Books > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history
|
Buy Now
The Origins of Monsters - Image and Cognition in the First Age of Mechanical Reproduction (Paperback)
Loot Price: R882
Discovery Miles 8 820
|
|
The Origins of Monsters - Image and Cognition in the First Age of Mechanical Reproduction (Paperback)
Series: The Rostovtzeff Lectures
Expected to ship within 12 - 17 working days
|
It has often been claimed that "monsters"--supernatural creatures
with bodies composed from multiple species--play a significant part
in the thought and imagery of all people from all times. The
Origins of Monsters advances an alternative view. Composite
figurations are intriguingly rare and isolated in the art of the
prehistoric era. Instead it was with the rise of cities, elites,
and cosmopolitan trade networks that "monsters" became widespread
features of visual production in the ancient world. Showing how
these fantastic images originated and how they were transmitted,
David Wengrow identifies patterns in the records of human
image-making and embarks on a search for connections between mind
and culture. Wengrow asks: Can cognitive science explain the
potency of such images? Does evolutionary psychology hold a key to
understanding the transmission of symbols? How is our making and
perception of images influenced by institutions and technologies?
Wengrow considers the work of art in the first age of mechanical
reproduction, which he locates in the Middle East, where urban life
began. Comparing the development and spread of fantastic imagery
across a range of prehistoric and ancient societies, including
Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and China, he explores how the visual
imagination has been shaped by a complex mixture of historical and
universal factors. Examining the reasons behind the dissemination
of monstrous imagery in ancient states and empires, The Origins of
Monsters sheds light on the relationship between culture and
cognition.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
|
You might also like..
|
Email address subscribed successfully.
A activation email has been sent to you.
Please click the link in that email to activate your subscription.