BOOK IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Our book obsession continues here, and this time I have something really special to share. One of the first projects I had to involved reading a new art history/critic book.
I have mentioned before, how I think (regardless of how silly it may sound) that some books fall into your lap almost magically, like they intended to be there, at that specific time. Well, one more such book was "Medieval Modern: Art Beyond Time" by Alexander Nagel. Bagel is a professor at my school, and an art historian who delves on exciting subjects such as easle paintings,

This particular book initially caught my eye because of the title and its cover which bears an etching that was also used as a cover by the Bauhaus. It is a Gothic cathedral. As someone who constantly searches for the connections between medieval and Byzantine, and Modern and Contemporary you may understand why it became intriguing. Naturally, I plucked it from the shelf, among other things of course, and when its turn came, I was hooked.

Here, however is why I think anyone with an interest in art and/or history would be too.

What separates this book from many others is its use of the historical timeline. He breaks it. He plucks one object from Medieval and one from Modern that look phenomenologically completely different in every way and shows you what he thinks their connection to be. He connects Rennaisance painting to Modern works, and sacred spaces to installations. To take this even further, as a reader you become aware of comparisons you may had thought of, but definitely ones you were not expecting, and this dialogue between art works expands towards books and writing and literature as well.

What is also exciting about this book is the references. Thus said, I don't simply mean the ones which direct you to the endnotes or bibliography, but also the ones you get from the text and the writer's ideas themselves. My idea of a great art theory book is one that not only teaches you, but expands your mind, makes you react and question further, question yourself and the writer, question what is "known". This book does that to a very good extent in my personal opinion. It is like having a good, vibrant discussion/debate on art. Most importantly though, it focuses on continuity, bridges gaps that are sometimes self-imposed and can also serve as a push for artists. In simpler words, it is a book for artists, art historians and anyone with a passion for history and theory.

Also, here is an informative interview with the author from the publisher's blog.

Xoxo