Art & Histories: Volume 1

As the first volume in the new series Art &, this book signals a bold new vision for a more dynamic study of art

Each essay in this groundbreaking volume--the first in an exciting new series from the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts--engages aesthetic and cultural debates that situate research on the arts at the intersection of various disciplines, including architecture, film, literature, curatorial and museum studies, and the arts of performance. Reflecting the series’ goal to engage with different cultural contexts and time periods, newly commissioned essays from emerging and established scholars address subjects ranging from medieval dance and ancient Assyrian reliefs to expressions of gender embodiment and the art of the Afro-Atlantic. First-person narratives ground theoretical considerations of the theme.

Reflecting a commitment to embracing the book form as a space for art itself, Art & Histories includes a detachable accordion-fold insert with a work from Miami-based artist Glexis Novoa. One of his signature horizon lines unites Washington, DC, and the artist’s native Havana. Meticulous drawings executed on travertine marble entangle the two cities and their monuments, symbolizing both violent and triumphant histories and their ideological reversals.

Published by the National Gallery of Art, Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts/Distributed by Yale University Press

Kaira M. Cabañas is associate dean for academic programs and publications at the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.