Writing on the Wall: Word and Image in Modern Art. Simon Morley

by Simon Morley

This systematic study explores the way in which words have encroached on the visual arts from the late 19th century to the beginning of the 21st century. Simon Morley identifies the key ways in which artists and movements of the modern and contemporary era used words.

Genres: Art

Paperback

First published October 1, 2003

Reviews

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really great piece of work, easily one of the best books on art history/art theory I have ever read. Morley writes clearly and lucidly, largely avoiding the dreaded 'artbollocks' and dense post-structuralist jargon; his knowledge of 20th century art history is commanding, and the choice of illustrative quotes and images is always spot-on. As well as the historical overview, Morley also offers some interesting observations that I think are original, particularly on the cognitive difference between reading and seeing. This acted as something of a bible for me when I was writing my dissertation, and I can highly recommend it either to the art student or the interested layman. The only flaw perhaps is the last chapter, which explores then-recent developments in digital and interactive media, which is already charmingly dated.

[Jared · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Gigi Orphan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ωραίο, περνάει από όλες τις φάσεις της ιστορίας της τέχνης. Μου φάνηκε λίγο δύσκολη η γλώσσα που χρησιμοποιεί, για κάποια που τα Αγγλικά της δεν είναι η μητρική γλώσσα

[Gerard Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

There have been lot of books on this topic lately; this one is a favorite because the essay has an historical slant...I was fascinated to read about the profusion of writing in the visual landscape of 19th century Europe and how they imagined themselves 'overwhelmed by information'. Overall, the book was a great deal of help to me as an artist who works with words in that it clarified issues about the words I was using - many surveys of this material seem to look only at the abstract and formal properties of text, but Morley tends to treat the art as a kind of writing and that really made the book for me...

[Phoebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good review of the 20th century through a particular viewfinder. Reading a textbook is fun, it's kind of like taking a class. This is a good class! It covers most of the 20th C's literature greatest hits, too (except the New York School - ?), which I didn't expect.

[Lindsay Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of the rich history of text in art. Interesting because people often want art to be purely aesthetic, but on the other hand, it seems ridiculous to me to separate writing from art as if they're completely separate things.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone interested in the relation of language to the visual arts, an indispensable collection of examples and discussion.