A Role for Artists in Troubled Times
A Role for Artists in Troubled Times
£3.89
A book of essays about creativity and art
Robert Golden, a unique multi-award winning photographer, film-maker and mentor shares his experiences in A Role for Artists in Troubled Times. It is a powerful addition to today’s debate about the purpose and practice of photography and the arts in times when we urgently need to try harder to get it right.
Price:
Kindle £3.98 paperback £5.94
Robert Golden, a unique multi-award winning photographer, film-maker and mentor shares his experiences in A Role for Artists in Troubled Times. It is a powerful addition to today’s debate about the purpose and practice of photography and the arts in times when we urgently need to try harder to get it right.Robert Golden’s contribution to that conversation consists of five essays, in turns polemic, angry, melancholic, generous, hopeful and sometimes downright appalled at today’s crisis of conscience around the world and on the failure of photography and the arts to reflect and represent it.
He takes us on his voyage of discovery, from his first sighting Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industrial Murals, through Da Vinci’s portraits and Michelangelo’s Slaves, on to Edward Weston’s visions of beauty and love, Paul Strand’s photo essays about the inherent dignity of all people and all races, to Henri Cartier Bresson’s (perhaps the author’s too) ‘decisive moments’, as a complete photographer emerges. The one who compares and contrasts Caravaggio’s democratisation of the subjects of art with those of W Eugene Smith’s astonishing photographs.
Robert creates a bespoke guide, learnt through his diligent and creative practice, for today’s photographers and other artists.
Promo Video
Promo video can be seen here
Film Reference
The film below is composed of photographs and paintings that are mentioned in the book’s text. If you bring the film up onto your screen and stop and start it before and after each section you will see that each section referred to in the book is separated by about 3-4 seconds of black.
You can also watch it here
Daren Abrahams –
A BLUEPRINT FOR ARTIST ACTIVISTS
Robert Golden is one of the great artist thinkers of our time. I have had the privilege of working with him closely for the last decade and a half on The Complete Freedom of Truth, a creative exchange programme for young artist activists spanning Europe, and he has been responsible for shaping a lot of my thinking and understanding about the times we live in based on a clear eyed vision of recent history. This book is a must read distillation of his wisdom and a call to arms for anyone who cares about art, culture, people and social change. As artists we are traditionally the ones who’s role it was to speak truth to power. We are needed again now! This book will help you get started.
M. N. –
IMPRESSIVE CLARITY OF THOUGHT, SO REFRESHING!!
I have been aware of this author’s work for several years and attended many of his workshops. He is prepared to stand out and say what so many of us are increasingly feeling. There is precious little free space/time for where we are going that voices as loud and clear as Robert’s need much more oxygen, and unless we engage with it, we are all going to suffocate. Read it, get involved, take ownership and generate some more love.
Maja –
POWERFUL BOOK ON JUSTICE, BEAUTY AND SOCIAL CHANGE
This is an incredibly inspiring and truthful book for anyone interested in justice, aesthetics and social change. As an academic moving towards the universe of arts I found the essays presented in this book powerful and interesting, combining accounts of personal experiences with guidelines for artistic inspiration and expression. A must-read!
Karen Winhurst –
A MUST READ FOR THOSE STRUGGLING TO RESPOND MEANINGFULLY TO OUR TIMES
This is an insightful, courageous, angry and personal response by Robert Golden tracing how an artist is shaped by the current political arena. His reflections on his own artistic path lead not only to new, inspiring creative avenues but also help contextualise and affirm any creative person’s struggle to find their own way in the social, political and environmental crisis we are caught up in today.
Tommy Carmichael –
TRUTHFUL, HELPFUL, POWERFUL
Not just for artists, clear and thoughtful writing about the times we live in, the need to do something. Someone who can see the bigger picture and who can help us move forward. A beautiful small and important book. Tina
Let me recommend to you an Ensemble Associate and friend, Robert Golden’s fine book on the role of the artist in these troubled times. Essential. David Glass
Inspiring and thought provoking! For all artists in this day and age, get it bought! Brilliant stuff