Description
According to most of the critical commentary on Francis Bacon, the paintings by this crucially important artist are about violence, torment, fragmentation and loss. However, Ernst van Alphen argues that it is the violence done to the viewer that needs to be addressed if we are to understand how these works function.
In this provocative and highly original interpretation of Bacon's art, the author offers close readings of significant works, discussing them in relationship to theories of schizophrenia, masculinity and contemporary literature, as well as issues of representation and visuality. By looking at the paintings in intricate detail and exploring their connections within cultural theory, van Alphen brings Bacon into the context of the contemporary critical debate.
About the Author
Ernst van Alphen is Professor of Literary Studies at Leiden University in The Netherlands. His previous publications include Francis Bacon and the Loss of Self (Reaktion, 1992), Art in Mind: How Contemporary Images Shape Thought (2005) and Caught by History: Holocaust Effects in Contemporary Art, Literature and Theory (1998).
Reviews
This examination of critical reactions to Bacon is very welcome * The Art Newspaper *
Book Information
ISBN 9780948462344
Author Ernst van Alphen
Format Paperback
Page Count 208
Imprint Reaktion Books
Publisher Reaktion Books
