Frances S. Connelly Livres

The book offers a comprehensive exploration of the grotesque in Western art and culture from 1500 to today, highlighting its evolution as a multifaceted tradition. It categorizes the grotesque into distinct strands—ornamental, carnivalesque, traumatic, and profound—showcasing its complexity and continuity throughout history. This historical perspective enriches the understanding of how the grotesque has influenced artistic expression and cultural narratives over the centuries.

Frances Connelly examines how the concept of the "grotesque" has influenced the history, practice, and theory of art in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The grotesque has been adopted by a succession of artists as a way to push beyond established boundaries; explore alternate modes of experience and expression; and challenge the status quo. Examining specific images by a range of artists, such as Ingres, Gauguin, Höch, de Kooning, Polke, and Mona Hatoum, these essays encompass a variety of media--including medical illustration, paintings, prints, photography, multimedia installations, and film.