In 'Notes on Camp,' Susan Sontag delves into the aesthetics and sensibilities of camp, exploring its cultural significance and its subversion of traditional standards. With sharp wit and critical insight, she examines how camp challenges norms by embracing exaggeration, irony, and theatricality. Sontag's observations invite readers to reconsider the boundaries between high and low art, and what it means to appreciate beauty. Her essay is a provocative invitation to engage with art and culture in a playful yet profound manner. Embark on a journey through the flamboyant, the outrageous, and the surprisingly profound as Sontag unpacks the allure of the camp phenomenon.
By Susan Sontag
Published: 2018
"The Camp aesthetic is a means of consuming the world through a lens of excess, irony, and a playful subversion of conventional values; it teaches us to appreciate the unnatural, the exaggerated, and the theatrical in our pursuit of beauty."
"These two classic essays were the first works of criticism to break down the boundaries between 'high' and 'low' culture, and made Susan Sontag a literary sensation."--Back cover
Susan Sontag (1933-2004) was an influential American writer, filmmaker, philosopher, and political activist. She is best known for her essays on modern culture, art, and photography, particularly in her groundbreaking works such as "On Photography" and "Against Interpretation." Sontag's writing is characterized by its intellectual rigor, insightful analysis, and a profound understanding of the complexities of contemporary life. Her ability to weave together personal experience with broader societal observations has made her a pivotal figure in American literature and thought.
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“The Camp aesthetic is a means of consuming the world through a lens of excess, irony, and a playful subversion of conventional values; it teaches us to appreciate the unnatural, the exaggerated, and the theatrical in our pursuit of beauty.”
Notes on Camp
By Susan Sontag
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