Korte beschrijving/Annotatie

First introduction to English-reading audiences of the seminal writings of a key Belgian writer and critic.

Tekst achterflap

Radically subjective. Radically unapologetic. Radically demanding. These are the hallmarks of Dirk Lauwaert’s skill, attitude, and sensitivity, which are the result of radical attention. Belgian writer and critic Dirk Lauwaert (1944–2013) wrote about images, be they moving or still, historical or contemporary, overfamiliar or unseen. He experienced them intensely, studied them attentively, and connected them to ethical, philosophical, or social issues in texts that invited readers to do the same, whether they were leaving the movie theater, browsing a photo book, or visiting an exhibition. This selection presents the depth and scope of Lauwaert’s immense output through 15 key texts in which the Belgian author unfolds his central ideas and motifs, displaying his kaleidoscopic thinking and essayistic ability. The texts span 25 years – from 1983 to 2008 – and were originally published in various contexts over the course of three decades.

Slogan/Promotie

Radically subjective. Radically unapologetic. Radically demanding. These are the hallmarks of Dirk Lauwaert’s skill, attitude, and sensitivity, which are the result of radical attention. Belgian writer and critic Dirk Lauwaert (1944–2013) wrote about images, be they moving or still, historical or contemporary, overfamiliar or unseen. He experienced them intensely, studied them attentively, and connected them to ethical, philosophical, or social issues in texts that invited readers to do the same, whether they were leaving the movie theater, browsing a photo book, or visiting an exhibition. This selection presents the depth and scope of Lauwaert’s immense output through 15 key texts in which the Belgian author unfolds his central ideas and motifs, displaying his kaleidoscopic thinking and essayistic ability. The texts span 25 years – from 1983 to 2008 – and were originally published in various contexts over the course of three decades.

Biografie

Bart Meuleman is a writer, poet, playwright, dramaturgist, and essayist. Herman Asselberghs is a filmmaker, teacher, and researcher at LUCA School of Arts. Peter Jan Perquy is head librarian at the Library of Sint-Lukas in Brussels (LUCA School of Arts) and caretaker of its Dirk Lauwaert Collection. Robbrecht Desmet is a filmmaker, teacher, and researcher at LUCA School of Arts.

Inhoudsopgave

Note Acknowledgements A Culture of Showing. Firm Elegance in the Writing of Dirk Lauwaert by Herman Asselberghs Notes I Contemporary Sophistry and the Poor Experience Reports from a Classroom Critique of Enthusiasm. Culture, or the Event; The Accompanying Word: Passion II Barthes, the Perfect Bourgeois Portrait of a Role: the Intellectual The Sovereign Dandy The Rhythm of Thinking III Mise-en-Scène: The Most Beautiful Word about Film The Classic Film Body Seam and Pattern: Thinking Forms Dreaming of an Expedition IV Public/Publication/Publishing/Publicity The Blurred Photograph: An Old Debate The Image That Yields Up Everything (Because It Has Seen Nothing) V Moving House Notes

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