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Counter-Texts

Language in Contemporary Art
By Kim Dhillon
Series: Art since the 80s
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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
Counter-Texts by Kim Dhillon critically reassesses the role of written language in contemporary art, examining the politics, aesthetics, and ethics of language. The book explores artworks using inscribed language that challenge dominant narratives and expose systems of oppression embedded in words. Featuring diverse artists like Serena Lee, Abbas Akhavan, Joi T. Arcand, Glenn Ligon, Brian Jungen, and Susan Hiller, it redefines how text is understood in visual art, probing the power held by words.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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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 is essential reading for scholars, artists, and readers interested in contemporary art, language politics, postcolonial critiques, and cultural studies.

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A much-needed critical re-assessment of language in contemporary art.

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

In Counter-Texts, Kim Dhillon provides a much-needed critical reassessment of written language in contemporary art. Considering the politics, aesthetics, and ethics of language, Dhillon explores artworks that use inscribed language, with a particular focus on works that challenge dominant narratives or reveal, in visual form, the varied systems of oppression contained within words.

Featuring many artists from diverse backgrounds, ranging from Serena Lee, Abbas Akhavan, and Joi T. Arcand to Glenn Ligon, Brian Jungen, and Susan Hiller, Dhillon rewrites the understanding of text in contemporary visual art. Counter-Texts explores how and why visual artists use written language, and interrogates the power held in words.

Series: Art since the 80s

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  • Counter-Texts
    Counter-Texts
    In Counter-Texts, Kim Dhillon provides a much-needed critical reassessment of written language in contemporary art. Considering the politics, aesthetics, and ethics of language, Dhillon explores artworks that use inscribed language, with a particular focus on works that challenge dominant narratives or reveal, in visual form, the varied systems of oppression contained within words. Featuring many artists from diverse backgrounds, ranging...
    By Kim Dhillon
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • When Artists Curate
    An increasing proportion of exhibitions are curated by artists rather than professional curators. In this ground-breaking book, Alison Green provides the first critical history of visual artists curating exhibitions. The artist emerges as someone who carries a special responsibility for critiquing art's institutions, brings considerable creativity to the craft of making exhibitions and, through experimentation, has changed the way exhibitions...
    By Alison Green
    Paperback
    Sold Out

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?

Counter-Texts is praised for its compelling analysis of how language disrupts power structures through art. Waubgeshig Rice highlights its focus on diverse, revolutionary anti-colonial practices that empower unheard voices. Artist Sutapa Biswas commends the book’s challenge to historical authorial dominance shaped by imperialism, emphasising its importance as a resource for scholars and artists exploring whose voices gain authority and what histories can be learned from below.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781789145564

Publisher: Reaktion Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 August 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Reaktion Books

Illustration: 70 illustrations, 55 in colour

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education

DIMENSIONS

Width: 150.0mm

Height: 200.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 216

Collections

Arts & Culture Kim Dhillon Non-Fiction Series: Art since the 80s

About the Author

Kim Dhillon is an essayist, poet and art theorist who teaches critical theory and curating at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. She lives on the unceded territory of the WSNE people on Vancouver Island, Canada.

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