Terry Eagleton— Walter Benjamin’s theory of tragedy in his The Origin of German Tragic Drama has some affinities with the Christian view of Calvary. Tragedy for Benjamin is essentially sacrifice, but of a peculiarly doubled kind: if it propitiates the gods under ancient law, it also inaugurates a revolutionary new
My development as an art historian has been profoundly shaped by the legacy of modernism and its relationship to decoration, craft, and design. In chronological order, here are five books that have motivated my thinking on the importance of applied arts in the conceptualization of modernism. Mark Wigley, White Walls,
Nicholas Adams– At times, writing about the architect Gordon Bunshaft (1909–1990), former chief designer for the firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), was like writing about a sulky teenager. Architects, of course, have lots of ways of talking. Philip Johnson was garrulous––people liked to say that he talked a
K. L. H. Wells — Full is a tapestry that is instantly recognizable as a work by Josef Albers, who is best known for his series Homage to the Square. Like the paintings and prints in that series, this tapestry presents a set of nested squares in deeply saturated hues
Albers Foundation chief curator Brenda Danilowitz talks about the new Anni Albers retrospective exhibition and book. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | Soundcloud
Among our exciting fall books is one about German-born American designer Kem Weber, whose fascinating life story rivals his outstanding design work in interest. The book’s author, Christopher Long, will be delighting California audiences next week with talks about Kem Weber – he has an event at the AD&A Museum
Recently, we published what we knew to be an excellent, and overdue, book about the works and career of architect Paul Rudolph. Rudolph is near and dear to our hearts at Yale – he was the chair of the Yale School of Architecture when he designed the Yale Art &
Follow @yaleARTbooks Marquard Smith is research leader and head of doctoral studies in the School of Humanities, The Royal College of Art, London, and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Visual Culture. In February 2014, we will publish a new book by Marquard, entitled The Erotic Doll: A Modern Fetish. This
Follow @LittleHistoryOf Ivan Lett— What is the action a book nerd uses to signal his kin? Once it might have been a casual nod over horned-rim glasses; or, perhaps a deliberate and pretentious turn of the jacket, even the kindness to let a curious stranger read harmlessly over your shoulder.
Today the idea of fashion modeling is a part the general cultural consciousness, with many famous icons and a reality television show. In the early 1900s, however, it was a new concept to preview clothing on a live model. Leading fashion historian, Caroline Evans, explores the development of fashion modeling