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In dark or desperate times, the artwork is placed in a difficult position. Optimism seems naïve, while pessimism is no better. During some of the most demanding years of the 20th century two distinctive bodies of work sought to respond to this problem: the writings of Maurice Blanchot and American film noir. Both were seeking not only to respond to the times but also to critically reflect them, but both were often criticised for their own darkness. Understanding how this darkness became the means of responding to the darkness of the times is the focus of Noir and Blanchot, which examines key films from the period (including Double Indemnity and Vertigo) alongside Blanchot's writings (particularly his 1948 narrative Death Sentence). What emerges from this investigation is the complex manner in which these works disrupt the experience of time and the event and in doing so expose an entirely different mode of material expression.
Covenant boasts the first collection of Allen's personal drawings and paintings. Each of his fantastical characters is accompanied by a line of text, a poem or a brief story that captures their essence. These visual narratives are pulled to the surface through Allen's renowned mastery of storytelling and his use of graphite, pencil and oils. The result is a fascinating journey into the mind of this intriguing artist. Allen's strength comes from his mystical connection to his work. He views himself as a guardian and creates artistic personas that serve the well-being of others. At first sight, his mythological characters may look odd, monstrous or grotesque. Yet they represent the good that can be found when you look below the surface of an individual. Allen has always liked the underside of things. He embraces the bits of mortality that poke out from under the skin. The artwork collected here addresses Allen's need to face the challenges that surround him while projecting himself into the art. He is driven by creating images based on the strength of an individual's actions, regardless of how they may be perceived for not conforming to society's semblance of beauty.
The reputation of the Marquis de Sade is well-founded. The experience of reading his works is demanding to an extreme. Violence and sexuality appear on almost every page, and these descriptions are interspersed with extended discourses on materialism, atheism, and crime. In this bold and rigorous study William S. Allen sets out the context and implications of Sade's writings in order to explain their lasting challenge to thought. For what is apparent from a close examination of his works is the breadth of his readings in contemporary science and philosophy, and so the question that has to be addressed is why Sade pursued these interests by way of erotica of the most violent kind. Allen shows...
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