Bertolt Brecht once worried that our sympathy for the victims of a social problem can make the problemrsquo;s ldquo;beauty and attractionrdquo; invisible. In The Beauty of a Social Problem; Walter Benn Michaels explores the effort to overcome this difficulty through a study of several contemporary artist-photographers whose work speaks to questions of political economy.Although he discusses well-known figures like Walker Evans and Jeff Wall; Michaelsrsquo;s focus is on a group of younger artists; including Viktoria Binschtok; Phil Chang; Liz Deschenes; and Arthur Ou. All born after 1965; they have always lived in a world where; on the one hand; artistic ambition has been synonymous with the critique of autonomous form and intentional meaning; while; on the other; the struggle between capital and labor has essentially been won by capital. Contending that the aesthetic and political conditions are connected; Michaels argues that these artistsrsquo; new commitment to form and meaning is a way for them to depict the conditions that have taken US economic inequality from its lowest level; in 1968; to its highest level today. As Michaels demonstrates; these works of art; unimaginable without the postmodern critique of autonomy and intentionality; end up departing and dissenting from that critique in continually interesting and innovative ways.
#886267 in eBooks 2015-10-22 2015-10-22File Name: B00YT6MT1Y
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. EnlighteningBy Louis ParnellAnnette Lusts book on BRINGING THE BODY TO THE STAGE AND SCREEN was excellent.It was enlightening for anyone who is in the entertainment field (especially stage work). I highly recommend it if you are a serious actor for either casual reading or in the event you wished to apply her knowledge to your craft.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. A Comprehensive Manual for the Theatre ArtistBy Gaetana C. SmithAnnette Lusts latest book; "BRINGING the BODY to the STAGE and SCREEN" is a perfect companion to her "FROM the GREEK MIMES to MARCEL MARCEAU and BEYOND;" published in 2000. "Bringing the Body" should be in the library of everyone in theatre; whether performer; teacher; director; writer; or in production. It should be constantly referenced as its material is easily accessed and rich in detail. Starting with the definitions of various movement techniques provided in Chapter One and proceeding chapter by chapter from there; following the steps and diagrams on both movement and breathing; one could possibly teach oneself how to bring ones body to stage and or screen. In Chapters 6 and 7; Dr. Lust describes creating pantomimes and physicalizing the written word from fables; short stories; plays; and more. There are also sections on puppetry; puppeteers; and clowning. One of the many highlights of "Bringing the Body" is her inclusion of interviews with and essays by many movement artists such as Bill Irwin; Geoff Hoyle (both originally from Larry Pisonis Pickle Family Circus); Dan Kamin on Charlie Chaplin; John Goode of the John Goode Performance Group; Liebe Wetzel on puppetry; and Robert Fleshman on Etienne Decroux; the father of contemporary; corporeal mime. The appendices contain a wealth of information from setting up a training program to references to schools and training centers. You will find "BRINGING the BODY to the STAGE and SCREEN" an invaluable resource.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A Treasure Trove for Actors; Teachers and Students of TheatreBy Flora Lynn IsaacsonDr. Annette Lusts new book Bringing the Body to the Stage and Screen: Expressive Movement for Performers is a valuable companion to her earlier book; From the Greek Mimes to Marcel Marceau and Beyond. Here Dr. Lust provides another extraordinary guide to further develop and refine our perception of the importance of movement. In addition; she offers a varied and wide choice of training methods to help future actors become more physically adept; expressive and complete in their artistic performances. Bringing the Body to Stage and Screen: Expressive Movement for Performers is an invaluable reference book to have on hand.
