Dan Grahams Rock My Religion (1982--1984) is a video essay populated by punk and rock performers (Patti Smith; Jim Morrison; Jerry Lee Lewis; and Eddie Cochran) and historical figures (including Ann Lee; founder of the Shakers). It represented a coming together of narrative voice-overs; singing and shouting voices; and jarring sounds and overlaid texts that proposed a historical genealogy of rock music and an ambitious thesis about the origins of North Americas popular culture. Because of its passionate embrace of underground music; its low-fi aesthetics; interest in politics; and liberal approach to historiography; the video has become a landmark work in the history of contemporary moving image and art; but it has remained; possibly for the same reasons; one of Grahams least written about works--underappreciated and possibly misunderstood by the critics who otherwise celebrate him. This illustrated study of Grahams groundbreaking work fills that critical gap. Kodwo Eshun examines Rock My Religion not only in terms of contemporary art and Grahams wider body of work but also as part of the broader culture of the time. He explores the relationship between Graham and New Yorks underground music scene of the 1980s; connecting the artistic methods of the No Wave bands--especially their group dynamics and relationship to the audience--and Rock My Religions treatment of working class identity and culture.
#1318405 in eBooks 2012-09-26 2012-09-26File Name: B009IXGJJQ
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A good intro or review of recent energy efficiency strategies. A bit rudimentary. and a bit self-promoting.By ArchiMarkThis book is a good starting point for someone just starting to dip their toe in the topic of energy efficient design. and an excellent snapshot of a point in time in the pursuit and promotion of net zero design. It packs in a huge number of topics. which is both a positive and a negative. As a jumping off point. to make the reader aware of many different technologies and strategies. this is an excellent resource. Where its not so great is on any in-depth investigation of any of those technologies. Its a little bit scatter-shot in its approach. For instance in the chapter introducing energy efficient building systems it jumps ahead to a fairly involved discussion of DC micro-grids early in the chapter. long before it covers the basics of conventional systems. In using this in a teaching situation I found that the students needed a lot of additional basic information in order to understand what a DC micro-grid is. and what the conventional technology is. in order to understand why this would be beneficial. On the other hand. when covering the material of this book with an audience mostly made up of seasoned design professionals a great deal of the material was received as old-hat and very cursory. So its difficult to pin-point who exactly this book is geared toward. It might be useful for young professionals with an architecture or engineering education but little experience - especially those studying for licensing exams. It also might be a good review for those who are a few years out of touch with the latest green technologies - although at this point this book is already a little long in the tooth on that front.The book contains many examples of energy efficient buildings and communities - I dont want to give the impression that it is solely a vehicle to promote one particular project. However. it does focus rather heavily on one particular building in Colorado. on which the author was one of the designers. This got a bit repetitive. and at times I didnt think this project was by any means the best example of the point that it was being used to illustrate. Sometimes it did seem that the author was stretching to use yet another photograph of this one project to illustrate the topic at hand. and that this was done at the expense both of clarity and of more worthy examples.Its a book that was worth reading. but not one Im likely to return to as a resource. and also not one thats likely to stay relevant for long. In that sense its one that I might have been better off borrowing from a library than purchasing.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Fantastic introduction and overview of NZEDBy En P. JunctionThis books greatest strength is in its comprehensive and detailed presentation of the foundation of NZED-- more so because the author didnt use 500 pages to accomplish this task.Ive read this book cover to cover but because it is comprehensive and some of the areas of NZED are not very familiar I find myself reading it again and absorbing more with each pass. Despite having the book in hard cover format I also purchase the kindle version so I can reference many of the excellent charts and figures. found through the book.This may have been written primarily for architects but it is would be very informative for anyone involved sustainable building design and construction.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy gcrexcellent resource
