Moderns: Time, Space, and Subjectivity in Contemporary Spanish Culture

 This book offers a radically new account of the rich and varied culture of contemporary Spain. It focuses on three intellectuals who chronicle contemporary life (including journalist Francisco Umbral); three filmmakers who engage with the many nationalisms of the Spanish state (Victor Erice, Bigas Luna, and Julio Medem); and three crucial topics that are expressed in many media (the replaying of history, the rise and fall of the city, and the practice of everyday life). Ranging from the ethnographic photography of Cristina Garcia Rodero to the high tech architecture of Santiago Calatrava and from the hyperrealist painting of Antonio Lopez to the neo-flamenco dance of Joaquin Cortes, this book is also the first to draw on theorists of the intellectual field, the production of space, and the arts of bricolage (Pierre Bourdieu, Henri Lefebvre, and Michel de Certeau). Refuting the charge that contemporary Spanish culture is trivial or superficial, this book argues that it is fully engaged in the aesthetic and historical project of modernity.

Review: ... a sophisticated and thought-provoking account of the struggle for modernity in contemporary Spanish culture ... The Moderns is a book to be read and discussed. Its impressive range of treatments of important cultural texts and authors enriches our general understanding of Spanish culture as it challenges our thinking about the locations and practices of cultural modernization. * Bryn Mawr Review of Comparative Literature *
Skilfully drawing upon his own work and that of others in the field ... Smith forces us to reassess our preconceptions and attitudes towards those who shape contemporary Spanish society. This gives us a clearer understanding of where modern Spain is coming from and where it is going. * British Bulletin of Publications, No.104 (2001) *
With Spanish cultural studies at a relatively elementary stage, this publication by the respected Hispanist Paul Julian Smith is to be welcomed. * British Bulletin of Publications, No.104 (2001) *
The field of Spanish cultural studies is expanding and Paul Julian Smith's latest book is an exemplary work in this growing discipline. * David Vilaseca, Times Higher Education Supplement *