Reception, deception, illusion and magic: feminism and theoretical practice

Abstract

English: This article is an exploration of the relationship between ideology theory, feminism and “theoretical practice”. It is an attempt to formulate a “figurative semiotics” in which theory is “seen” to be done. There is a tendency within feminist art whereby, as a strategy to address “actual readers” and to concretely affect the “real” world, artists humorously exploit the association of art, magic, illusion and deception in order to shock, move or activate their audiences. We argue that such feminist art, which humorously enhances art’s potentially carnalising impact on a gendered spectator, can be linked to a longer tradition of ideology-sensitive picaresque art which humorously keeps alive an awareness of art’s power to deceive.

Afrikaans: Hierdie artikel is ’n ondersoek na die verhouding tussen ideologieteorie, feminisme en “teoretiese praktyk”. Dit is ’n poging om volgens die “figuratiewe semiotiek” te werk te gaan, waardeur teoretiese onderskeidinge “visueel waargeneem” word. Daar is ’n onderskeibare neiging by feministiese kunstenaars om die verwantskappe tussen kuns, illusionisme, bedrog en die magiese op humoristiese wyse in te span as ’n strategie om toeskouers te skok, te ontroer en te aktiveer. Die outeurs argumenteer dat hierdie soort feministiese kuns, met ’n liggaamlike en geslagtelike impak op toeskouers, gekoppel kan word aan ’n langer tradisie van ideologie-sensitiewe pikareske kuns, waarin kuns se vermoë om te bedrieg op humoristiese wyse lewendig gehou is.