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Book cover of Art Monsters

Art Monsters

Unruly Bodies in Feminist Art

Lauren Elkin

18

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Coup de coeur
Coup de coeur (Art), by Mariama
If you are interested in the representation of the female body in art, this book is an essential read. Lauren Elkin investigates why the female, sick, racialised and queer bodies are perceived as monstrous, abject or disruptive, and how they are challenged and represented by feminist artists.

'Destined to become a new classic' Chris Kraus

A dazzlingly original reassessment of women's stories, bodies and art - and how we think about them.


For decades, feminist artists have confronted the problem of how to tell the truth about their experiences as bodies. Queer bodies, sick bodies, racialised bodies, female bodies, what is their language, what are the materials we need to transcribe it?

Exploring the ways in which feminist artists have taken up this challenge, Art Monsters is a landmark intervention in how we think about art and the body. Weaving daring links between disparate artists and writers – from Julia Margaret Cameron’s photography to Kara Walker’s silhouettes, Vanessa Bell’s portraits to Eva Hesse’s rope sculptures – Lauren Elkin shows that their work offers a potent celebration of beauty and excess, sentiment and touch, the personal and the political.

‘The Susan Sontag of her generation’ Deborah Levy

Publisher: Vintage Publishing
Binding: Paperback
Publication date: 18 Apr 2024
Dimensions: 197 x 129 x 24 mm
ISBN: 9781529922554