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From Dawn Till Dusk

The Shadow in Contemporary Art

How did shadow arrive in art? A visual journey at play with light and darkness.

It is always with us: our shadow. But when it comes to art, what role does this constant companion play? Richly illustrated and vividly narrated, this publication reveals the wide range of approaches and levels of meaning that shadow has in contemporary painting and photography, and in video art and installations

Symbol of death and emblem of the uncanny, metaphor for beings that exist at the fringes, the shadow is a multifaceted, and frequently political, presence in contemporary art. Through stunning images, this volume portrays the emancipation of shadow as an autonomous element in contemporary art while offering astonishing discoveries in relation to classical artworks. In this generous survey, the shadow itself steps out of the shadows, revealing itself as a unique element of artistic style.

Featured artists include Vito Acconci, Christian Boltanski, Koen van den Broek, David Claerbout, Marlene Dumas, Ólafur Eliasson, Hans Peter Feldmann, Vadim Fishkin, Lee Friedländer, Ralph Gibson, J.J Grandville, Jenna Gribbon, Janice Guy, Nadia Kaabi-Linke, William Kentridge, E.L. Kirchner, Jürgen Klauke, Astrid Klein, Farideh Lashai, Zilla Leutenegger, Adolf Luther, Duane Michals, Johanna Monkiewitsch, Edvard Munch, Claudio Parmiggiani, Sophia Pompéry, Markus Raetz, Gerhard Richter, Miguel Rothschild, Thomas Ruff, Regina Silveira, Juergen Staack, Dorothea Tanning, Javier Tellez, Umbo, Kara Walker, Jeff Wall, Sue Webster / Tim Noble, and Robert Wiene.
 

208 pages | 185 color plates | 8.66 x 11.42 | © 2025

Art: Art--General Studies


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