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Constructing Masculinity is an anthology of 21 original texts based on presentations at the Constructing Masculity conference held at the DIA Center for the Arts in New York.

Constructing Masculinities is organized into five discursive areas addressed by leading academics, social and applied scientists, legal scholars, poets, activists and cultural critics. "What is Masculinity?" questions society's normative standards of the masculine and contemplates the extent to which men and women can transcend these stereotypes and proscriptions; "Masculinity and Representation" explores the ways in which representations of masculinity and maleness in the media and the arts produce, challenge and ultimately shape notions of the masculine; "How Science Defines Men" and "Masculinity and the Rule of Law" consider masculinity in relationship to science and law, two dominant social institutions that play a vital role in constructing stereotypes and establishing gendered power relationships; "Male Subjectivity and Responsibilty" asks how an informed and activist notion of masculinity can contribute to the political debates about identity and power.

Constructing Masculinity takes us beyond the notion of "men in feminism" to a more radical rethinking of the status of masculinity itself. Men must do more than admit their complicity in the patriarchy; they must begin to rethink the very boundaries that shape and define what it means to be a man. Conversely, women must play an important role in this reevaluation, an idea suggested by Eve KosofskySedgwick's admonition that "when something is about masculinity, it isn't always about men."' Far from being just about men, Constructing Masculinity engages, inflicts upon, and has vital meaning for all members of society.

Contributors: Stanley Aronowitz, Derrick Bell, Leo Bersani, Homi Bhabha, Marcellus Blount, Judith Butler, Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic, Barbara Ehrenreich, Anne Fausto-Sterling, Richard Fung, Sander Gilman, Marjorie Heins, bell hooks, Wayne Koestenbaum, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, Carrie Mai, Philomena Mariani, Andrew Ross, Sapphire, Paul Smith, Abagail Solomon-Godeau, Michael Taussig, Kendall Thomas, Carole Vance, Michele Wallace, Simon Watney, Patricia Williams, George Yudice

A fascinating exploration of how photography, graphic design, and popular magazines converged to transform American visual culture at mid-century This dynamic study examines the intersection of modernist photography and American commercial graphic design between 1930 and 1960. Avant-garde strategies in photography and design reached the United States via European emigres, including Bauhaus artists forced out of Nazi Germany. The unmistakable aesthetic made popular by such magazines as Harper's Bazaar and Vogue-whose art directors, Alexey Brodovitch and Alexander Liberman, were both immigrants and accomplished photographers-emerged from a distinctly American combination of innovation, inclusiveness, and pragmatism. Beautifully illustrated with more than 150 revolutionary photographs, layouts, and cover designs, Modern Look considers the connections and mutual influences of such designers and photographers as Richard Avedon, Lillian Bassman, Herbert Bayer, Robert Frank, Lisette Model, Gordon Parks, Irving Penn, Cipe Pineles, and Paul Rand. Essays draw a lineage from European experimental design to innovative work in American magazine design at mid-century and offer insights into the role of gender in fashion photography and political activism in the mass media. Published in association with the Jewish Museum, New York Exhibition Schedule: Jewish Museum, New York (April 2-July 11, 2021)

The acclaimed work that debunks our myths and false assumptions about race in America

Maurice Berger grew up hypersensitized to race in the charged environment of New York City in the sixties. His father was a Jewish liberal who worshiped Martin Luther King, Jr.; his mother a dark-skinned Sephardic Jew who hated black people. Berger himself was one of the few white kids in his Lower East Side housing project.
Berger's unusual experience--and his determination to examine the subject of race for its multiple and intricate meanings--makes White Lies a fresh and startling book.
Berger has become a passionate observer of race matters, searching out the subtle and not-so-subtle manifestations of racial meaning in everyday life. In White Lies, he encourages us to reckon with our own complex and often troubling opinions about race. The result is an uncommonly honest and affecting look at race in America today--free of cant, surprisingly entertaining, unsettled and unsettling.

An engaging exploration of the relationship between avant-garde art and American network television from the 1940s through the 1970s The aesthetics and concepts of modern art have influenced American television ever since its inception in the 1930s. In return, early television introduced the public to the latest trends in art and design. This engaging catalogue comprehensively examines the way avant-garde art shaped the look and content of network television in its formative years, from the 1940s through the mid-1970s. It also addresses the larger cultural and social context of television. Artists, fascinated with the new medium and its technological possibilities, contributed to network programs and design campaigns, appeared on television to promote modern art, and explored, critiqued, or absorbed the new medium in their work. More than 150 illustrations reveal both sides of the dialogue between high art and television through a selection of graphic designs, ephemera, and stills from important television programs-from The Twilight Zone to Batman to Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, and more-as well as works by artists including Salvador Dali, Lee Friedlander, Agnes Martin, Man Ray, Andy Warhol, and many others. Revolution of the Eye uncovers the cultural history of a medium whose powerful influence on our lives remains pervasive. Published in association with the Jewish Museum, New York, and the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Exhibition Schedule: Jewish Museum, New York (05/01/15-09/27/15) Museum of Art at Ft. Lauderdale, Nova Southeastern University (10/25/15-01/10/16) Addison Gallery of American Art (04/09/16-07/31/16) Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (10/20/16-01/08/17) The Smart Museum, University of Chicago (02/16/17-06/11/17)

Published on the 100th anniversary of The Jewish Museum, this magnificent book celebrates centuries of Jewish culture and history, presenting masterworks from the Museum's renowned collection. This beautifully illustrated book explores the culture, history, and beliefs of the Jewish people by presenting an extraordinary selection of works from the collection of The Jewish Museum, New York. Ranging from antiquity to the present day, these artworks and ritual objects include a fourth-century glass vessel and ancient burial plaques; exquisite Torah decorations and marriage contracts; stunningly ornate Hanukkah lamps and spice containers; beautiful paintings and prints by such artists as Moritz Daniel Oppenheim, Marc Chagall, and Ben Shahn; striking contemporary works by Leonard Baskin, Sol LeWitt, George Segal, Diane Arbus, Richard Avedon, and many others; and selections of video and still images from television and film, ranging from documentaries and dramas to situation comedies. Two introductory essays discuss the history and significance of The Jewish Museum, followed by a superb range of artworks grouped thematically in categories such as memory and history; spirituality and faith; society, politics, and community; text and representation; and television and culture. Each work is accompanied by a short essay providing description and interpretation. Together the reproductions and lively text tell the fascinating story of how Jewish culture has evolved through the centuries and across continents.