Anarchy and Art
From the Paris Commune to the Fall of the Berlin Wall

Antliff, Allan
Publisher:  Arsenal Pulp Press, Vancouver, Canada
Year Published:  2007  
Pages:  213pp   Price:  $23.95  
Resource Type:  Book
Cx Number:  CX8159

Abstract:  Anarchism, as Emma Goldman noted, stands for the liberation of the human mind and for "free access to the earth and full enjoyment of the necessities of life, according to individual desires, tastes, and inclinations." Diversity in art is fostered by anarchists. Antliff takes us on a historical journey of art and anarchism reflecting on the connections between the two. The essays take us from Courbet in the 19th century to post-Cubist abstractionism, the Russian Revolution, the McCarthy years and the Gulf war. Antliff argues that art is political and many artists have radical leanings. He shows how art, politics, and history are intertwined and how artists have attempted to give form to their anarchist views. The book is illustrated with the paintings discussed and photographs of the artists themselves.

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