The Mask of Art: Breaking the Aesthetic Contract—Film and Literature"In this critique of aesthetics and the politics of representation, Taylor demonstrates astonishing breadth and depth in arguing for 'breaking the aesthetic contract' that excludes anything that does not conform to Eurocentric notions of beauty. . . . it brings to black studies and cultural critique an internationalism that emphasizes the richness of forms of creative expression outside the norms set by European aesthetics. Highly recommended . . ." —Choice Cultural critic Clyde Taylor exposes the concept of "art" as a tool of ethnocentricity and racial ideology. By examining various texts including The Birth of a Nation and The Cotton Club, Taylor demonstrates how rationales of "art" are used to mask personal, class, and cultural biases. Other works such as those by Toni Morrison, Chinua Achebe, and Spike Lee are scrutinized in terms of resistance to the dominant system of aesthetics. |
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Contents
CHAPTER | 8 |
Figureground vasefaces per Rubin | 32 |
The Control of Cultural Meaning | 53 |
Salvaging the Aesthetic | 70 |
CHAPTER 5 | 103 |
The Aesthetic the Movie | 124 |
The Ironies of Aesopianism | 176 |
Radical Ethiopicism | 197 |
CHAPTER 10 | 219 |
The SelfAuthenticating Narrative | 240 |
The Imperfect Narrative of Resistance | 254 |
Daughters of the Terreiros | 274 |
But Is It Art? | 289 |
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Common terms and phrases
Aesopian aesthetic aestheticism African American ancient artists authority beauty become Black called carries century character cinema civilization claims classical color concept construction critical critique cultural discourse dominant effect Ethiopicist European existence experience expression fact feminist figure film followed force frames function given Greek Griffith's ground Hollywood human idea ideal identity ideology imagine imperfect important instance interests interpretation irony issue kind knowledge less liberal literature look major Marxism master meaning minstrel show moral narrative nature never noted notion novel object once original painting philosophy play political popular position possible practice present Press production question racial racism radical reasoning reflects relation representation resistance role seen significance social society statues story symbolic theory thetic thing thought tion tradition understanding universal values Western White women writing
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Mask of Art: Breaking the Aesthetic Contract—Film and Literature Volume 10 of The Mask of Art: Breaking the Aesthetic Contract--film and Literature, Clyde Taylor |
| Author | Clyde Taylor |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | Indiana University Press, 1998 |
| ISBN | 0253211921, 9780253211927 |
| Length | 343 pages |
| Subjects | › › › Art / General Literary Criticism / General Performing Arts / Film / History & Criticism Social Science / Anthropology / Cultural & Social Social Science / Ethnic Studies / American / African American & Black Studies |
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