Faking Death : Canadian Art Photography and the Canadian Imagination

In "Faking Death" Penny Cousineau-Levine examines the work of over 120 Canadian photographers, revealing important aspects of Canadian identity and imagination. Contrasting Canadian photography with American and European traditions, she shows that Canadian photographers are often preoccupied with a place that is "elsewhere," a doubling and duality that also occurs in Canadian literature, film, and political life. Subverting the documentary tradition and other stylistic idioms for their own distinctive ends, Canadian photographers exhibit an ambivalent preoccupation with death and dying, bondage, and entrapment. Cousineau-Levine argues that this is characteristically a "faked" death that expresses a collective Canadian wish for a symbolic passage to national maturity. In Faking Death, Penny Cousineau-levine Presents Canadian Art Photography Since 1952 As A Coherent Body Of Work And Articulates A Provocative Framework For Its Interpretation. Contrasting Canadian Photography With American And European Traditions, She Shows That Canadian Photographers Are Often Preoccupied With A Place That Is 'elsewhere, ' A Doubling And A Duality That Also Occur In Canadian Literature, Film, And Political Life. Exploring The Ambivalent Preoccupations Canadian Photographers Have With Death And Dying, Bondage, And Entrapment, She Argues That The Forms Of Faked Death In Many Of These Works Express A Collective Canadian Wish For A Symbolic Passage To National Maturity. Cousineau-levine Discusses The Works Of Over 120 Artists, Providing A Compelling Introduction To One Of Canada's Most Vibrant And Internationally Recognized Artistic Media. The Book Includes 16 Colour Reproductions And 150 Duotones Of Photographs By Artists Such As Raymonde April, Genevieve Cadieux, Lynne Cohen, Donigan Cumming, Evergon, Janieta Eyre, Charles Gagnon, Thaddeus Holownia, Geoffrey James, Michel Lambeth, Ken Lum, Shelley Niro, Gabor Szilasi, Diana Thorneycroft, Jeff Wall, Ian Wallace, And Jin-me Yoon, Making It An Invaluable Tool For Curators, Artists, Teachers, Students, And Scholars.--jacket. Pt. 1. Dislocation -- 1. Between The Lines -- 2. The Missing Referent -- Pt. 2. Inside And Outside -- 3. Subconscious Canada -- 4. Elsewhere -- Pt. 3. Rehearsal -- 5. Arrested Development -- 6. Rite Of Passage -- Pt. 4. Entering And Leaving -- 7. Home Is Here -- 8. Underworld Geography. Penny Cousineau-levine. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "In Faking Death, Penny Cousineau-Levine presents Canadian art photography since 1952 as a coherent body of work and articulates a provocative framework for its interpretation. Contrasting Canadian photography with American and European traditions, she shows that Canadian photographers are often preoccupied with a place that is 'elsewhere, ' a doubling and a duality that also occur in Canadian literature, film, and political life. Exploring the ambivalent preoccupations Canadian photographers have with death and dying, bondage, and entrapment, she argues that the forms of faked death in many of these works express a collective Canadian wish for a symbolic passage to national maturity." "Cousineau-Levine discusses the works of over 120 artists, providing a compelling introduction to one of Canada's most vibrant and internationally recognized artistic media. The book includes 16 colour reproductions and 150 duotones of photographs by artists such as Raymonde April, Genevieve Cadieux, Lynne Cohen, Donigan Cumming, Evergon, Janieta Eyre, Charles Gagnon, Thaddeus Holownia, Geoffrey James, Michel Lambeth, Ken Lum, Shelley Niro, Gabor Szilasi, Diana Thorneycroft, Jeff Wall, Ian Wallace, and Jin-me Yoon, making it an invaluable tool for curators, artists, teachers, students, and scholars."--Résumé de l'éditeur Faking Death includes 16 colour reproductions and 150 duotones by artists such as Raymonde April, Jeff Wall, Lynne Cohen, Charles Gagnon, Evergon, Michel Lambeth, Thaddeus Holownia, Geoffrey James, Geneviève Cadieux, Shelley Niro, Diana Thorneycroft, Jin-me Yoon, Ian Wallace, and Ken Lum. By bringing together this many Canadian works "Faking Death" provides a compelling visual introduction to one of Canada's most vibrant and internationally recognized artistic media. It is an invaluable tool for curators, artists, teachers, students, and scholars in art history, fine arts, Canadian studies, film, communications, literature, and cultural studies. Contents Colour plates Acknowledgments Introduction PART ONE: Dislocation 1 Between the Lines 2 The Missing Referent PART TWO: Inside and Outside 3 Subconscious Canada 4 Elsewhere PART THREE: Rehearsal 5 Arrested Development 6 Rite of Passage PART FOUR: Entering and Leaving 7 Home Is Here 8 Underworld Geography Conclusion Notes Bibliography Photographic Works Credits Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z Examines the work of over 120 Canadian photographers, revealing various aspects of Canadian identity and imagination. This work shows that Canadian photographers are often preoccupied with a place that is 'elsewhere', a doubling and duality that also occurs in Canadian literature, film, and political life.