The Blind Merchant: édition bilingue (anglais / allemand) (Sternberg Press) - Softcover

Rosen, Roee; Simon, Joshua

Softcover

ISBN 10: 395679186X ISBN 13: 9783956791864

Publisher: MIT Press, 2020

Synopsis

An artist book juxtaposing text and image, history and its revision, The Blind Merchant was produced from 1989 to 1991. The work is composed of three elements: the complete text of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice; a "parasitical" text written by Roee Rosen that runs alongside the play, adopting the perspective of the principal antagonist Shylock, the Jewish moneylender; and 145 drawings that present an alternative approach to the drama's staging and casting of characters--Shylock is depicted as the blind merchant with drawings made by the artist while blindfolded.

The book is also telling of its time, produced at the moment when the idea of originality was up for question, the subaltern was asked to speak, and just before Silicon Valley took over our imaginations. A compelling superimposition of Shakespeare, The Blind Merchant shows that classic stories are still open for new angles of approach that reflect the times of its reading.

About this title

About the Author

Roee Rosen (b. 1963) is an artist, writer and filmmaker as well as a critical voice in his native Israel. He is a professor at HaMidrasha College of Art, Kfar-Saba and the Bezalel Art Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem.

Edition details

• Publisher: MIT Press
• Publication date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 395679186X
• ISBN 13: 9783956791864
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 312