but I found I could navigate it fairly easily with a dictionary at my elbow (though I had to Google "diegesis" to understand Peter Kaye's article on the music of SFU). Special attention was given to gender issues. Part III is entitled "Post-Patriarchal Dilemmas: Making Visible the Female Subject" and contains essays on Ruth Fisher (the mother whose unexpected and premature widowhood launches season 1), Claire (her only daughter), and Brenda (a complicated outsider who becomes increasingly involved with the family over the course of the series). I found Erin's MacLeod's "Desperately Seeking Brenda: Writing the Self in Six Feet Under" especially engaging--in part, because I found this character more baffling and frustrating than any other in the show. As with many of the essays in this volume, I suspect MacLeod wrote her essay at some point during season 3 or 4, but certainly well before Brenda's full trajectory was known. She seemed to have missed the opportunity to comment on Brenda's personal post-patriarchal experience (the death of her own father, Bernard Chenowith). I think the volume would have been greatly enhanced if contributors were given an opportunity to attach Afterwords to their essays based on having seen the entire series, including the amazing final episode in which viewers are shown exactly how each of the main characters faces her/his own death.

Gender is also the key theme in "Part IV: Post-Patriarchal Dilemmas: Masculinities Reconsidered," with Queer Theory playing an important role in Brian Singleton's "Queering the Church," which focuses on the way David Fisher deals with his homosexuality, and Samuel A. Chambers's "Revisiting the Closet," which focuses on the experiences Russell Corwin, an art school classmate of Claire's, a relatively minor character in the series. Again, it would have been interesting to know what these authors thought upon seeing the last episode of season 5.

My favorite essay in the whole volume, however, was "Playing in the Deep End of the Pool" by Thomas Lynch, who is a funeral director (from a family of funeral directors) in addition to being a skilled writer. Besides providing useful insights into SFU's portrayal of his profession, he gives the first critical perspective I've read on Jessica Mitford's classic 1963 expose of the death care industry, THE AMERICAN WAY OF DEATH, that makes sense without seeming defensive.

The book includes an Episode Guide (through the end of season 4); a Film and TV Guide (baffling for what it includes--The King and I?--as well as for what it omits--where are Rachel, Rachel; Four Weddings and a Funeral; Longtime Companion; The Passion of the Christ, to name a few?); a Bibliography that doesn't include every work sited by the authors; and an Index.

a must have.......2006-04-28

For fans of Six Feet Under, this is a must have. It is true that some of the more personal stuff, like the poems, are a bit weak, but most of the essays are strong and insightful.

Fans might also want to check out the collection Considering Alan Ball. I just picked this up, and it has great essays about Six Feet Under, American Beauty, and some of Ball's early plays as well.

Speaking Fiercely from the 'I'.......2005-11-17

This book is wonderful if you're a literate SFU fan, and most of the show's fans are. This book has a variety of hard-core analyses of the different elements of SFU, and each one--except for a silly article that's more confessional than analysis--offers a very illuminating perspective on an aspect of the show. That SFU lends itself to such examination is hardly surprising if you are a fan. The real pleasure to be found in the book is seeing the show scrutinized by such intelligent people, which is not only a compliment to the show, but also underscores just how transcendant and perfect the show was. In essence, this book is a collection of writings by fans like you and me but who happen to have Phds and teach at universities. Reading about the Fishers in this way provides a new narrative of sorts in which the Fishers are again alive. Meaning, the show's over, which makes me want to kill myself, but here is a chance to read about their adventures in a fresh way that makes them alive that little bit longer. The only drawback to the book are the few extremely goofy poems and overly morbid photographs that unnecessarily interrupt the pages.

In short, this book is an extremely thoughful love letter from intellectuals, and the Fishers deserve nothing less. I still can't believe the show's over.

A great start for all the researchers........2005-08-22

I am glad that a book on Six Feet Under has been published. The book contains a number of useful essays, regarding the notion of death, American culture, homosexuality, feminism, music and other aspects in the excellent TV drama.

The essays are grouped neatly and are very well-organized. Readers will absolutely find something insightful under each section. Interestingly most, before each section begins, there is a poem, regarding the theme of that particular section. So, the book is not entirely academic and research work, but also some creative writing.

The most useful part of the book, I think, is not just the selected essay, but the detailed bibliography provided at the back.

One thing I don't like about the book is that some essays are quite narrow in discussing the content of the drama. For example, a few essays merely talk about the plot in several episodes in the first two seasons. Yet, the season 4 of the drama has been out, so it'd be more extensive and convincing if the essay could cover all four seasons.

I wish after the finale season of the drama, a more detailed and in-depth anthrology would be published. Six Feet Under is not just a TV drama, it's literature, it's a classic. It deserves more written records.

Average customer rating:

I read a book! Every CLASH fan would love this.

