[ePub] Class Divisions on the Broadway Stage: The Staging and Taming of the I.W.W. (Palgrave Studies in Theatre and Performance History) by M. Schwartz in Arts-Photography

Description

What is art in the sense of the Islamic tradition? Mohammed Hamdouni Alami argues that Islamic art has historically been excluded from Western notions of art; that the Western aesthetic traditions preoccupation with the human body has meant that Islamic and Western art being perceived as inherently at odds. However; the move away from this anthropomorphic aesthetic in Western art movements; such as modern abstract and constructivist painting; have presented the opportunity for new ways of viewing and evaluating Islamic art and architecture. Drawing upon classical Arabic literature; philosophy; poetry; medicine and theology; along with contemporary Western art theory; the author uncovers a specific Islamic theoretical vision of art and architecture based on poetic practice; politics; desire and the gaze. In so doing; he addresses the lack of recognition given to early Islamic thought and aesthetics in comparison with other historical periods and traditions. This is an important step toward a critical analysis of the contemporary debate around the revival of Islamic architectural identity- debate intricately embedded within opposing Islamic political and social projects throughout the world.