PDF Inside the Painter's Studio by Joe Fig in Arts-Photography

Description

Anya Peterson Royce turns the anthropological gaze on the performing arts; attempting to find broad commonalities in performance; art; and artists across space; time; and culture. She asks general questions as to the nature of artistic interpretation; the differences between virtuosity and artistry; and how artists interplay with audience; aesthetics; and style. To support her case; she examines artists as diverse as Fokine and the Ballets Russes; Tewa Indian dancers; 17th century commedia dellarte; Japanese kabuki and butoh; Zapotec shamans; and the mime of Marcel Marceau; adding her own observations as a professional dancer in the classical ballet tradition. Royce also points to the recent move toward collaboration across artistic genres as evidence of the universality of aesthetics. Her analysis leads to a better understanding of artistic interpretation; artist-audience relationships; and the artistic imagination as cross-cultural phenomena. Over 29 black and white photographs and drawings illustrate the wide range of Royces cross-cultural approach. Her well-crafted volume will be of great interest to anthropologists; arts researchers; and students of cultural studies and performing arts.