Conceptual, Surrealist, Pictorial

Photo-Based Art in Belgium (1960s - early 1990s)

Liesbeth Decan (Author),

Paperback

Series: Lieven Gevaert Series 22

Category: Art, Media and Visual Culture, Photography

Language: English

ISBN: 9789462700772

Publication date: October 14, 2016

€39.50 (including 6% VAT)

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Number of pages: 280

Size: 240 x 160 x mm

Stock item: 112016

Standard delivery time for print books:

For Belgium: 5 to 8 working days

For EU: 2 to 3 weeks

For other countries: 4 to 5 weeks

Summary
Contents
About the Author
Reviews

The role of photography in Belgian visual art.

‘Conceptual, Surrealist, Pictorial’ is the first in-depth study of the use of photography by Belgian artists from the 1960s until the early 1990s. During these three decades, photography generally underwent a major evolution with regard to its status as a gallery-focused fine art practice. Liesbeth Decan explores ten representative case studies, which are contextualized within and compared with contemporary international artistic trends. Successively, she addresses the pioneering use of photography within Conceptual art (represented by Marcel Broodthaers, Jacques Charlier, and Jef Geys), the heyday of Photoconceptualism in Belgium (represented by Jacques Lennep, Jacques Lizène, Philippe Van Snick, and Danny Matthys), and the transition from a conceptual use of photography towards a more pictorial, tableau-like approach of the medium (represented by Jan Vercruysse, Ria Pacquée, and Dirk Braeckman). Ultimately, the selected case studies reveal that photo-based art in Belgium appears to be characterized by a unique uniting of elements particularly from Conceptual art, Surrealism, and the pictorial tradition.

This publication is GPRC-labeled (Guaranteed Peer-Reviewed Content).

Acknowledgements Introduction I. The 1960s: A Pioneering Photoconceptualism I.1 Introduction I.2 Marcel Broodthaers: From Surrealism to Conceptual Art I.3 Jacques Charlier: Photography in Socially Embedded Art I.4 Jef Geys: Archival, Vernacular and Multi-Reproduced Images I.5 Conclusion: A Photoconceptualism with Origins in the Everyday II. The 1970s: Photoconceptualism’s Heyday II.1 Introduction II.2 Jacques Lennep: The Artist-Curator II.3 Jacques Lizène: Mediocrity as a Basic Concept II.4 Philippe Van Snick: Dynamic Photo Series II.5 Danny Matthys: Explorations of Time and Place II.6 Conclusion: A Hybrid Photoconceptualism with Surrealist and Pictorial Roots III. The 1980s: Towards the Photographic Tableau III.1 Introduction III.2 Jan Vercruysse: Portraits of the Artist III.3 The Characters of Ria Pacquée III.4 Dirk Braeckman: Multi-Mediating Pictures III.5 Conclusion: Photographic Tableaux with a Surrealist Undertone Conclusion Color section Appendices Notes Bibliography

Liesbeth Decan

Liesbeth Decan teaches theory and history of photography at LUCA School of Arts Brussels, where she is also the coordinator of the research group Photography Expanded.

'Het boek biedt een bijzonder goed gestoffeerd en lezenswaardig overzicht van een relatief onontgonnen gebied.' FORUM+ Zomer 2017

Cet ouvrage nous brosse un véritable portrait du panorama artistique en Belgique durant la seconde moitié du XXe siècle, à travers de nombreuses informations sur le contexte belge mais également en rapport avec le contexte international. Bien documenté et enrichi de références théoriques et d’exemples artistiques nationaux et internationaux, ce livre ne traite pas uniquement de l’histoire de l’art contemporain en Belgique, mais il consiste surtout en une réelle réflexion – avec un ton quelque peu critique – sur l’écriture même de cette histoire de l’art, en insistant sur l’apparition tardive de l’art contemporain belge.Virginia de la Cruz Lichet, Critique d’art, http://journals.openedition.org/critiquedart/25717

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