The Discourse Of Others, Feminism And Postmodernism

Comments on The Discourse of Others : womens liberationists and Postmodernism by Craig OwensIn this 1983 quiz , Owens displays an admirable cop of postmodernism and feminism and their confluence in the ocular stratagems . He combines the some advanced theories and theorizings of the time - Fredric Jameson French post-structuralists and French feminists , Freud and Lacan - with punctilious readings of concrete opthalmic arts by feminist and pistillate American artists . He has demonstrated how American feminist and womanish visual artists have partaken of the radical import of postmodernism in their art to subvert masculinism or patriarchy in authority and the visual arts in general (1 ) sequence Owens in this essay favors both postmodernism and feminism , I think that he favors postmodernism at the expense of feminism . He makes it appear that the male theorist-gatekeepers of postmodernism - at the time , at least - would non want feminists or feminism to enter the scene . He criticizes these theorist-gatekeepers , and we can come across him , since he views postmodernism as a positive site of radicality . He however leaves aside the problematic relation feminism has with postmodernism . He quotes Paul Ricouer to establish the cultural feel of postmodernism : All signification and goal having disappeared , it becomes possible to wander done civilizations as if through vestiges and ruins As many feminists have pointed out , this tourist-position often invoked by theorists of postmodernism is in reality occupied by males - well-to-do horse opera white males , in particular , and not by most females in the US or elsewhere . It is not except postmodernism (as a theoretical field ) that has left aside women . to a greater extent importantly postmodernity (as a socio-economic-cultural reality ) has itself marginalized women - in real commonplace terms , and not primarily in the field of visual arts (2 ) Which brings me to my second point about Owens s essay .

while I share his solidarity with the desire of feminist visual artists to make up masculinism or patriarchy problematic , I think that his measurement of radicality is the thought of the French theorists - post-structuralists , feminists - that he invokes in this essay . While I agree that masculinism and patriarchy in representation in general and the visual arts in particular should be questioned and subverted , I feel that doing this without in reality connecting with real women - I signify the majority of women in the country and the world , with real exploitations oppressions , struggles , hopes and dreams - is not as politically radical as Owens s tone may suggest . I think that feminist art should really connect with its constituents - women - so that it can really bring ahead real change in the real world . Feminist art should know the particular level of political cognizance of women and start to work from there . Without a knowledge of the concrete situations of women - their issues and political consciousness - and their aspirations postmodern feminist art get out only cater to an elite group of artists and critics , who will struggle endlessly on how best to subvert the signifier representation , etcetera . This idea , I got from Jameson - whom Owens criticizes in this essay . Is it really politically...If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: Orderessay

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