Kenneth Anger (B) [Paperback]

Alice L. Hutchison (Author)

Book Description

Series: B | Publication Date: May 1, 2004

The long-awaited paperback reissue of the previously censored Kenneth Anger. A counter-culture icon of the twentieth century and patriarch of underground cinema, Kenneth Anger is a unique figure in the history of art and film. His career spans over 60 years—from the classic Fireworks, 1947, lauded by Jean Cocteau and Tennessee Williams, to the influential Scorpio Rising, 1963, to recent projects.

This highly-illustrated book joins insightful text and unseen film stills to tell the vivid story of this evocative director and remains the only comprehensive book on the market.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Alice L. Hutchison is a contemporary art curator and author based in Los Angeles working internationally. She has authored and contributed to artists’ books, catalogs and art magazines in US, UK, Germany, Mexico, New Zealand, Italy and Sweden. She is the Curator at Ace Gallery in Los Angeles.
Kenneth Anger was born and lives in Santa Monica, California.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Black Dog (May 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 190477203X
• ISBN-13: 978-1904772033
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,083,931 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alice Hutchison is a contemporary art curator and writer based in Los Angeles, California. www.alicehutchison.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional quality!, March 29, 2005

By 

NMM (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kenneth Anger (B) (Paperback)

A book like this one is long, long overdue: a quality overview of one of the 20th century's most important and influential artists.

This book is thoroughly exceptional on all levels: the quality of both writing and image are very high, and there are plenty of both. Hutchison's writing is informed and clear. She does a great job at discussing the work and (most importantly) contextualizing it within broader cultural and counter-cultural happenings. In addition to her writing there are several contributions from Anger himself, as well as short essays by notable art critics like Carolee Schneemann. Also, there is a fair amount of archival materials, such as documents, letters from Anger to various friends and collaborators and so on. Although, as the writer notes in the preface, the book is not an exhaustive deconstruction of the artist's work, it is a highly satisfying and detailed overview of an amazing body of work.

The images in this book are absolutely beautiful. It is obvious that a lot of work went into their preparation and selection. Apparently, Anger himself approved the reproduction, englarment and restoration of the images. In addition to the film stills there are plenty of archival photos and promotional materials such as posters. There is a wealth of visual stimulation in this book! It's smartly designed also, containing a lot of visual information in an attractive lay out.

Another strong point of this publication is that, in addition to covering the artist's better-known works (The Magick Lantern films) there is a fair amount of information on lesser-known projects. In addition to the Lantern films, there are sections about little known documentaries (about Aleister Crowley, Elliot Smith and more), collaborations (with Stan Brakhage for example), and the artist's more recent work (1981 - 2004).

This book is worth your time and money. It will please Anger fans as well as serving to as a quality introduction to newcomers.

Now, hopefully, the films will finally see release on DVD this year!