The success of movies like The Artist and Hugo recreated the wonder and magic of silent film for modern audiences; many of whom might never have experienced a movie without sound. But while the American silent movie was one of the most significant popular art forms of the modern age; it is also one that is largely lost to us; as more than eighty percent of silent films have disappeared; the victims of age; disaster; and neglect. We now know about many of these cinematic masterpieces only from the collections of still portraits and production photographs that were originally created for publicity and reference. Capturing the beauty; horror; and moodiness of silent motion pictures; these images are remarkable pieces of art in their own right. In the first history of still camera work generated by the American silent motion picture industry; David S. Shields chronicles the evolution of silent film aesthetics; glamour; and publicity; and provides unparalleled insight into this influential body of popular imagery.
#2070801 in eBooks 2013-02-15 2013-02-15File Name: B00CV1PBTQ
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A Curious EnquiryBy Storyboard123With all due to respect to individual opinion I find lsquo;Seersrsquo; review somewhat disingenuous to this book and feel it should not be the sole given response to this work; personal I find the tone somewhat angry rather than helpful.In terms of lsquo;false premisersquo; this book does indeed start with a Greenbergian premise but that does not make it false. A premise is simply a place to start; a provocation or an incitement in which to follow or to argue. Any utterance; be it artistic or otherwise; needs premise to contextualise it suggestion. The error in lsquo;Seersrsquo; review is that; by no means does this book suggest that lsquo;all artrsquo; is spurned from Greenbergrsquo;s claims. This book runs counter to claims of lsquo;all artrsquo; and seeks to explore diversity; particularly amongst activities around painting. Furthermore within its treatment of painting; somewhat uniquely and refreshingly; the book does not ascribe this to a linear history but engages with the much more labile occurrences of painterly propositions; the multiplicity of histories. In this way it raises awareness and insight in to some curious and beautiful acts of painting and its expanded field that often full beyond the purview of the standard lsquo;history of paintingrsquo; books. Greenberg within this book is used (and acknowledged) as one possible device; or point of departure; for seeking thoughtful attendance to; what is evermore becoming a contended and complex field.In terms of criticality; the way this book maps the topology of painting through propositions; rather than A begets B; is the lsquo;intellectual substancersquo; or lsquo;intellectual contentrsquo; (should the two be divisible). Through the very appreciation of the diverse propositions that painting becomes entangled with; as one reads the book one is introduced the lay lines; like myriad of flex; that run through its discourse; not only vertically from past to present but also across its horizontal axis and through every degree between. Within this book the reader is offered the opportunity to look behind painting; alongside painting; to see how its ideas coalesce or rub and furnish painting practice with new ever new centrifugal lsquo;premisersquo;. The way the book succeeds in generating a considered and approachable discussion of the apparently heterogeneous is a wonderful achievement lsquo;Anyone who knows anything about artrsquo; (Seer) will know that it is not art as singular entity but is art(s) as multifarious definitions; concerns and approaches and to see how given of instances of painting collide to push and press the mediums remit is a rewarding read.In summation I would offer that this book does not offer the weighty claims that lsquo;Seers review condemns it for; it does not purport to underscore all painting let all alone all lsquo;artrsquo;. In its discussion of propositions; trajectories and ideas that are infused with painting this book sets itrsquo;s self out as a proposition. It is an offer; an elucidation; a suggestion of one way in which one can begin to approach a medium that is much more than simply its canon. As it begins with a premise it ends with a premise; that the reader may build upon the inherent ideas to create their own propositions around painting; to explore the full scope and diversity that no book could capture.As for being lsquo;left in the darkrsquo; (Seer) I donrsquo;t think the curiosities of art will ever be fully illuminated but maybe with this book in hand we have a torch to help guide us on our way.2 of 7 people found the following review helpful. GarbageBy SeerThis book is junk; not worth the paper it is written on. Its empty of any kind of intellectual substance; devoid of intellectual content; no critique; it starts from a false premise; that art is about what Clement Greenberg said it was about and then just lists what this person did and then what this person did; full of pointless biographical stuff; like this artist lived on this street and then they moved to another street; no kidding.Anyone who knows anything about art will think its a joke; anyone who knows nothing about art; will be left in the dark.