Art, Word and Image: 2,000 Years of Visual/Textual Interaction

Description

Art, Word and Image examines the use of words (or language) in art - most often painting. This book asks what it means when a painting is 'invaded' by language - how do the two forms converse and combine, and what messages are intended for the viewer? Whether the picture frame is encroached upon by doodlings, as with Adolf Wolfli's seemingly irrational scribbles, or a plea to spirituality is blazoned across a vast canvas, as in the moving images of Colin McCahon, we can be sure that words here have a special meaning, one beyond normal language and communication.

John Dixon Hunt is Professor Emeritus of the History and Theory of Landscape at the University of Pennsylvania. He is editor of the journals Word and Image, and Studies in the History of Gardens and Designed Landscapes, and author of many books including Nature Over Again: The Garden Art of Ian Hamilton Finlay (Reaktion Books, 2008). David Lomas is Reader in Art History at the School of Arts, Histories and Cultures, University of Manchester. He is the author of The Haunted Self: Surrealism, Psychoanalysis and Subjectivity (2000). Michael Corris is Professor of Art and Chair of the Division of Art at SMU, Dallas, Texas. He is the author of Ad Reinhardt (Reaktion, 2008).

'Although commonsense seems to dictate that visual art is predominantly a visual phenomenon, when examined closely, as this book does, there are few areas not touched in some way by the use of words (or language) ... [a] comprehensive survey ... With its many colour illustrations and references for further study the book will be of particular interest to anybody working with words or language in their art.' - Arlis 'this is an attractive and thought-provoking publication. Especially noteworthy is the treatment of the works of outsider artists, such as August Walla, which may well pave the way for further thematic examinations of contemporary art ... those with an interest in twentieth-century art will find several of the seven essays a fascinating exploration of how artists in the modern world have employed text in their work.' - Cassone