The Buddha's nirvana marks the end of the life of a great spiritual figure and the beginning of Buddhism as a world religion. Surviving Nirvana is the first book in the English language to examine how this historic moment was represented and received in the visual culture of China, of which the nirvana image has been a part for over 1,500 years. --Mining a selection of well-documented and well-preserved examples from the sixth to twelfth centuries, Sonya Lee offers a reassessment of medieval Chinese Buddhism by focusing on practices of devotion and image-making that were inspired by the Buddha's "complete extinction." The nirvana image, comprised of a reclining Buddha and a mourning audience, was central to defining the local meanings of the nirvana moment in different times and places. The motif's many guises, whether on a stone-carved stele, inside a pagoda crypt, or as a painted mural in a cave temple, were the product of social interactions, religious institutions, and artistic practices prevalent in a given historical context. They were also cogent responses to the fundamental anxiety about the absence of the Buddha and the prospect of one's salvation. By reinventing the nirvana image to address its own needs, each community of patrons, makers, and viewers sought to recast the Buddha's "death" into an allegory of survival that was charged with local pride and contemporary relevance.- -Thoroughly researched, this study engages methods and debates from the fields of art history, religion, archaeology, architecture, and East Asian history that are relevant to scholars and students alike. The many examples analyzed in the book offer well-defined local contexts to discuss broader historical and theoretical issues concerning representation, patronage, religion and politics, family values, and vision.--Sonya S. Lee is assistant professor of art history and East Asian languages and cultures at University of Southern California.-- -

Nirvana FAQ traces the band from its genesis to its end. Founded by friends Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic, Nirvana had a rocky start and a succession of drummers, but by the end of 1990, its debut album, Bleach, had garnered international attention and the group's sixth drummer, Dave Grohl, had joined the fold. Following its mentors Sonic Youth to Geffen Records, Nirvana had hoped for modest success. Instead came unexpected wealth and fame on the strength of 1991's Nevermind and its iconic, breakthrough single “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Success didn't sit well with Cobain, who began to numb the stresses of rock stardom with heroin. Despite 1993's hit album In Utero, Cobain's unhappiness became increasingly apparent. His suicide in April 1994 shocked the music world and put an end to a band at the height of its popularity. Nirvana FAQ answers such questions as, What guitar teacher did Cobain and Novoselic have in common? Where did Cobain record his first demo? What was the cause of his first arrest? How was second guitarist Jason Everman hired and fired? What was the name of Grohl's first band, and where did he meet Cobain and Novoselic? Who is “Teen Spirit” about? How did Nirvana's war with Guns N' Roses begin? And more.

More than half a century after the birth of rock, the musical genre that began as a rebellious underground phenomenon is now acknowledged as America's-and the world's-most popular and influential musical medium, as well as the soundtrack to several generations' worth of history. From Ray Charles to Joni Mitchell to Nirvana, rock music has been an undeniable force in both reflecting and shaping our cultural landscape. Icons of Rock offers a vivid overview of rock's pervasive role in contemporary society by profiling the lives and work of the music's most legendary artists. Most rock histories, by virtue of their all-encompassing scope, are unable to cover the lives and work of individual artists in depth, or to place those artists in a broader context. This two-volume set, by contrast, provides extensive biographies of the 24 greatest rock n' rollers of all time, examining their influences, innovations, and impact in a critical and historical perspective. Entries inside this unique reference explore the issues, trends, and movements that defined the cultural and social climate of the artists' music. Sidebars spotlight the many iconic elements associated with rock, such as rock festivals, protest songs, and the British Invasion. Providing a wealth of information on the icons, culture, and mythology of America's most beloved music, this biographical encyclopedia will serve as an invaluable resource for students and music fans alike.

"The Oxford Handbook of Music and Advertising assembles an array of forty-two pathbreaking chapters on the production, texts, and reception of advertising through music. Uniquely interdisciplinary, the collection's tripartite structure leads the reader through these stages in the communication of the advertising message as presented by Chris Wharton (2015). The chapters on production study the factors, activities, and people behind the music for the marketing pitch, both past and present. Prominent throughlines in the section include factors influencing the selection of music (and musicians) for advertising, the role of music in corporate branding strategies, the creative forces behind the soundscape of advertising, and industry practices that undergird all aspects of music in commercial contexts. The section on Text focuses on analytic and historical approaches to ads in various media, and includes commentaries on musical genres in ads ranging from Western European art music to American popular genre. Also covered in this section is ad music as used in different ad genres, such as political ads, public service announcements, and television commercials. The analyses used in this section draws from traditional music theory, semiotics, and hermeneutic analysis. Finally, the last section addressing "Reception"-with contributions by researchers in psychology, marketing, and other fields-involves the formulation of models and theories, and implementation of research methods to examine how the presence of music may influence peoples' attitudes, emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in the context of advertisements and within service environments such as stores, restaurants, and banks. The editors and chapter contributors of this book bring a diversity of perspectives to the topic but share a united aim: to illuminate music's vital contribution to the advertising message"--

本书为2012年6月“艺术史中的汉晋与唐宋转折”国际学术研讨会之成果集结。魏晋时期为中国图象文化史中所谓“艺术自觉”诞生的关键阶段。本论文集由汉唐之际的佛教相关图象变迁、唐宋之际“绘画”图象呈现方式的革新等方面切入问题，为汉晋与唐宋时期的艺术史研究提出新见。

"Located at the crossroads of the northern and southern routes of the ancient Silk Road on the edge of the Taklamakan desert in western China, Dunhuang is one of the richest Buddhist sites in China with nearly 500 cave temples constructed between the fourth and the fourteenth century. The sculptures, murals, portable paintings, and manuscripts found in the caves represent every aspect of Buddhism, both doctrinally and artistically. From its earliest construction to the present, Dunhuang has been visualized in many ways by the architects, builders, and artists who made the caves to twentieth-century explorers and photographers, conservators, and contemporary artists. This book explores ways in which Dunhuang has been visualized from its creation to contemporary times. Essays by leading scholars from the U.S., Europe, and China cover a wide range of topics, from the architecture of cave temples to painting and sculptural programs, Buddhist ritual practices, expeditionary photography, conservation, and the contributions of Dunhuang to art history"--