Becoming Past

History in Contemporary Art

Nonfiction, Art & Architecture, General Art, Criticism, Art History
Cover of the book Becoming Past by Jane Blocker, University of Minnesota Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Jane Blocker ISBN: 9781452944951
Publisher: University of Minnesota Press Publication: December 20, 2015
Imprint: Univ Of Minnesota Press Language: English
Author: Jane Blocker
ISBN: 9781452944951
Publisher: University of Minnesota Press
Publication: December 20, 2015
Imprint: Univ Of Minnesota Press
Language: English

Is there such a thing as contemporary art history? The contemporary, after all—as much as we may want to consider it otherwise—is being made history as it happens. By what means do we examine this moving target? These questions lie at the center of Jane Blocker’s Becoming Past. The important point is not whether there is—or should be—contemporary art history, Blocker argues, but how.

Focusing on a significant aspect of current art practice?in which artists have engaged with historical subject matter, methods, and inquiry?Blocker asks how the creation of the artist implicates and interrogates that of the art historian. She moves from art history to theater, to performance, and to literature as she investigates a series of works, including performances by the collaborative group Goat Island, the film Deadpan by Steve McQueen, the philosophies of science fiction writer Samuel Delany and documentary filmmaker Ross McElwee, the film Amos Fortune Road by Matthew Buckingham, and sculptures by Dario Robleto.

Many books have sought to understand the key directions of contemporary art. In contrast, Becoming Past is concerned with the application of art history in the pursuit of such trends. Setting the idea of temporality decisively in the realm of art, Blocker’s work is crucial for artists, art historians, curators, critics, and scholars of performance and cultural studies interested in the role of history in the practice of art.


View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Is there such a thing as contemporary art history? The contemporary, after all—as much as we may want to consider it otherwise—is being made history as it happens. By what means do we examine this moving target? These questions lie at the center of Jane Blocker’s Becoming Past. The important point is not whether there is—or should be—contemporary art history, Blocker argues, but how.

Focusing on a significant aspect of current art practice?in which artists have engaged with historical subject matter, methods, and inquiry?Blocker asks how the creation of the artist implicates and interrogates that of the art historian. She moves from art history to theater, to performance, and to literature as she investigates a series of works, including performances by the collaborative group Goat Island, the film Deadpan by Steve McQueen, the philosophies of science fiction writer Samuel Delany and documentary filmmaker Ross McElwee, the film Amos Fortune Road by Matthew Buckingham, and sculptures by Dario Robleto.

Many books have sought to understand the key directions of contemporary art. In contrast, Becoming Past is concerned with the application of art history in the pursuit of such trends. Setting the idea of temporality decisively in the realm of art, Blocker’s work is crucial for artists, art historians, curators, critics, and scholars of performance and cultural studies interested in the role of history in the practice of art.


More books from University of Minnesota Press

Cover of the book The Value of Homelessness by Jane Blocker
Cover of the book The Forbidden Worlds of Haruki Murakami by Jane Blocker
Cover of the book The Imperial University by Jane Blocker
Cover of the book Mediators by Jane Blocker
Cover of the book Connected by Jane Blocker
Cover of the book Cyberwar and Revolution by Jane Blocker
Cover of the book Celebrating Bird by Jane Blocker
Cover of the book Seeking Spatial Justice by Jane Blocker
Cover of the book Mine Towns by Jane Blocker
Cover of the book Photo-Fiction, a Non-Standard Aesthetics by Jane Blocker
Cover of the book Scenes of Projection by Jane Blocker
Cover of the book The Deadly Life of Logistics by Jane Blocker
Cover of the book Digital Memory and the Archive by Jane Blocker
Cover of the book The War Came Home with Him by Jane Blocker
Cover of the book A Geology of Media by Jane Blocker
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy