Acting the Part: Photography As Theatre

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 176 pages
• Published by: Merrell May 30, 2006
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 1858943280
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-1858943282
• Book Dimensions: 11.5 x 9.5 x 0.8 inches
• Weighs: 2.8 pounds

Product Description
In 'staged' photography the artist takes on the role of a director, creating or staging an image. He or she uses models, props, costumes or lighting, often creating a theatrical quality. This gorgeously produced book traces the history of the staged photograph, focusing on such key themes as the artist as actor, art historical imagery, and narratives and allegories. It includes engaging essays on Victorian tableaux vivants, Surrealism, and iconic photographs from the 1930s and 1940s previously thought to be documentary images but that were in fact staged.

Reader Reviews
ACTING THE PART: PHOTOGRAPHY AS THEATRE could also have been featured in our 'Film and Stage' section, but is reviewed here for its fine history of staged photography as a genre. A sampling of such works range from the 1840s to modern times and pairs film stills and artwork with essays by Lori Pauli and others on the use of painting as inspiration, Surrealism and plays, narrative strategies and photographic effects, and more. As the first major history of staged photography, it deserves a spot in an authoritative art library collection as well as many a film library holding. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch