Performance Projections: Film and the Body in Action [Paperback]

Film does far more than document performanceit actively recreates the time and space of performance and overhauls its rapport with the viewers eye and body. The first book to look in-depth at the intersection of film and performance in relation to issues and theories of space,Performance Projectionstravels from the origins of film in Europe and the United States to the world of digital media today, exploring the dynamic relationship between these vitally connected ideas.
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Drawing from a wide range of examplesincluding filmic depictions of German and Japanese and Chinese performance art and street culturesStephen Barber argues that the act of filming has the power to draw distinctively performative dimensions out of unruly human gatherings, such as riots and political protests, while also accentuating the outlandish and aberrant aspects of performance. Spanning the history of film, Barber moves from performance in films formative years, such as Edward Muybridges work in the 1880s, to contemporary performance artworksfor example, Rabih Mrou?s investigations of the often lethal camera phone filming of snipers in Syrian cities. Proposing that the future conception of filmed performance needs to be radically expanded in response to the transformations of digital film cultures,Performance Projectionsis a critical addition to the literature on both film and art history.

Stephen Barberis a fellow of the International Research Center, Interweaving Performance Cultures, at the Free University of Berlin and professor in the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture at Kingston University, London. He is the author of many books, includingAbandoned Images: Film and Films End,Projected Cities,Extreme Europe, andFragments of the European City, all published by Reaktion Books.