From the beginning, abstraction has been intrinsic to photography, and its persistent popularity reveals much about the medium. Now available in an affordable paperback edition, The Edge of Vision: The Rise of Abstraction in Photography is the first book in English to document this phenomenon and to put it into historical context, while also examining the diverse approaches thriving within contemporary photography. Author Lyle Rexer examines abstraction at pivotal moments, starting with the inception of photography, when many of the pioneers believed the camera might reveal other aspects of reality. The Edge of Vision traces subsequent explorations--from the Photo-Secessionists, who emphasized process and emotional expression over observed reality, to Modernist and Surrealist experiments. In the decades to follow, in particular from the 1950s through the 1980s, a multitude of photographers--Edward Weston, Aaron Siskind, Barbara Kasten, Ellen Carey and James Welling among them--took up abstraction from a variety of positions. Finally, Rexer explores the influence the history of abstraction exerts on contemporary thinking about the medium. Many contemporary artists--most prominently Penelope Umbrico, Michael Flomen, and Adam Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin--reject classic definitions of photography's documentary dimension in favor of other conceptually inflected possibilities, somewhere between painting and sculpture, that include the manipulation of process and printing. In addition to Rexer's engagingly written and richly illustrated history, this volume includes a selection of primary texts from and interviews with key practitioners and critics, such as Alvin Langdon Coburn, László Moholy-Nagy, Gottfried Jägger, Silvio Wolf and Walead Beshty.

In At the Edges of Vision, Ren?van de Vall re-examines the aesthetics of spectatorship in terms of new-media art and visual culture. The aesthetic experience of visual art has traditionally been described in terms of the distanced contemplation and critical interpretation of the work's form and representational content. Recent developments in installation, video and computer art have foregrounded the bodily and affective engagement of the spectator and, in retrospect, throw into question the model of spectatorial distance for more traditional art forms as well. But what does this development entail for art's potential for reflective, imaginative and experiential depth? Is art still capable of providing a critical counterpoint to the ubiquitous presence of sensational, yet short-lived media imagery when it speaks to the senses rather than to the mind? In a thorough examination of examples from painting, film, installation art and interactive video, and computer art, Van de Vall argues for a tactile and affective conception of reflection, linking philosophy and art. Looking at a Rembrandt self-portrait and navigating through an internet art work have in common that both types of work rely on a playful, rhythmically structured, sensuous and embodied reflexivity for the articulation of meaning. This sensuous dimension of playful reflexivity is just as important in philosophical thought, however, as the transcendental condition for genuine, open-ended reflection. Drawing on the philosophy of Merleau-Ponty, Levinas, Lyotard and Deleuze on the one hand and on new-media theory on the other, Van de Vall develops a performative phenomenology of aesthetic reflection, visuality and visual art, in order to rethink art's ethical and political relevance in present-day digital-media culture.

"In At the Edges of Vision, Renee van de Vall re-examines the aesthetics of spectatorship in terms of new-media art and visual culture. The aesthetic experience of visual art has traditionally been described in terms of the distanced contemplation and critical interpretation of the work's form and representational content. Recent developments in installation, video and computer art have foregrounded the bodily and affective engagement of the spectator and, in retrospect, throw into question the model of spectatorial distance for more traditional art forms as well. But what does this development entail for art's potential for reflective, imaginative and experiential depth? Is art still capable of providing a critical counterpoint to the ubiquitous presence of sensational, yet short-lived media imagery when it speaks to the senses rather than to the mind? In a thorough examination of examples from painting, film, installation art and interactive video, and computer art, Van de Vall argues for a tactile and affective conception of reflection, linking philosophy and art. Looking at a Rembrandt self-portrait and navigating through an internet art work have in common that both types of work rely on a playful, rhythmically structured, sensuous and embodied reflexivity for the articulation of meaning. This sensuous dimension of playful reflexivity is just as important in philosophical thought, however, as the transcendental condition for genuine, open-ended reflection. Drawing on the philosophy of Merleau-Ponty, Levinas, Lyotard and Deleuze on the one hand and on new-media theory on the other, Van de Vall develops a performative phenomenology of aesthetic reflection, visuality and visual art, in order to rethink art's ethical and political relevance in present-day digital-media culture."--Provided by publisher.

