Seeking the Centre: The Australian Desert in Literature, Art and Film | 
 enlarge | Author: Roslynn D. Haynes
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Category: Book
Buy Used: $98.11
Used (5) from $98.11
Avg. Customer Rating:  1 reviews
Sales Rank: 2336026
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 364
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.2
Dimensions (in): 9.8 x 7 x 1.5
ISBN: 0521571111
Dewey Decimal Number: 551.4150994
EAN: 9780521571111
ASIN: 0521571111
Publication Date: January 13, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
This is a book about the Australian desert and its central impact on Australian culture, from traditional Aboriginal art to Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Starting with the Aboriginal understanding of the spiritual significance of the desert, it traces the attempts of the early colonists to conquer this alien space; the changing estimate of the inland explorers in fiction and art as heroes, failures, or psychological studies of obsession; the rediscovery of the desert in the twentieth century by travelers, artists, novelists, photographers and film makers; its interest for ecotourism and as a spiritual experience.
Book Description
The desert has a hypnotic presence in Australian culture, simultaneously alluring and repellent. The 'Centre' is distant and unknown to most Australians, yet has become a symbol of the country. This exciting book, highly illustrated in full colour, reveals the singular impact that the desert, both geographical and metaphorical, has had on Australian culture. At the heart of the book is the profound relationship that Aboriginal Australians have with the desert, and the complex ways in which they have been seen by white people in this context.
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| Customer Reviews:
Fascinating Insight into the Red Center July 4, 2003
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Haynes has put a great deal of effort, energy, and insight into an incredible exhaustive exploration of what the Australian Desert means to Australians and how this attitude came about . Especially interesting to me are the sections on Australian Explorers and how their hardships, especially failures, have been transformed into myths. As an American who spent a semester in Australia, taking an Australian Studies course, I found this book supported what I had learned, while futhering my interests. Haynes provides numerous books, films, poems, and works of art in detailed discussions about many big name Australian creatives such as Nolan and White. I would recommend this book to anyone that wants to know more about Australian Culture.
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