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William Shakespeare Γ— Chris Ofili: Othello

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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Othello is one of Shakespeare's most contemporary and moving plays, exploring themes of race, revenge, murder, and lost love. This unique edition highlights the tragedy through twelve etchings by artist Chris Ofili, who portrays Othello with tears flowing beneath scenes depicted on his forehead, emphasising his inner turmoil and the broader social injustices reflected in the play. This combination of Shakespeare's text and visual art creates a hybrid experience that centres Othello's blackness and interiority, challenging readers to confront the complex forces leading to his downfall.
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Format: Hardback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This edition is ideal for readers interested in Shakespearean drama as well as those who appreciate the intersection of contemporary art and classic literature. It will particularly appeal to those seeking new perspectives on race and identity in theatrical works.

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Ofili's new edition highlights Shakespeare's tragedy of Othello's plight in 12 etchings depicting Othello with tears in his eyes, which flow below various scenes visualized in his forehead.

Chris Ofili’s new edition highlight’s the tragedy of Othello’s plight in ways no other previous edition of this play has through the twelve etchings Ofili has produced to illustrate this play.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Othello is one of Shakespeare's most contemporary and moving plays, with its emphasis on race, revenge, murder, and lost love. Chris Ofili's new edition highlights the tragedy of Othello's plight in ways no other previous edition of this play has.

In twelve etchings that Ofili has produced to illustrate this play, Othello is depicted with tears in his eyes, which flow below various scenes visualised in his forehead. Ofili asks us to see in Othello the great injustices that still plague the world today. These images add feeling to Shakespeare's words, and together they form their own hybrid objectβ€”something between a book and a visual retelling of the tragedy.

With a foreword by the renowned critic Fred Moten, this edition is the first of its kind and puts Othello's blackness and interiority front and centre, forcing us to confront the complex world that ultimately dooms him.

The first play in the Seeing Shakespeare series, Othello is illustrated by English contemporary artist Chris Ofili. Future titles in the series include A Midsummer Night's Dream illustrated by Marcel Dzama, and The Merchant of Venice with images by Jordan Wolfson.

Series: Seeing Shakespeare

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  • William Shakespeare Γ— Chris Ofili: Othello
    Othello is one of Shakespeare's most contemporary and moving plays, with its emphasis on race, revenge, murder, and lost love. Chris Ofili's new edition highlights the tragedy of Othello's plight in ways no other previous edition of this play has. In twelve etchings that Ofili has produced to illustrate this play, Othello is depicted with tears in his eyes, which...
    Hardback
    $5000
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Artist Chris Ofili's twelve etchings add significant emotional depth to Shakespeare's tragic work. The edition includes a foreword by poet and critic Fred Moten and re-examines the narrative through the lens of contemporary social issues. New York Magazine: The Strategist highlights how this collaboration gives fresh insight into the play's enduring relevance.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781644230220

Publisher: David Zwirner

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 17 October 2019

Country: United States

Imprint: David Zwirner

Illustration: 12 Illustrations, black and white

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 490g

About the Author

Chris Ofili creates intricate, kaleidoscopic paintings and works on paper that deftly merge abstraction and figuration. Ofili rose to prominence in the 1990s for his complex and playful multi-layered paintings, which he bedecked with a signature blend of resin, glitter, collage, and, often, elephant dung. His recent works-vibrant, symbolic, and frequently mysterious-draw upon the lush landscapes and local traditions of the island of Trinidad, where he has lived since 2005. Employing a diverse range of aesthetic and cultural sources, including, among others, Zimbabwean cave paintings, blaxploitation films, Italian soccer player Mario Balotelli, and modernist painting, Ofili's work investigates the intersection of passion, identity, and representation.

Fred Moten is Professor of Performance Studies at New York University. He is author of In the Break: The Aesthetics of the Black Radical Tradition (2003); Hughson's Tavern (2008), B. Jenkins (2009), The Feel Trio (2014), The Little Edges (2014), The Service Porch (2016), Black and Blur (consent not to be a single being) (2017), and co-author, with Stefano Harney, of The Undercommons: Fugitive Planning and Black Study (2013).

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