
Loie Fuller: Lecture on Radium
Loie Fuller(Artist)
Christine Burgin Gallery (Publisher)
Published on 12. June 2025
Book
Hardback
88 pages
978-0-9976456-2-0 (ISBN)
Description
A luminary in more ways than one, celebrated dancer Loie Fuller studied radium and its potential uses in performance
The luminous and radical dance performances of Loie Fuller (1862-1928) at the turn of the 20th century were unlike anything that had ever been staged before. In her Serpentine Dance, she wore a large, diaphanous gown she manipulated with her arms to form undulating waves, while colored lights projected onto the fabric gave the illusion of birds, animals or flowers. While her profound influence on writers and artists such as Mallarme and Rodin is well documented, less well known is Fuller's passion for technology and her involvement with the leading scientists of the time.
Lecture on Radium spotlights Fuller's scientific forays in her own words alongside an array of archival documents and photographs of the dancer in action. The centerpiece of the book is her 1907 lecture on the invention of radium, her notes on meeting Marie and Pierre Curie and Thomas Alva Edison, and her literally explosive efforts to create a glow-in-the-dark dance performance. Featuring an introduction by renowned cinema scholar Tom Gunning, this book presents Fuller's eccentric passions and pioneering pursuits in a fresh light.
The luminous and radical dance performances of Loie Fuller (1862-1928) at the turn of the 20th century were unlike anything that had ever been staged before. In her Serpentine Dance, she wore a large, diaphanous gown she manipulated with her arms to form undulating waves, while colored lights projected onto the fabric gave the illusion of birds, animals or flowers. While her profound influence on writers and artists such as Mallarme and Rodin is well documented, less well known is Fuller's passion for technology and her involvement with the leading scientists of the time.
Lecture on Radium spotlights Fuller's scientific forays in her own words alongside an array of archival documents and photographs of the dancer in action. The centerpiece of the book is her 1907 lecture on the invention of radium, her notes on meeting Marie and Pierre Curie and Thomas Alva Edison, and her literally explosive efforts to create a glow-in-the-dark dance performance. Featuring an introduction by renowned cinema scholar Tom Gunning, this book presents Fuller's eccentric passions and pioneering pursuits in a fresh light.
Reviews / Votes
Lovers of esoterica will rejoice at the arrival of [this] new imprint. -- Jonathan Bell * Wallpaper* * Fuller flouted the boundaries of practically every creative discipline she took on - from light and stage design to dance, choreography, and costume. -- Eileen G'Sell * Hyperallergic *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
33 Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 180 mm
Width: 124 mm
Thickness: 10 mm
Weight
159 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-9976456-2-0 (9780997645620)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Editor
Artist
Text by
Introduction