1930s
A01=Terri Weissman
aesthetics
american photographs
art
art history
Author_Terri Weissman
berenice abbott
Category=AJCD
Category=AJF
city life
critical theory
depression
documentary
documentary photography
documentary production
eq_art-fashion-photography
eq_bestseller
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
experimental science photography
female artist
fine art
new york city
nonfiction
photographer
photography
political art
political engagement
politics
public sphere
realism
representation
social art
urban
Product details
- ISBN 9780520266759
- Weight: 862g
- Dimensions: 178 x 254mm
- Publication Date: 10 Jan 2011
- Publisher: University of California Press
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Hardback
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"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.
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).
