Modern Egyptian Art, 1910-2003

Book excerpt: From the early years of the twentieth century, with the rejection of European political and cultural domination in Europe, modern artistic expression in Egypt was influenced by and often reflected the country's growing national consciousness. In the years following the 1952 revolution, wealthy patrons of the arts disappeared from Egypt's cosmopolitan art world and were replaced by the state, which by the 1960s exercised full control over all cultural activities, including the arts. In the 1990s, as elsewhere throughout the world, Egyptian art was affected by general shifts in culture brought about by globalization. The disruption of a sense of place and feelings of belonging were a response to the influx of the challenging, and at times, disquieting information available to whole cultures and communities through new media. Examining the work of over 70 artists from 1910 until the present day, Liliane Karnouk traces the parallel steps of modern Egyptian art and the social and political environment in which that art was and continues to be created. Fully illustrated with over 280 color and black-and-white illustrations, this comprehensive volume is both a feast for the eyes and a mine of information for artists and non-specialists alike.