![]() ![]() Romance, politics, tragedy, and art twist and whirl together in the pages of Jones' book as she recounts Duncan's life in chronological order, beginning with her childhood in San Francisco where she was raised by a free-thinking, single mother. Who knew plain black and white illustrations could come so alive, so full of movement and feeling? In her debut graphic biography, Jones captures Duncan's dramatic story in an impressive fashion. And to tell the story of Isadora Duncan would be hard for even the most ambitious of biographers, but Sabrina Jones chose a good medium in which to attempt it. To articulate the intricate story of a maverick, any real maverick, is no easy feat. Isadora Duncan is a very important figure in the history of dance, and it's really good to see that there's a graphic novel biography about her that tries to give her words and her image equal importance. Which is all aside from simply being good to look at, which is always important. There's something about it that reminds me of art nouveau, which is in the right time frame. And the art style feels right for a subject of this time period. There's no existing film of Duncan dancing, only photos and drawings, but from what I've seen, Jones has done an admirable job of illustrating her distinctive and revolutionary dance style. ![]() There are lots of full page images of Duncan dancing, which are incredibly beautiful. The art definitely works for the subject. Duncan's own words are far more interesting than anyone else's could be, and what would be the point in paraphrasing anyways? In general, I would much rather read a person's own words, and Duncan has some especially good ones. I was far more interested in reading about her art, her philosophy, and her politics, and Jones absolutely does not skimp on those details.įor me, the best part of the book is just how much Jones uses quotes, from Duncan and from people who knew her. She did have a scandalous personal life, by late 19th century and early 20th century standards, but that was only of passing interest to me. And she could be somewhat flighty, or at least unconcerned with mundane things like cash flow. She was a radical and a free thinker, entirely ahead of her time and proud of it. She was an artist, completely unafraid to create in her own way. Isadora Duncan was an incredibly fascinating woman. ![]()
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