Robert Hewison – författare

First published in 1986, Too Much records the tumultuous period between 1960 and 1975 when, more than at any other time in history, the arts were a battleground for the conflicting forces of social change. With the new affluence of the Sixties the cultural conformism of the previous decade was rejected in favour of new forms of expression. Pop Art, pop music, fringe theatre and performance poetry helped to create the semi-mythological image of ‘Swinging London.’ The liberation ethic was feted as it masked the insecurities of a society in decline but, as a real political challenge to the status quo, it also led to conflict. The confrontation between official culture and the underground came in 1968, a year with its own mythical resonance. This book will be of interest to students of art, media studies and cultural studies.

First published in 1986, Too Much records the tumultuous period between 1960 and 1975 when, more than at any other time in history, the arts were a battleground for the conflicting forces of social change. With the new affluence of the Sixties the cultural conformism of the previous decade was rejected in favour of new forms of expression. Pop Art, pop music, fringe theatre and performance poetry helped to create the semi-mythological image of ‘Swinging London.’ The liberation ethic was feted as it masked the insecurities of a society in decline but, as a real political challenge to the status quo, it also led to conflict. The confrontation between official culture and the underground came in 1968, a year with its own mythical resonance. This book will be of interest to students of art, media studies and cultural studies.

First published in 1987, The Heritage Industry sets out to protect the present and the future of life in Britain from their most dangerous enemy: a creeping takeover by the past. The author sets today’s obsession with yesterday in the context of a climate of social and political decline. The economic uncertainties and cultural convulsions of post-war life have made the past seem a pleasanter and safer place. But how true is that image of the past, and whose past is it, anyway? Hewison questions the way institutions like the National Trust are helping to create a past that never was. While the real economy crumbles, a new force is taking over: the Heritage Industry, a movement dedicated to turning the British Isles into one vast open-air museum. This book will be of interest to students of history, art and cultural studies.

First published in 1987, The Heritage Industry sets out to protect the present and the future of life in Britain from their most dangerous enemy: a creeping takeover by the past. The author sets today’s obsession with yesterday in the context of a climate of social and political decline. The economic uncertainties and cultural convulsions of post-war life have made the past seem a pleasanter and safer place. But how true is that image of the past, and whose past is it, anyway? Hewison questions the way institutions like the National Trust are helping to create a past that never was. While the real economy crumbles, a new force is taking over: the Heritage Industry, a movement dedicated to turning the British Isles into one vast open-air museum. This book will be of interest to students of history, art and cultural studies.

Culture and Consensus, first published in 1995 and a revised edition in 1997, explores the history of the relationship between politics and the arts in Britain since 1940, and shows how the search for a secure sense of English identity has been reflected in official and unofficial attitudes to the arts, architecture, landscape and other emblems of national significance.

Illustrating his argument with a series of detailed case histories, Robert Hewison analyses how Britain’s cultural life has reached its present enfeebled condition and suggests a way forward. This book will be of interest to students of art and cultural studies.

Culture and Consensus, first published in 1995 and a revised edition in 1997, explores the history of the relationship between politics and the arts in Britain since 1940, and shows how the search for a secure sense of English identity has been reflected in official and unofficial attitudes to the arts, architecture, landscape and other emblems of national significance.

Illustrating his argument with a series of detailed case histories, Robert Hewison analyses how Britain’s cultural life has reached its present enfeebled condition and suggests a way forward. This book will be of interest to students of art and cultural studies.

The study of Ruskin’s work and influence is now a feature of several critical disciplines. New Approaches to Ruskin, first published in 1981, reflects this, gathering some of the most distinguished writers on Ruskin and joining them with others who have undertaken significant research in the field of Ruskin studies. The authors were all specially commissioned for this volume and were chosen to represent as wide a variety of approaches as possible to this key figure of nineteenth-century culture. This book is ideal for students of art history.

The study of Ruskin’s work and influence is now a feature of several critical disciplines. New Approaches to Ruskin, first published in 1981, reflects this, gathering some of the most distinguished writers on Ruskin and joining them with others who have undertaken significant research in the field of Ruskin studies. The authors were all specially commissioned for this volume and were chosen to represent as wide a variety of approaches as possible to this key figure of nineteenth-century culture. This book is ideal for students of art history.

This was first published in 2000: A study of John Ruskin''s engagement with art and architecture as a critic, a patron and a teacher. It offers insights into both his writings and the visual economy of the Victorian world. Each essay examines Ruskin''s relationship with an individual artist or a distinct aspect of art practice. J.M.W. Turner, D.G. Rossetti, W. Holman Hunt and E. Burne-Jones are among those artists discussed whose personal relationships with Ruskin affected his critical writing. Ruskin''s attitude to women artists and his approach to the teaching of art are given special attention.

This was first published in 2000: A study of John Ruskin''s engagement with art and architecture as a critic, a patron and a teacher. It offers insights into both his writings and the visual economy of the Victorian world. Each essay examines Ruskin''s relationship with an individual artist or a distinct aspect of art practice. J.M.W. Turner, D.G. Rossetti, W. Holman Hunt and E. Burne-Jones are among those artists discussed whose personal relationships with Ruskin affected his critical writing. Ruskin''s attitude to women artists and his approach to the teaching of art are given special attention.