The Realisms of Berenice Abbott: Documentary Photography and Political Action

1. Auflage 2011
ISBN: 978-0-520-26675-9
Verlag: UNIV OF CALIFORNIA PR

Buch, Englisch, Band 2, 264 Seiten, Cloth Over Boards, Format (B × H): 187 mm x 261 mm, Gewicht: 829 g

Reihe: The Phillips Collection Book Prize Series

The Realisms of Berenice Abbott provides the first in-depth consideration of the work of photographer Berenice Abbott. Though best known for her 1930s documentary images of New York City, this book examines a broad range of Abbott’s work—including portraits from the 1920s, little known and uncompleted projects from the 1930s, and experimental science photography from the 1950s. It argues that Abbott consistently relied on realism as the theoretical armature for her work, even as her understanding of that term changed over time and in relation to specific historical circumstances. But as Weissman demonstrates, Abbott’s unflinching commitment to “realist” aesthetics led her to develop a critical theory of documentary that recognizes the complexity of representation without excluding or obscuring a connection between art and engagement in the political public sphere. In telling Abbott’s story, The Realisms of Berenice Abbott reveals insights into the politics and social context of documentary production and presents a thoughtful analysis of why documentary remains a compelling artistic strategy today.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Weissman, Terri

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Kunst Fotografie Einzelne Fotografen
• Geisteswissenschaften Kunst Fotografie Besondere Themen und Arten der Fotografie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction: A Monograph in the Negative

1 Berenice Abbott: Realist
2 Paris Portraits
3 “The Great Democratic Book”
4 Changing New York
5 PhotoPhysics

Notes
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Index

Über Autor(innen)

Terri Weissman is Assistant Professor of Art History at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and is a contributing editor to American Modern: Documentary Photography by Abbott, Evans, and Bourke-White (UC Press).