Distance and Desire is the first major publication to stage a dialogue between the ethnographic visions of late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century African photography and engagements with this imagery by contemporary artists. Presenting an extraordinary range of portraits, albums, postcards,
cartes de visite and books from Southern Africa, as well as recent photography and video art from The Walther Collection, the catalogue includes original thematic essays by leading art historians, anthropologists and cultural critics.
Distance and Desire offers new perspectives on the African archive, reimagining its diverse histories and changing meanings. It investigates typical representations of African subjects, from scenes in nature, to romanticized images of semi-nude models, to modern sitters posing in stylized studios, critically addressing the politics of colonialism and the complex issues of gender and identity. Among many diverse topics, the catalogue examines in-depth a series of
cartes de visite from the Diamond Fields in Kimberley, the figure of the Zulu, the history of South Africa's prominent studio photographers, A.M. Duggan-Cronin's extensive ethnographic study
The Bantu Tribes of South Africa and the archive of elegant family portraits reproduced by the contemporary artist Santu Mofokeng in
The Black Photo Album / Look at Me: 1890-1950. The catalogue also reveals how the heritage of African imagery figures in the practices of contemporary African and African American artists, whose compelling photography and video art reworks the archive through satire or appropriation.
In contrast to
Amazon and other book retailers,
who might also feature Distance and Desire within their extensive online inventories,
our focus at BulkBooks.com is on dealing with bulk orders while providing personalized service.
With our amazing team of friendly professionals, Price Matching, and our user-friendly
Quote form,
we aim to simplify and expedite your bulk book purchasing process.
Should you wish to interact with a person while placing your bulk order for Distance and Desire?
We have a Bulk Book Specialist available to help, poised and prepared to assist you.
Chat us or
Contact us now!