Art historians have in the past narrowly defined primitivism, limiting their inquiry to examples of direct stylistic borrowing from African, Oceanic, or Native American imagery. The drawbacks of such an approach have become increasingly apparent, the most problematic being its perpetuation of the notion that certain traditions are indeed "primitive." Frances Connelly argues that "primitive" art was not a style at all, but a cultural construction by modern Europeans, a cluster of concepts principally forged during the Enlightenment concerning the nature of the origins of artistic...
Art historians have in the past narrowly defined primitivism, limiting their inquiry to examples of direct stylistic borrowing from African, Oceani...
Frances Connelly examines how the concept of the "grotesque" has influenced the history, practice, and theory of art in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The grotesque has been adopted by a succession of artists as a way to push beyond established boundaries; explore alternate modes of experience and expression; and challenge the status quo. Examining specific images by a range of artists, such as Ingres, Gauguin, Hoch, de Kooning, Polke, and Mona Hatoum, these essays encompass a variety of media--including medical illustration, paintings, prints, photography, multimedia installations,...
Frances Connelly examines how the concept of the "grotesque" has influenced the history, practice, and theory of art in the nineteenth and twentieth c...
