Chromophobia

By: David Batchelor

Write A Review

Paperback with Flaps on Inside & Back Covers | 1 September 2009

At a Glance

Paperback with Flaps on Inside & Back Covers
124 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
21.0 x 14.9 x 1.0

Paperback with Flaps on Inside & Back Covers

$42.99

or 4 interest-free payments of $10.75 with

Ships in 10 to 15 business days

The central argument of Chromophobia is that a chromophobic impulse - a fear of corruption or contamination through colour - lurks within much Western cultural and intellectual thought. This is apparent in the many and varied attempts to purge colour, either by making it the property of some "foreign body" - the oriental, the feminine, the infantile, the vulgar, or the pathological - or by relegating it to the realm of the superficial, the supplementary, the inessential, or the cosmetic.

Chromophobia has been a cultural phenomenon since ancient Greek times; this book is concerned with forms of resistance to it. Writers have tended to look no further than the end of the nineteenth century. David Batchelor seeks to go beyond the limits of earlier studies, analysing the motivations behind chromophobia and considering the work of writers and artists who have been prepared to look at colour as a positive value.

Exploring a wide range of imagery including Melville's "great white whale", Huxley's reflections on mescaline, and Le Corbusier's "journey to the East", Batchelor also discusses the use of colour in Pop, Minimal, and more recent art.

About the Author

David Batchelor is an artist and writer based in London.

Industry Reviews

Full of good writing, good anecdotes, devastating quotes, deft arguments, and just the sort of mysterious anomalies one would expect from an artist writing about the enemies of his practice -- Dave Hickey Bookforum A hugely entertaining guide to our ongoing obsession with white' Time Out A provocative contribution to the discourse of color theory -- James Meyer Artforum This beautifully produced book is an intelligent and provocative essay on why Western culture hates and fears colour. The prose is cumulative and passionate in its effect and widely referential - from Barthes to Melville, Wim Wenders to Huysmans ... you cannot fail to be stimulated by his thoughts RA (Royal Academy Magazine) Switching from novels and movies to art and architecture, Batchelor clearly and cleverly traces the cultural implications of the 100 year-plus Colour War between Chromophobes like Le Corbusier, with their hosannas to whiteness, and Chromophiliacs like Warhol, the great artist of cosmetics. A succinct book of art theory which goes down smoothly i-D Magazine Batchelor has found an irresistible selection of anecdotes and quotes relating to the experience of color ... thoughtful and entertaining -- Tema Celeste a theoretical and cultural banquet ... The book's narrative quality goes beyond the telling of color theory's history and other approaches to color, coming to read like a psychological thriller: how the West crushed color - or at least thought it did so New Art Examiner, Chicago

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $0.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.

Defective items

If there is a problem with any of the items received for your order then the Booktopia Customer Care team is ready to assist you.

For more info please visit our Help Centre.

You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction Arts & Entertainment Art Forms General Issues in Art Theory of Art

Whitescapes	p. 9
Chromophobia	p. 21
Apocalypstick	p. 51
Hanunoo	p. 73
Chromophilia	p. 97
References	p. 113
Select Bibliography and Filmography	p. 119
List of Illustrations	p. 123
Acknowledgements	p. 124
Table of Contents provided by Syndetics. All Rights Reserved.

Chromophobia

At a Glance

Paperback with Flaps on Inside & Back Covers

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

More in Art Forms

Cozy Little Landscapes in Watercolor

Super-Easy, Mini Painting Projects for Whimsical Forests, Charming Villages, and More

Printmaking

A Step-by-Step Studio Guide

The Drawing Habit

A Step-by-Step Guide to Improving Your Drawing Skills and Cultivating a Lifelong Practice of Creativity - Includes Downloadable Practice Sheets!

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Material Ultimania

Cut up this Book and Create Your Own Extraordinary Places

A Maria Rivans Collage Book

Throwing Clay

The Art of Making Pottery On The Wheel

Linocut

A Creative Guide to Making Beautiful Prints

Japanese Washi Origami Paper and Book

20 Easy Models with 96 High Quality Folding Sheets (Double-Sided)

The Works: Edgar Degas

The Essential Masterpieces

The Art of Cartoon Saloon: 25 Years

The Official Retrospective of the Award-Winning Irish Animation Studio behind The Secret of Kells, Wolfwalkers, and Song of the Sea

Art Cure

Longlisted for the 2026 Womens Prize for Non-Fiction - The science of how the arts transform our health

Arthur Boyd

St Francis Tapestries

Chiyogami Origami Paper and Book

20 Easy Models with 96 High Quality Folding Sheets (Double-Sided)

Cherry Blossoms Origami Paper and Book

20 Easy Models with 96 High Quality Folding Sheets (Double-Sided)

Dog Only Knows

The Dog Portraits of Alison Friend

Vagabond Definitive Edition, Vol. 3

Vagabond Definitive Edition

Destiny

Grimoire Anthology Vol. V

The Landscape Painter's Workbook

Essential Studies in Shape, Composition, and Color

The Oil Painter's Color Handbook

A Contemporary Guide to Color Mixing, Pigments, Palettes, and Harmony

Creative Abstract Watercolor

The Beginner's Guide to Expressive and Imaginative Painting

The Untamed Thread

Slow stitch to soothe the soul and ignite creativity

Cut Up This Book and Create Your Own Wonderland

1,000 Unexpected Images for Collage Artists

Art

The Definitive Visual Guide

Moments at Home

Interior Inspiration for Every Room

This product is categorised by

Longlisted for the 2026 Womens Prize for Non-Fiction - The science of how the arts transform our health