Iconoclasm: Contested Objects, Contested Terms (Subject/Object: New Studies in Sculpture)

The word 'iconoclasm' is most often used in relation to sculpture, because it is sculptures that most visibly bear witness to physical damage. But damage can also be invisible, and the actions of iconoclasm can be subtle and varying. Iconoclastic acts include the addition of objects and accessories, as well as their removal, or may be represented in text or imagery that never materially affects the original object. This book brings together a collection of essays each of which fundamentally questions the meaning of the word iconoclasm as a descriptive category. Each contribution examines the impact of iconoclastic acts on different representational forms, and assesses the development and historical implications of these various destructive and transformative behaviours.

Dr Stacy Boldrick is VARIE Administrator at the Department of Fine Art, University of Edinburgh, UK.

Dr Richard Clay is Research Fellow at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham, UK.