Much theorizing in visual studies, visual anthropology, and visual culture is offered in an a-historical vein, sliding along secondary and tertiary conceptual trajectories, with little sense of interdisciplinary origin. This book recovers the historical grounds of the study of 'images' and provides and contextualizes most of the defining texts, and a lot more besides.
A rich, well-considered volume that is bound to become a critical introductory text for students of images and images studies everywhere, as well as an essential resource for academics and practitioners alike. This reader is an invaluable tool for those interested in images and image studies across a vast array of disciplines.
The editors make two particularly useful contributions to the anthology. At the outset of each section, an introduction effectively summarizes and presents key issues for that section's readings, relates dominant themes to those earlier or later in the anthology, and outlines the significance of the individual excerpts in terms of the editors' proposed field of image studies. Aware of the bias with which they may have compiled the volume, however, the editors also have chosen to include four alternative tables of contents that fall at the end of the book's general introduction...
An indispensible resource for image analysis. The best thing I have seen in this field by a long way.
There are many fine anthologies on visual culture, yet none that offer such a concise and comprehensive array of the theoretical perspectives defining this interdisciplinary field.
The sheer breadth of this collection - from Genesis to Hockney and Plato to Lacan - shows how much images have always been a part of our culture. This volume makes a welcome contribution to our (re)discovery of the visual in society and how much we stand to learn from it, past and present.
"Images; A Reader is a key resource for academics and others studying images and their interpretation. College-level collections, whether art history holdings or cultural studies collections, will find it intriguing."
This is just what visual studies needs: a sober, analytic, parsimonious selection of crucial texts.
A very in depth analysis on visual imaginary. The book covers a variety of perspectives that deals with visual culture and imaginary from psychoanalysis to sociological perspectives. A great introductory book for any postgraduate student
Does not exactly provide what I need in my classes.
Fascinating read and essential to anyone interested in image analysis
Excellent anthology, containing a wide range of engaging, stimulating, important essays relevant to image studies. Selection is intelligent and imaginative. Editorial texts are of adequate length and substance. Will recommend this to final-year students in cultural history as ideal introduction to ways of understanding the visual sources that they are using.
I will write the review after the end of the course.
very useable as a reader!
A very good selection of key texts . Particularly of interest the chapters "Phenomenology" , "Image as thought" & "Fabrication" as they engage with set of texts that are far more challenging than traditional literature in visual culture theory.
This reader is ideal for fine art students grappling with the complexity of the world of images. While there are other readers on the market the breath and structure of this publication gives students an invaluable and readable introduction to the key thinkers in this field. If students are to buy only one book it should be this one.
Very good selection of texts, only concern is that I wish the selections were slightly longer.
the reader, as always, good for suplemental reading. i reccomend it to my library as well
Excellent selection of primary readings, edited to manageable length for undergraduates. Also the selection of authors is just about perfect for a visual culture studies class and the cross-referencing of themes providing the editors has been helpful in adapting the book to the existing course syllabus.