Fairy tales, monsters, and the genetic imagination /

This slim paperback catalog, published in conjunction with an exhibition at Nashville's Frist Center for the Visual Arts, focuses on the intersection of fairy tales, science, and the monstrous in contemporary art. Scala (chief curator, Frist Ctr. for the Visual Arts) brings together four thoughtful, varied essays on this topic by Suzanne Anker (The Molecular Gaze: Art in the Genetic Age), Jack Zipes (The Irresistible Fairy Tale: The Cultural and Social History of a Genre), Marina Warner (Stranger Magic: Charmed States and the Arabian Nights; see review below), and himself. The 65 color plates and 30 color and black-and-white illustrations include two photos from Cindy Sherman's famous "Fairy Tales" series, Yinka Shonibare's vivid repositioning of a famous Goya etching in The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters (America), and Patricia Piccinini's fleshy, uncertain globs in Still Life with Stem Cells. VERDICT Citing the "Twilight" and "Harry Potter" series, Warner asks, "Has there ever been, since.the Middle Ages, such a fascination with the monstrous?" For scholarly minded readers looking for a critical consideration and artistic reimagining of the fantastic creatures and stories that currently dominate our cultural landscape.-Molly McArdle, Library Journal (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.