The classic reference covering the diagnosis and treatment of all major ophthalmic diseases, as well as neurological and systemic diseases causing visual disturbance-extensively revised and updated Features State-of-the-art coverage of diagnostic techniques and therapeutic interventions for the full range of ophthalmic disorders Chapters dedicated to ophthalmic therapeutics, neuro-ophthalmology, ocular disorders associated with systemic diseases, immunologic diseases of the eye, pediatrics, genetics, preventive ophthalmology and lasers The latest clinical perspectives on such topics as: Treatments for age-related macular degeneration, including anti-VEGF therapies Intraocular steroid injections for retinal diseases Immunomodulatory drugs Treatment of corneal infections Medical and surgical treatments for glaucoma Detailed appendices on visual standards, practical factors in illumination, rehabilitation of the visually handicapped, and special services available to the blind Latest references

The advent of photography revolutionized perception, making visible what was once impossible to see with the human eye. In At the Edge of Sight, Shawn Michelle Smith engages these dynamics of seeing and not seeing, focusing attention as much on absence as presence, on the invisible as the visible. Exploring the limits of photography and vision, she asks: What fails to register photographically, and what remains beyond the frame? What is hidden by design, and what is obscured by cultural blindness? Smith studies manifestations of photography's brush with the unseen in her own photographic work and across the wide-ranging images of early American photographers, including F. Holland Day, Eadweard Muybridge, Andrew J. Russell, Chansonetta Stanley Emmons, and Augustus Washington. She concludes by showing how concerns raised in the nineteenth century remain pertinent today in the photographs of Abu Ghraib. Ultimately, Smith explores the capacity of photography to reveal what remains beyond the edge of sight.

Kanski’s Clinical Ophthalmology: A Systematic Approach is the classic specialty text providing the perfect ophthalmology foundation for trainees through to experienced practitioners. The famous visually dynamic and succinct format enables easy comprehension and focused guidance in the diagnosis and management of ophthalmic disorders. Build the ultimate foundation in ophthalmology with this market-leading resource. Benefit from guidance on examination, imaging, and the recognition of systemic conditions associated with ocular disease. Completely revised by award-winning ophthalmic educator Brad Bowling, the eighth edition reflects the latest advances, making this an indispensable resource to enhance learning, aid exam preparation and guide clinical practice. Designed for rapid reference and efficient recall, the concise but comprehensive chapters use crisp targeted text, bulleted lists, tables, and visual aids to highlight salient points across all ophthalmology subspecialties. Features detailed updates on key evolving topics such as the spectrum of macular disease, with many new disorders added to this edition across a range of subspecialties. Increased emphasis on practical investigation and management. Includes 2,600 illustrations, images and artworks, with over 900 brand new for this edition, including ultra wide-field imaging, fundus autofluorescence, and high-resolution OCT. Consult this title on your favourite e-reader.

Better Eyesight Without Glasses is not only the definitive source for the classic Bates Method, it is in itself a remarkable phenomenon. Dr. William H. Bates’s revolutionary and entirely commonsensical theory of self-taught improved eyesight has helped hundreds of thousands of people to triumph over normal defects of vision without the mechanical aid of eyeglasses. If you think that your eyesight could be made better by natural methods, you are right. After years of experimentation, Dr. Bates came to the conclusion that many people who wore glasses did not need them. He gradually and carefully developed a simple group of exercises for improving the ability of the eyes themselves to see, eliminating the tension caused by poor visual habits that are the major cause of bad eyesight. These exercises are based on the firm belief that it is the natural function of the eyes to see clearly and that anyone, child or adult, can learn to see better without glasses.