When we think of breaking images; we assume that it happens somewhere else. We also tend to think of iconoclasts as barbaric. Iconoclasts are people like the Taliban; who blew up Buddhist statues in 2001. We tend; that is; to look with horror on iconoclasm.This book argues instead that iconoclasm is a central strand of Anglo-American modernity. Our horror at the destruction of art derives in part from the fact that we too did; and still do; that. This is most obviously true of Englands iconoclastic century between 1538 and 1643. That century of legislated early modern image breaking; exceptional in Europe for its jurisdictional extension and duration; stands at the core of this book. Thats when written texts; especially poems; rather thanvisual images became our living monuments.Surely; though; the story of image breaking stops in the eighteenth century; with its enlightened cultivation of the visual arts and the art market. Not so; argues Under the Hammer: once started; iconoclasm is difficult to stop. It ripples through cultures; into the psyche; and it ripples through history. Museums may have protected images from the iconoclasts hammer; but also subject images to metaphorical iconoclasm. Aesthetics may have drawn a protective circle around the image; butas it did so; it also neutralised the image.The ripple effect also continues across the Atlantic; into puritan culture; into twentieth-century American Abstract Expressionism; and into the puritan temple of modern art. That; in fact; is where this book starts; with mid-twentieth-century abstract painting: the image has survived; just; but it bears the scars of a 500 year history.
#444671 in eBooks 2011-09-28 2011-09-28File Name: B005UQCZ3O
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Pretty good info.By Christine felicianoFor amateur photographers the book gave simple but useful tips that helped me to plan my day out shooting my four legged buddy. Its true before you head out pack the simple treats and know the areas you will shoot before you get out there. Most parks will be full of other pets and that could prove very distracting when trying to keep your subject focused to you. Not recommended in my opinion. I would find places off the beaten path and not frequented or popular with other pets. Enjoyed the book. hope you will to.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Good info.By Jennifer B. WeaverI bought this book. bc I was needing a few more pointers with my slr camera. and I also specialize in pet photography. so I figured this would be a perfect book to guide me on that. I havent even finished reading it. but the info I have read so far as worth it. The dummies books are always easy to read. with very details explanations. and this book is the same.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Dog Photography ReviewBy HG BikerI was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was very thorough and covered many aspects of photographing dogs. I especially liked the section on how to photograph black dogs. white dogs and dogs in the snow. It covered everything from how to set aperature. shutter priority and ISO to how to get the dogs to respond so one can get good photos.
