Through the figure of Josephine Baker; Second Skin tells the story of an unexpected yet enduring intimacy between the invention of a modernist style and the theatricalization of black skin at the turn of the twentieth century. Stepping outside of the platitudes surrounding this iconic figure; Anne A. Cheng argues that Bakers famous nakedness must be understood within larger philosophic and aesthetic debates about; and desire for; pure surface that crystallized at the convergence of modern art; architecture; machinery; and philosophy. Through Chengs analysis; Baker emerges as a central artist whose work engages with and impacts various modes of modernist display such as film; photography; art; and even the modern house.
#2835672 in eBooks 2010-12-30 2010-12-30File Name: B004FV4RZE
Review
