The Pornography of Representation
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"Susanne Kappeler's The Pornography of Representation, though clotted by rhetorical confusion, carries some of the Berger and Mulvey arguments to extremes. Her thesis is that it is virtually impossible to "see" in nonmasculine perspective; any and all representations are sexist: a male aesthetic is the root of a patriarchal oppression of women. Kappeler embraces the logical consequence of her theory and stands ready to jettison centuries of art in the name of justice to women." --Pornography and Sexual Representation: A Reference Guide, Joseph W. Slade, 2001 "In the murder of Thomas Kasire, 'posing' for pictures was an integral part of his torture; in fact, it was the final cause of death. In the murdering of Thomas Kasire, taking pictures was an integral part of the act of torture and an integral part of the enjoyment of the act of torture. This particular form of ... In the words of the Marquis de Sade: "There's not a woman on earth who would ever have had cause to complain of my services if I'd been sure of being able to kill her afterwards[1]."" |
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The Pornography of Representation (1986) is a book by Susanne Kappeler.
Blurb:
- "This book marks a radical and powerful intervention in traditional arguments about pornography. Kappeler re–examines the artistic distinctions between fantasy and reality, pornography and erotica, and challenges the legal definition of obscenity as well as the intellectual defence of ′freedom of expression′. By linking images of actual violence with the imaginative portrayal of women in the realm of the aesthetic, she establishes vital connections between modes of representation and social forms of power and domination. It is essential reading for anyone concerned with issues of pornography and sexual politics and related debates in literary criticism and cultural studies."
References
- Pornography of Representation, University of Minnesota Press and Polity Press, 1986,
See also