I haven't read this book

The Complete Clash
Keith Topping
Manufacturer: Reynolds & Hearn
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Punk | Musical Genres | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Rock | Musical Genres | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Passion Is A Fashion: The Real Story of The Clash

The Clash

A Riot of Our Own: Night and Day with the Clash

Let Fury Have the Hour: The Punk Rock Politics of Joe Strummer (Nation Books)

Joe Strummer and the Legend of The Clash

ASIN: 1903111706

Customer Reviews:

I read a book! Every CLASH fan would love this........2005-12-04

Every single song they did is written about here. Even some that were just done during soundchecks for some shows. The author gives you his take on the lyrics and tells us who wrote it, often in what context and tells you other info about each song such as how it fits in the context of the album or single it came out on. He also tells us which tours the song was played on, or if it was not ever played live. There is also an excellent listing of all the TV appearances the band made as well as a detailed discography of all officially released CLASH records except for some info about which records were released in which various countries. He also gives us a page or two of info about the recording of each of the albums. If you're a CLASH fan this book is definitely worth having. Let's see, it's maybe the 4th book I've read in the 2000's. Very glad I did. chrisbct@hotmail.com

I haven't read this book.......2004-03-18

I have not purchased or heard of this book until just now. It sounds like it'd be cool, though.

The Clash: The Complete Guide To Their Music (Complete Guide to the Music of...) (Complete Guide to the Music of...) (Complete Guide to the Music of...)

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The Clash: The Complete Guide To Their Music (Complete Guide to the Music of...) (Complete Guide to the Music of...) (Complete Guide to the Music of...)
Tony Fletcher
Manufacturer: Omnibus Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Similar Items:

ASIN: 184449506X
Release Date: 2005-08-01

Product Description

The indispensable consumers guide to the music of The Clash. An album by album, track by track, examination of every song released by The Clash, from their first single, White Riot to their album Combat Rock and beyond. Includes sections on compilations, live recordings, films and post Clash work by Joe Strummer and Mick Jones. Includes the newly released London Calling Vanilla tapes and an overview of the group s impact and influence.

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Clash (1991) 1-3 Complete Story

Manufacturer: DC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic
ASIN: B000PFZ49W

Product Description

ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS CLASH (1991) 1-3 The titanic talents of Tom (Animal Man) Veitch and Adam (Wolverine) Kubert join forces for this DC Miniseries about an archeologist who discovers an ancient machine granting him amazing powers. Of course, once the archeologist rampages through the Middle East (on the side of justice), world powers are less than enthused. A fun, action packed tale of the consequences of absolute power! Prestige format $4.95 cover price ($14.85 total)

Jews and the Olympic Games: The Clash Between Sport and Politics - With a Complete Review of Jewish Olympic Medallists

Average customer rating:

A brilliant work for Jews and sports lovers

Jews and the Olympic Games: The Clash Between Sport and Politics - With a Complete Review of Jewish Olympic Medallists
Paul Taylor
Manufacturer: Sussex Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Jewish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Olympic Games | Miscellaneous | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1903900875

Customer Reviews:

A brilliant work for Jews and sports lovers.......2004-09-10

This book finally and forever puts to rest the myth that Jews aren't sportspeople. The list of Jewish competitors at the Olympic Games, winners of numerous medals despite a century of Anti-Semitism and restrictions, is staggering. Paul Taylor has done a wonderful job in bringing to the fore the Jewish sports stars, their stories, the efforts they went to just to compete on equal terms, and the frustrations they suffered. Taylor also details the anti-semitism of the Olympic movement and the naked racism of so many teams, team managers, and governments which prevented Jewish competitors from participating.
But most importantly, Taylor has given us numerous personal portraits of stunningly brave individuals who fought against the incalculable difficulties, just to become Olympians.

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Clash Complete Chord Songbook
*
Manufacturer: Omnibus Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K440IO

Amazon.com

There's no business like big business--which, in order to be big, often operates more like show business. This is the thesis of William L. Bird in Better Living, a survey of corporate America's use of advertising and the media between the years 1935 and 1955. The topic is fascinating, though the writing tends towards the academic at times, such as in this passage describing a National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)-sponsored program:

Despite the troubling transparency of American Family Robinson, the NAM's willingness to dramatize their deepest fears and concerns suggested an out. In the process of building a dramatic program for the manufacturers, the specialist could play a mediating role, negotiating a formula, and, conversely, the formula itself could play a mediating role, sustaining a "multiplicity of meanings other than a monolithic dominant point of view."

Nevertheless, Bird builds an interesting case history; American Family Robinson, for example, was a radio soap opera in which the Robinson family expressed the pro-business, anti-New Deal sentiments of its sponsor. As corporate attitudes evolved from the early days of radio through the use of film and the advent of television, more and more entertainment became a definite strategy in getting business's message across.

Living Better is geared more toward an academic readership instead of a general one. Familiarity with New Deal policies and politics is useful when tackling this book--so is a magnifying glass for anyone over the age of 30, since the print is small, and the margins narrow. Still, after reading about big business's insidious advances into the national psyche via nightly entertainment in the early years of radio and television, one might think twice about what one's viewing now.

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Better Living: Advertising, Media, and the New Vocabulary of Business Leadership, 1935-1955 (Media Topographies)
William L. Jr Bird
Manufacturer: Northwestern
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LZJB9U

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