|
Why Photography Matters as Art as Never Before
|
| List Price: | $55.00 |
| Price: | $34.65 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details |
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com
39 new or used available from $34.00
Average customer review:
Product Description
Among the photographers and video-makers whose work receives serious attention in this powerfully argued book are Jeff Wall, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Cindy Sherman, Thomas Struth, Thomas Ruff, Andreas Gursky, Luc Delahaye, Rineke Dijkstra, Patrick Faigenbaum, Roland Fischer, Thomas Demand, Candida Höfer, Beat Streuli, Philip-Lorca diCorcia, Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno, James Welling, and Bernd and Hilla Becher. Future discussions of the new art photography will have no choice but to take a stand for or against Fried?s conclusions.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #42271 in Books
- Published on: 2008-12-01
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Hardcover
- 410 pages
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Fried . . . selects particular pictures to address and teases out the ways in which their meanings are created and transmitted. In these cases his writing is engaging, intriguing, and often delightfully paradoxical."?Andy Grundberg, American Scholar (Andy Grundberg American Scholar 20090101)
"Fried''s book?more than any other I have read?challenges its readers to interpret more cogently the resurgence of the tableau in photographic form. The gauntlet has been tossed."?Robin Kelsey, Artforum (Robin Kelsey Artforum )
About the Author
Michael Fried is J.R. Herbert Boone Professor of Humanities and the History of Art at The Johns Hopkins University.
Customer Reviews
A Second Edition is in Order
I must say that this book brings out my inner editor. I want to bet someone that I can eliminate 25% of the words in this book without any diminution in meaning. I agree with other reviews that there are entirely too many references to Fried's prior works and quotes of critics quoting Fried (!) and notes about which famous photographers he knows. What is frustrating me the most is that underneath all of that, there is a genuine thesis that is interesting and adds to the photography discourse. I have to fault the editor. So I guess I would say grit your teeth, wade through it, and see what you think.
find a copy you can pre-read before you buy
The title basically says it all. I so looked forward to this book's release. It is a bit dense, and not for those who are just getting into photographic theory or criticism, but if you're familiar with contemporary issues on the subject, it could possibly be a decent reference. Not having previously read any of Fried's books made this a little difficult to navigate, due to his referring to previous essays and books. Also, his recounting of his friendship with artists is wholly unnecessary, feels a bit too much like name-dropping, and is distracting. I only found portions of this book helpful in terms of my own research. For anyone considering purchasing it, I would try to track down a copy of it to peruse. Otherwise you're out a good chunk of change that may perhaps be better used for other, more readable, texts.
We need Geneva Conventions against torturing words
This is as intellectually irresponsible and dishonest a book as I've ever read. The reader will not learn anything meaningful about the photographs discussed. Fried revives his theories about painting in the times of Courbet and Manet and tries (unsuccessfully) to force-fit them onto selected contemporary photographers. Particularly annoying is when he cites some other author or the photographer in support of his position, then immediately undercuts the argument by admitting that author cited probably didn't intend the same meaning as Fried. He could have answered the question to his title in half a page. To wit: photos now "matter" because they are printed as large as paintings and the reining aesthetic favors works that are mute and deadpan. "Artspeak" has hit a new low.
