Spectacle [Hardcover]

David Rockwell (Author), Bruce Mau (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2006

This book is a visual essay documenting the notion and history of spectacle, those public performances and happenings that galvanize hordes of people and, if only for a brief moment, express the culture of our time in mass participation. From the dazzling opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games to the surreal circus atmosphere of performance troupes like Cirque du Soleil, from holiday parades like Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to religious events such as the Hindu festival of Kumbh Mela, which drew millions of pilgrims in 2001, this volume is a tribute to the art of celebration and ritual. As design impresario David Rockwell notes in the book's interview, "the focus of this book's journey is the value of being there. It's not about something happening to you, it's about participating...This is looking at things that are temporary and the power of something that can burst and happen and go away." As editors of this book, Mau and Rockwell bring together eye-popping photographs, interviews, and brief essays that examine the art, evolution, and cultural impact of spectacles old and new and around the globe. The book is divided in six thematic sections, each expressing an aspect of the ritualistic event: Scale, Visual Exuberance, Community, Transformation, Impermanence, and Immersion. Each section documents three spectacles, ranging from the Kumbh Mela celebration in India to Carnival celebrations to the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona; from the glitzy mass appeal of Las Vegas to the historical reenactment of the Calcio Storico in Florence, and ephemeral events like fireworks displays and flashmobs. Each featured spectacle includes several spreads of stunning color and archival photographs, a brief description, selected statistics, and an interview with a noted cultural figure, among whom are art critic Dave Hickey, architects Robert Venturi and Denise Scott-Brown, theater professor Arnold Aronson of Columbia University, and theater director Julie Taymor. Illustrated sidebars profile historical figures and events, such as Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic Games, and the fall of the Berlin Wall. "Spectacle" presents an unprecedented collection of dynamic images that convey the palpable buzz, sheer beauty, and often bizarre fascination of man-made events worldwide. And, for those readers with a desire to get closer to the scenes as spectators or participants, the book includes a listing of 24 events with factual information (where, what, when); among these are the Dakar Motor Rally, the Cherry Blossom Festival in Japan, Dia de los Muertos in Mexico, the New York City Marathon, and Ibiza raves.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bruce Mau is the President and Creative Directer of Bruce Mau Design, which has gained international recognition for innovative multidisciplinary work. He is the author of Life Style and Massive Change, both published by Phaidon, and designed and conceived the award-winning book S, M, L, XL with Rem Koolhaas. David Rockwell is the founder and CEO of Rockwell Group in New York, an internationally acclaimed architecture, planning, and design firm specializing in restaurant, cultural, educational, theatre and film design

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Phaidon Press (October 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0714845744
• ISBN-13: 978-0714845746
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #707,555 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is AMAZING., October 30, 2006

By 

J'MO (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spectacle (Hardcover)

I didn't know what to expect when I opened up this book - but it's fair to say the whole world exploded (in a good way) before my eyes as I literally flew through the pages. Spectacle takes a look at the reasons why people gather together - sometimes in the most unwelcoming circumstances - to celebrate, to mourn, to affect change, to create.

There's a beauty here that goes way beyond the amazing photographs - it's the study of the whys and hows behind the events and how the connective energies are the same regardless of ones attending a NASCAR race or the running of the bulls.

I was tremendously moved by SPECTACLE.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spectacular insight from the Spectacle, January 31, 2007

By 

Toyam D. Patel "toyam patel" (Cincinnati, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spectacle (Hardcover)

An enlighting experiences into the most miraculous community or urban places bringing places and ideas together. And it is particularly overwhelming to review this issue from the lens of an architect. A must Buy!!!

4.0 out of 5 stars great coffee table book, August 14, 2011

By 

David Lio - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Spectacle (Hardcover)

Wonderful pictures of most of the largest gatherings of human beings on the planet. Some of the writing is a bit less objective than might be ideal but the descriptions do give a good overview of the particulars of each event. A wonderful collection of images of human gatherings.