Darkness has a history and a uniquely modern form. Distinct from
night, shadows, and artificial light, “artificial darkness” has
been overlooked—until now. In fact, controlled darkness was
essential to the rise of photography and cinema, science and
spectacle, and a century of advanced art and film. Artificial Darkness
is the first book to historicize and theorize this phenomenon and map
its applications across a range of media and art forms. In exploring
how artificial darkness shaped modern art, film, and media, Noam M.
Elcott addresses seminal and obscure works alongside their sites of
production—such as photography darkrooms, film studios, and
laboratories—and their sites of reception, including theaters,
cinemas, and exhibitions. He argues that artists, scientists, and
entertainers like Étienne-Jules Marey, Richard Wagner, Georges
Méliès, and Oskar Schlemmer revolutionized not only images but also
everything surrounding them: the screen, the darkness, and the
experience of bodies and space. At the heart of the book is “the
black screen,” a technology of darkness that spawned today’s blue
and green screens and has undergirded numerous advanced art and film
practices to this day. Turning familiar art and film narratives on
their heads, Artificial Darkness is a revolutionary treatment of an
elusive, yet fundamental, aspect of art and media history.
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780226329024
Publisert
2018
Utgave
1. utgave
Utgiver
Vendor
University of Chicago Press
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter