Ernst van Alphen Trauma and Affect: (Mis)Understanding Pain in Art and Culture

Label / Valiz
Category / Essays
Code / 9789493246560

Both the concepts of trauma and affect have become increasingly important in the critique of art, literature, and culture since the 1990s. These were used in a variety of ways, and in many disciplines and areas, including queer studies, feminism, cultural analysis, and postcolonial studies. Ernst van Alphen looks at both trauma and affect through the lens of visual artworks and literature. The book’s first part is devoted to trauma, its origins in the past and its re-enactment in the present. The second part addresses the transmission of affect. Seeking reflection beyond affective responses, artists who develop strategies that process affect into critical making and thinking are discussed.