For the past few decades Hal Foster's critical gaze has encompassed the increasingly complex machinery of the culture industry. His observations push the boundaries of cultural criticism to establish a vantage point from which the seemingly disparate agendas of artists, patrons, and critics have a telling coherence. The Anti-Aesthetic is a touchstone volume for postmodern debate and theory. Though the cultural stakes and terms have changed over the last decade, this collection still illuminates--perhaps now even more lucidly--a vital current in contemporary criticism. Contributors: Jean Baudrillard, Douglas Crimp, Kenneth Frampton, Jrgen Habermas, Fredric Jameson, Rosalind Krauss, Craig Owens, Edward Said, and Gregory Ulmer.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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A Best Book of the Year. -- Village Voice
The essays in this collection are theoretically sophisticated and they display a concrete grasp of contemporary art practice....It is probably the most useful, serious, and rewarding anthology of its kind; it should be read by anyone concerned with the practice and theory of contemporary art. -- Art in America --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
The essays in this collection are theoretically sophisticated and they display a concrete grasp of contemporary art practice....It is probably the most useful, serious, and rewarding anthology of its kind; it should be read by anyone concerned with the practice and theory of contemporary art. -- Art in America --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
About the Author
Hal Foster is Townsend Martin class of 1917 professor of art and archaeology at Princeton University where he directs the Gauss Seminars in Criticism.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
34 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Accessible and Comprehensive,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Anti-Aesthetic: Essays on Postmodern Culture (Paperback)
The majority of the essays are well-written in an approachable rhetoric that can be understood by a reader with relatively limited knowledge of the subject-matter. It also serves as a concise anthology of essays written by some of the leading critical thinkers in this area, making this both an excellent introductory book as well as a collection worthy to be on the expert's shelf.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worth the read.,
This review is from: The Anti-Aesthetic: Essays on Postmodern Culture (Paperback)
This is a collection of essays that relate to contemporary art and concepts of postmodernism. Hal Foster (who wrote the acclaimed "Return of the Real") served as an editor for this book, although the writing itself is more diverse. There are a number of notable contributors represented, with a number of differing takes on art and culture post 1990's.The most interesting articels in my opinion deal with "sculpure's expanded fields" (by Rosalind Krauss) and diverse gender and political issues. These essays express the sense that definitions and distinctions are blurring and fluid in postmodern society, which is a common theme throughout the book. The writing also frequently addresses discources outside of the art world, which is another element of the expanded roles of art and theory. The writing can be a little dry at times, but overall I think it's worth the read, and a great reference for postmodern philosophy.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Hit or Miss, with Few Hits,
This review is from: The Anti-Aesthetic: Essays on Postmodern Culture (Paperback)
Out of the nine essays in this book, only the contributions of Fredric Jameson and Edward Said are worth reading. Jameson speaks authoritatively on Star Wars and Body Heat, maintaining a high level of analysis on popular culture concepts. Said provides a fitting bookend, as he considers the problem that marks all the other authors in the book (except Jameson, whom he rightfully praises): namely, that they write for an increasingly small audience of their fellows, bound by the walls of their disciplines and separated from political life. He impliedly bashes the preceding authors, who deserve such a bashing, as their contributions range from pedantic to unintelligible. Baudrillard's "The Ecstasy of Communication" is not as bad as some of the essays by his less luminous fellow authors, but it is particularly cosmic and incoherent. Overall, this book is not worth reading.
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