Feminism 4: Examples of Postmodern Feminism Barbara Kruger, Cindy Sherman and Margaret Atwood

Outline Postmodern Feminist Artistic/Literary StrategiesArtistic/Literary Strategies Cindy Sherman Barbara Kruger

Postmodern Feminist Strategies -- conscious use of dual language  Mimicry; Parody; e.g. Cindy Sherman; Madonna  Revising tradition and traditional genre : 姜 嫄、 ” 野獸派 ” 、 Atwood’s use of fairy tales and genres  Re-Visioning History: The Woman Warrior (novel), The Piano (film); Collage + Open accusation : Barbara Kruger  Fluid Styles mixed with linear narrative: Films by Lea Pool, poems by 夏宇

Postmodern feminist literary strategies: the use of duality (2)  Themes & Meanings: 1. Construction of identity through relationships; blurring of gender boundaries; dual identity ( 腹語術， The Piano). 2. Alternative world: Fantasies, magic realism, utopia or distopia 3. Dual language  subversiveness (of binaries and fixed meanings), irony and ambiguity.

Mimicry + Parody e.g. (1)  Target: Jean-Aguste-Dominique Ingres' The Turkish Bath, 1862 Credit: The Artchive The Turkish BathThe ArtchiveThe Turkish BathThe Artchive

Mimicry + Parody e.g.  Sylvia Sleigh, The Turkish Bath, 1973

Mimicry + Parody e.g. (2) Cindy Sherman  1) Untitled Film Stills (1977) -- using herself as a model in some black-and-white film stills;  2) on the tradition of portraiture, she exploits the grotesquerie of wealthy and powerful patrons through the extensive use of prostheses, stage makeup, and costumes  3) to using body fragments, dolls or some other inanimate objects.  Addresses issues of femininity, sexual identity, voyeurism, and artificiality and oppression in cultural representations.

Cindy Sherman (1) Untitled Film Stills (1977) Lois Lane in the 1950's television program Superman Lois Lane in the 1950's television program Superman  Cindy Sherman: (Staniszewski 281)

Cindy Sherman Untitled Film Stills (1977)  Marilyn Monroe  Cindy Sherman: Untitled film still (Staniszewski 282)

Cindy Sherman (2) work in the 80’s –critique of portraits 

Cindy Sherman (2) work in the 80’s— female victimization Cindy Sherman, Untitled No. 153, Metro Pictures, New York.

Cindy Sherman (2) work in the 80’s— female grotesque Sherman, Untitled #155, “gaze disembodied so that it belongs to no one.” (source: ml ml ml The article Ten Years Later Reconsidering Cindy Sherman's "Sex Pictures" )

Cindy Sherman (2) work in the 80’s— the female grotesque Cindy Sherman, Untitled #250, Thus, the seductive has been used to produce the grotesque. (source:

Barbara Kruger  Traditional images superimposed with some strong words.  An opposition between the pronouns "you" and "we," which satirically refer to "men" and "women,“ "men" and "women,“ “the dominant” and “the dominated,” or “the dominant” and “the dominated,” or “the commercial culture” and “the consumers” “the commercial culture” and “the consumers”

Barbara Kruger: (1) Critique of  Male Desire in Sexual fetishism, Male domination in Religion

Barbara Kruger: (1) Critique of Male Power  The use of hands in male rituals:

Barbara Kruger: (1) Critique of Male Power  The use of hands in male rituals:

Barbara Kruger: (2) Objectification of Women  The use of female images in plastic arts; e.g. “Your gaze hits the side of my face”

Barbara Kruger: (2) Objectification of Women  The use of female characters in narratives

Barbara Kruger: (2) Objectification of Women  The use of female patients in psychoanalysis:

Barbara Kruger: (3) Critique of Oppression  an installation installation