The Phenomenology of Paint: Between Materiality and Illusion

Analyzing the different modes of appearance and application of the most ubiquitous medium in art and ritual, this book examines the aesthetics, anthropology, ethnography and history of paint. The result is a clearly articulated account of both the materiality and phenomenology of paint, as substance and idea.

Beginning with paint as ritual in prehistoric and ancient times, it discusses the provenance, politics and chemistry of pigments, the role of concealment and beautification as paint is ...