Pictures and the past: Media, memory, and the specter of fascism in postmodern art By AlexanderBigman, Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. 2024. pp. 256. £26.97(hbk)

In this book, Alexander Bigman presents a compelling exploration of the art movement known as the Pictures Generation. His primary aim is to reveal how these artists, active in New York during the late 1970s and early 1980s, engaged with historical memory, particularly the lingering specter of fascism. Bigman's work goes beyond conventional interpretations that frame the group's rebellion against abstract art as a mere return to figuration and mass media aesthetics. Instead, he contends that their art is profoundly haunted by fascist iconography and the political implications of collective memory. Through this fresh lens, the author illuminates how these artists interrogated the power of imagery to shape historical perception in a society saturated with media. The book is a critical resource for scholars interested in the intersection of art, memory, and politics, especially those who seek to understand how the legacy of fascism continues to haunt modern cultural productions. The introduction, titled “Beyond Fascinating,” sets the stage by tracing the emergence of the Pictures Generation and its unique fixation on the image of the falling body. This motif, present in the works of artists such as Goldstein and Longo, evokes both the violence of modern history and the disorientation of life in a media-saturated world. Bigman situates this motif within a broader historical and cultural context, drawing connections to everything from religious paintings of Judgment Day to Andy Warhol's Death and Disaster series. His analysis of these works is particularly nuanced, as he delves into their layered references to World War II, Nazism, and the atrocities of the Holocaust. Bigman skillfully argues that these seemingly abstract or decontextualized images are, in fact, deeply rooted in the political and historical realities of the mid-twentieth century. The first chapter, “Sarah Charlesworth at the End of Modern History,” delves into Charlesworth's work, especially her Stills series, which enlarged images of individuals falling from buildings. Bigman argues that these pieces are not merely about mortality but also about the precariousness of historical narrative and how we process collective trauma. By juxtaposing Charlesworth's images with icons from historical paintings, Bigman shows how her work invites viewers to question the authenticity and manipulation of historical memory. The chapter emphasizes that Charlesworth's art, in its simplicity, conveys a deeper political message about the fragility of democratic societies and the looming threat of fascism's return. In the second chapter, “Memory Traces in the Work of Jack Goldstein,” Bigman analyzes how Goldstein's The Jump engages with media spectacle and authoritarian control. He challenges previous interpretations of the piece as a mere aesthetic gesture, instead arguing that it represents a nuanced reflection on the seductive power of fascist propaganda. Goldstein, according to Bigman, was keenly aware of how mass media could be manipulated to shape public perception, making his art both a commentary on and a critique of media-driven narratives. Bigman's reading offers a thoughtful perspective on how Goldstein navigated the intersection of art, politics, and memory. The third chapter, “Troy Brauntuch and the Figuring of ‘Distance,’” focuses on Brauntuch's use of Nazi-era imagery, exploring how his ghostly representations of Third Reich iconography serve as a critique of the way historical narratives are sanitized and commodified in modern culture. Brauntuch's use of crayon drawings on dark backgrounds, which strips the images of their original context, compels viewers to confront the distance that separates them from these historical events. Bigman argues that Brauntuch's work reflects a profound skepticism toward the idea that art can ever truly represent the past, a theme that resonates throughout the Pictures Generation's collective body of work. The fourth chapter, “Robert Longo in the Shadow of Empire,” traces Longo's engagement with themes of political power and mass spectacle, drawing connections between his iconic Men in the Cities series and the aesthetics of fascist pageantry. Bigman suggests that Longo's flailing figures are not just representations of personal or urban alienation but are deeply symbolic of the precariousness of Western democracies in the face of authoritarianism. The chapter discusses how Longo's work functions as a meditation on the political landscapes of the 1980s, with its subtle yet striking critiques of U.S. imperialism and Cold War militarism. The final chapter, “Gretchen Bender's Mnemonic Theater,” shifts its focus on Bender's innovative use of video installations to explore the ways in which memory is constructed and controlled in a media-saturated world. Bender's Total Recall and Dumping Coreare particularly highlighted for their critical stance on the commodification of memory in contemporary society. Bigman effectively argues that Bender's work reveals the extent to which media and technology have become tools of authoritarianism, as they not only control the present but also shape the ways in which we remember and interpret the past. The book concludes with an epilogue titled “Fascinating Again,” which ties the various strands of the study together by reflecting on the enduring relevance of the Pictures Generation's concerns in today's political climate. Bigman points out that the rise of far-right populism in the twenty-first century has brought renewed urgency to the questions these artists raised about the fragility of democracy and the power of images to shape political discourse. He underscores that the specter of fascism is not merely a historical concern, but rather a contemporary threat, which makes the artists' work even more vital and relevant in today's context. Bigman's writing is characterized by both academic rigor and accessibility, as he effectively combines art criticism, political theory, and cultural history with great precision. The scope of the book, which not only examines the works themselves but also places them within their broader cultural context, adds significant value for scholars across various disciplines, including art history, memory studies, and political science. Lin Wu is a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Science and Technology Beijing, China. Her research focuses on literature and cross-culture studies, contemporary Indian English novels.