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Sale

Optical Media: Berlin Lectures 1999

by Friedrich Kittler, Anthony Enns
Save up to 23%
Compare to estimated retail price: S$34.08  

The item you've got your eye on is secondhand. You probably already know that, but just in case!

The estimated retail price shown next to any listed item represents the first-hand prices we've seen elsewhere, or the estimated original retail price of a comparable item of the same quality, construction and material offered elsewhere in new condition.

Optical Media: Berlin Lectures 1999
Optical Media: Berlin Lectures 1999

Tracing optical media's evolution; from Renaissance to computers.

Dive into "Optical Media" if you're intrigued by how cultural perception is shaped by technology. Friedrich Kittler crafts a meticulous journey through the history of visual media, emphasizing pivotal shifts that define our current audiovisual landscape. His insights into the intertwined paths of art, technology, and media are enlightening for anyone interested in understanding the forces that have sculpted our contemporary visual culture.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.
Sale

Optical Media: Berlin Lectures 1999

by Friedrich Kittler, Anthony Enns
Save up to 23%
Compare to estimated retail price: S$34.08  

The item you've got your eye on is secondhand. You probably already know that, but just in case!

The estimated retail price shown next to any listed item represents the first-hand prices we've seen elsewhere, or the estimated original retail price of a comparable item of the same quality, construction and material offered elsewhere in new condition.

ISBN: 9780745640914
Authors: Friedrich Kittler, Anthony Enns
Publisher: Polity
Date of Publication: 2009-12-30
Format: Paperback
Related Collections: Philosophy, Art, History
Related Topics: Art History, Theory, History, Art and Photography, Photography
Goodreads rating: 4.01
(rated by 80 readers)

Description

This major new book provides a concise history of optical media from Renaissance linear perspective to late twentieth-century computer graphics. Kittler begins by looking at European painting since the Renaissance in order to discern the principles according to which modern optical perception was organized. He also discusses the development of various mechanical devices, such as the camera obscura and the laterna magica, which were closely connected to the printing press and which played a pivotal role in the media war between the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation. After examining this history, Kittler then addresses the ways in which images were first stored and made to move, through the development of photography and film. He discusses the competitive relationship between photography and painting as well as between film and theater, as innovations like the Baroque proscenium or "picture-frame" stage evolved from elements that would later constitute cinema. The central question, however, is the impact of film on the ancient monopoly of writing, as it not only provoked new forms of competition for novelists but also fundamentally altered the status of books. In the final section, Kittler examines the development of electrical telecommunications and electronic image processing from television to computer simulations. In short, this book provides a comprehensive introduction to the history of image production that is indispensable for anyone wishing to understand the prevailing audiovisual conditions of contemporary culture.
Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Very Good Condition

This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Good Condition

We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

Find out more about our process here.

 

Tracing optical media's evolution; from Renaissance to computers.

Dive into "Optical Media" if you're intrigued by how cultural perception is shaped by technology. Friedrich Kittler crafts a meticulous journey through the history of visual media, emphasizing pivotal shifts that define our current audiovisual landscape. His insights into the intertwined paths of art, technology, and media are enlightening for anyone interested in understanding the forces that have sculpted our contemporary visual culture.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.