Aesthetics and the revolutionary city : real and imagined Havana

__Aesthetics and the Revolutionary City__ engages in alternative ways of reading foreign visual representations of Havana through analysis of advertising images, documentary films, and photographic texts. It explores key narratives relating to the projection of different Havana imaginaries and focuses on a range of themes including: pre-revolutionary Cuba; the dream of revolution; and the metaphor of the city “frozen-in-time.” The book also synthesizes contemporary debates regarding the notion of Havana as a real and imagined city space and fleshes out its theoretical insights with a series of stand-alone, important case studies linked to the representation of the Cuban capital in the Western imaginary. The interpretations in the book bring into focus a range of critical historical moments in Cuban history (including the Cuban Revolution and the “Special Period”) and consider the ways in which they have been projected in advertising, documentary film and photography outside the island. Acknowledgements 6 Contents 8 About the Author 9 List of Figures 10 Chapter 1 Introduction: Real and Imagined Havana 11 Aesthetics and the Imaginary 11 Havana Imaginaries 12 A Brief Chapter Summary 14 Bibliography 19 Chapter 2 Mapping the City: Walker Evans in Havana 20 Havana and Photography 20 Pleasure Island 24 Reworking the City 26 Before Havana 28 Evans in Havana 31 Smoke and Mirrors 35 “Dandy Dangeroso” 37 “American City” 40 Bibliography 49 Chapter 3 Burt Glinn, Magnum Photos and the Cuban Revolution 52 Photographing the Cuban Revolution 52 The Revolutionary City and the Imaginary 55 Burt Glinn, Photojournalism and Reportage 60 Burt Glinn in Havana 62 Recapturing the Streets 66 Reclaiming Havana 72 Revolutionary Havana 78 Bibliography 86 Chapter 4 David Bailey’s Havana and the “Post-Special Period” Photobook 91 Latin America and the Photobook 91 The “Special Period” and the Imaginary 95 David Bailey and the Photobook 99 “Old Havanaland” 103 The Cuban Subject in Black & White 107 Bailey and the Surreal 111 Revisiting the Photobook 114 Bibliography 121 Chapter 5 Advertising the City: “Nothing Compares to Havana” 125 Advertising Havana Club 125 Havana Club’s Iconic Brand 126 The “Nothing Compares to Havana” Campaign 130 The Mythical City 133 “Nothing Compares to Havana” and Nostalgia 140 Staging Photographic Space 145 #HavanaClub 149 Bibliography 154 Chapter 6 Buena Vista Social Club’s Afterimage 157 The Buena Vista Phenomenon 157 Buena Vista’s Afterimage 158 The Buena Vista Project 159 The Buena Vista Aesthetic 161 Wenders and the City 164 Tourist Havana 167 Buena Vista and the Imaginary 170 “Little Portraits” 172 The Buena Vista Debate 178 Bibliography 186 Chapter 7 The Music Film and the City: Our Manics in Havana 190 Rock Havana 190 Political Pilgrimage 193 The Music Documentary Film 196 Havanascapes 198 The Karl Marx Theatre 203 Meeting Fidel 206 Real and Imagined Havana 208 Bibliography 215 Index 218 Aesthetics and the Revolutionary City engages in alternative ways of reading foreign visual representations of Havana through analysis of advertising images, documentary films, and photographic texts. It explores key narratives relating to the projection of different Havana imaginaries and focuses on a range of themes including: pre-revolutionary Cuba; the dream of revolution; and the metaphor of the city "frozen-in-time." The book also synthesizes contemporary debates regarding the notion of Havana as a real and imagined city space and fleshes out its theoretical insights with a series of stand-alone, important case studies linked to the representation of the Cuban capital in the Western imaginary. The interpretations in the book bring into focus a range of critical historical moments in Cuban history (including the Cuban Revolution and the "Special Period") and consider the ways in which they have been projected in advertising, documentary film and photography outside the island. James Clifford Kent is Lecturer in Hispanic Studies at Royal Holloway, University of London, UK Front Matter ....Pages i-xiii Introduction: Real and Imagined Havana (James Clifford Kent)....Pages 1-9 Mapping the City: Walker Evans in Havana (James Clifford Kent)....Pages 11-42 Burt Glinn, Magnum Photos and the Cuban Revolution (James Clifford Kent)....Pages 43-81 David Bailey’s Havana and the “Post-Special Period” Photobook (James Clifford Kent)....Pages 83-116 Advertising the City: “Nothing Compares to Havana” (James Clifford Kent)....Pages 117-148 Buena Vista Social Club’s Afterimage (James Clifford Kent)....Pages 149-181 The Music Film and the City: Our Manics in Havana (James Clifford Kent)....Pages 183-210 Back Matter ....Pages 211-226 Introduction: Real And Imagined Havana -- Mapping The City: Walker Evans In Havana -- Burt Glinn, Magnum Photos And The Cuban Revolution -- David Bailey's Havana And The Post-special Period Photobook -- Advertising The City: Nothing Compares To Havana -- Buena Vista Social Club's Afterimage -- The Music Film And The City: Our Manics In Havana. James Clifford Kent. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.