The Female Body in the Looking-Glass: Contemporary Art

In this review of The Female Body in the Looking-Glass, Basia Sliwinska offers a focused scholarly enquiry into how contemporary women artists confront representation, gender identity and the politics of vision. The book will appeal to readers who want a thoughtful, theory-driven examination of the mirror metaphor and its reversal in post-1989 art; its single biggest reason to buy is the rigorous linkage of psychoanalytic and cultural theory to concrete artistic practices that make familiar concepts feel freshly contested.

Key Features

• Theoretical framework: Sliwinska connects Lacanian mirror-stage ideas and Baudrillardian reversal to show how images of the female body are constructed and deconstructed in contemporary work.
• Focus on gendered vision: The book illuminates how visual strategies by women artists interrogate male desire and reclaim agency in representation.
• Geographic breadth: Case studies span post-1989 practices from both sides of the former Iron Curtain, providing comparative perspectives rarely gathered together.
• Artist examples: Discussion includes significant figures such as Marina Abramovic and Joanna Rajkowska to illustrate theoretical claims through concrete practice.
• Metaphor of the mirror: The sustained use of the looking-glass metaphor gives this study a coherent lens for reading inversion, beauty and ugliness across works.

Who It's For

This book is suited to graduate students, scholars and serious readers in contemporary art, gender studies and cultural theory who want a close, critical engagement with feminist visual practices and psychoanalytic approaches. It helps readers familiar with theory see how argument maps onto specific artworks and movements.

Readers seeking a general survey of contemporary art or a richly illustrated coffee-table volume should look elsewhere; the emphasis here is on argument and interpretation rather than large-format reproductions or a broad market overview.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Provides a rigorous theoretical grounding that links Lacan and Baudrillard to contemporary feminist practice.
• Offers comparative coverage of artists working across the former Iron Curtain, a valuable regional focus.
• Uses clear case studies to make abstract ideas tangible and relevant to art historians and cultural theorists.

Cons

• The book prioritizes argument over image reproduction, so readers expecting many illustrations may be disappointed.

Specifications

Our Verdict

For scholars and advanced students of gender and visual culture, this book is a concise, well-argued resource that links psychoanalytic and cultural theory to contemporary artistic practice. Its focused scope and theoretical depth make it good value for readers who prioritize analysis over lavish illustration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this book discuss specific artists?
Yes; it examines the work of post-1989 women artists including Marina Abramovic and Joanna Rajkowska to ground its arguments.

Is the book heavily illustrated?
No; the emphasis is on textual analysis and theory rather than numerous large reproductions.

Who will benefit most from reading it?
Graduate students, researchers and readers interested in feminist theory, psychoanalysis and contemporary art will find it most useful.