Publisher Description

The archaeological discoveries of Egypt, the developmental stages in understanding Egyptian civilisation, and the reconstruction of the history of the Pharaohs through original and unpublished documents. This richly illustrated publication presents the reconstruction of the history of the Pharaohs and their people through original documents and observations by some of the most famous Egyptologists of the present and the past. The authors trace the history of the spread of the "myth" of Egypt and the birth of Egyptology and describe the greatest archaeological discoveries between the first decades of the nineteenth century and those of the early twentieth century, to the gold of Tutankhamen and the silver of the Pharaohs of Tanis. A large section of the book retraces the history of the first photographers in Egypt, the first aerial photographs, photographic experimentation and the spread of photographic techniques applied to archaeology. A highly unique chapter is dedicated to Egypt's "luck" in modern culture: from painting to the decorative arts, to satire and the spread of Egyptomania in twentieth-century magazines. The publication also contains a glimpse into the future: computer applications and modern methods for preserving the archival, photographic and bibliographic heritage. A must for enthusiasts of ancient Egypt and the history of Egyptology, but also a publication for collectors, bibliophiles and those interested in the antique photography and history of culture.

Author Biography

Germano Celant was senior curator of contemporary art at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York from 1989 to 2008. Internationally known for his writings on Arte Povera, in 1987 he received the Frank Jewett Mather Award. He has been a contributing editor at Artforum since 1977 and at Interview since 1991. Among his books: Anselm Kiefer: Salt of the Earth (Skira, 2012); Louise Bourgeois: The Fabric Works (Skira, 2011); Piero Manzoni (Skira, 2009), among many others.

Long Description

An unparalleled exhibition catalogue of Lucio Fontana's architectural work. For the first time in the United States, the exhibition Lucio Fontana: Ambienti Spaziali presents a substantial number of the spatial environments conceived by the artist between 1948 and 1968, works that can be regarded as forerunners of the environments created by figures such as Allan Kaprow and Robert Irwin and the light art of the likes of Dan Flavin and Bruce Nauman. The book reproduces all the works in the exhibition, including drawings, sketches, environments, sculptures, and paintings.

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