Whose Art Is It? is the story of sculptor John Ahearn; a white artist in a black and Hispanic neighborhood of the South Bronx; and of the people he cast for a series of public sculptures commissioned for an intersection outside a police station. Jane Kramer; telling this story; raises one of the most urgent questions of our time: How do we live in a society we share with people who are; often by their own definitions; "different?" Ahearnrsquo;s subjects were "not the best of the neighborhood." They were a junkie; a hustler; and a street kid. Their images sparked a controversy throughout the communitymdash;and New York itselfmdash;over issues of white representations of people of color and the appropriateness of particular images as civic art. The sculptures; cast in bronze and painted; were up for only five days before Ahearn removed them.This compelling narrative raises questions about community and public art policies; about stereotypes and multiculturalism. With wit; drama; sympathy; and circumspection; Kramer draws the reader into the multicultural debate; challenging our assumptions about art; image; and their relation to community. Her portrait of the South Bronx takes the argument to its grass rootsmdash;provocative; surprising in its contradictions and complexities and not at all easy to resolve.Accompanied by an introduction by Catharine R. Stimpson exploring the issues of artistic freedom; "political correctness;" and multiculturalism; Whose Art Is It? is a lively and accessible introduction to the ongoing debate on representation and private expression in the public sphere.
#1788962 in eBooks 2014-03-04 2014-03-04File Name: B00HK68F0O
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. FOLGERS LIBRARY SHAKESPEARE IS THE BESTBy C.C.K."Judy"What can I say......as a lover of all Shakespeares works this is just a great historic story about Kings and their families and how disfunctional they are and were even back then and how grabbing the crown and keeping it any way you can seemed to be the order of the day. The Folgers books are so very well detailed. Not only the play itself but the explanation of words and situations on the page across from the scene itself helps even those new to Shakespeare better understand the old English expressions of that time. The life of Shakespeare is told in every book and comments on the play and reference books to look up if you are of a mind to pursue further knowledge of the play and the times. Nobody beats Folgers Library if you want to understand the best of Shakespeare.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great Edition of a Dramatic ClassicBy T. A. KleinhansThis is a play I chose to read for my Play Analysis paper for my Intro. to Drama class. The language is extremely powerful and memorable; the characters are compelling; and the play itself is exceptional. I definitely highly recommend it for anyone with any interest at all in drama. It is; without question; one of the greatest examples of the genre ever written. As to the edition itself; I found it to be greatly helpful in understanding the action in the play. It has a layout which places each page of the play opposite a page of notes; definitions; explanations; and other things needed to understand that page more thoroughly. While I didnt always need it; I was certainly glad to have it whenever I ran into a turn of language that was unfamiliar; and I definitely appreciated the scene-by-scene summaries. Really; if you want to or need to read Shakespeare; an edition such as this is really the way to go; especially until you get more accustomed to it.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Any Shakespeare is a good purchase. This is my first purchase of a ...By CustomerAny Shakespeare is a good purchase. This is my first purchase of a Folger Shakespeare. Should be easy to read b/c the notes appear within the text rather than in a separate notes section at the back. Disappointed in the poor quality of the paper; its thin and relatively coarse; the kind that will age; yellow and crumble to pieces pretty quickly. Does nobody produce books on beautiful; smooth; long-lasting; archival-quality paper anymore?
