{"product_id":"the-female-body-in-the-looking-glass-contemporary-art","title":"The Female Body in the Looking-Glass: Contemporary Art","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eKey Features\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTheoretical framework:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sliwinska connects Lacanian mirror-stage ideas and Baudrillardian reversal to show how images of the female body are constructed and deconstructed in contemporary work.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFocus on gendered vision:\u003c\/strong\u003e The book illuminates how visual strategies by women artists interrogate male desire and reclaim agency in representation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGeographic breadth:\u003c\/strong\u003e Case studies span post-1989 practices from both sides of the former Iron Curtain, providing comparative perspectives rarely gathered together.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArtist examples:\u003c\/strong\u003e Discussion includes significant figures such as Marina Abramovic and Joanna Rajkowska to illustrate theoretical claims through concrete practice.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMetaphor of the mirror:\u003c\/strong\u003e The sustained use of the looking-glass metaphor gives this study a coherent lens for reading inversion, beauty and ugliness across works.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWho It's For\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReaders 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003ePros \u0026amp; Cons\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePros\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProvides a rigorous theoretical grounding that links Lacan and Baudrillard to contemporary feminist practice.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOffers comparative coverage of artists working across the former Iron Curtain, a valuable regional focus.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUses clear case studies to make abstract ideas tangible and relevant to art historians and cultural theorists.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCons\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eThe book prioritizes argument over image reproduction, so readers expecting many illustrations may be disappointed.\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTitle\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eThe Female Body in the Looking-Glass\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSubtitle\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eContemporary Art, Aesthetics and Genderland\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAuthor\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBasia Sliwinska\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSeries\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eInternational Library of Cultural Studies\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFocus\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGender studies and contemporary women's art\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGeographic scope\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePost-1989 artists from both sides of the former Iron Curtain\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\u003ch2\u003eOur Verdict\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes this book discuss specific artists?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes; it examines the work of post-1989 women artists including Marina Abramovic and Joanna Rajkowska to ground its arguments.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs the book heavily illustrated?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo; the emphasis is on textual analysis and theory rather than numerous large reproductions.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho will benefit most from reading it?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGraduate students, researchers and readers interested in feminist theory, psychoanalysis and contemporary art will find it most useful.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Basia Sliwinska","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48225079296219,"sku":"1788311019","price":36.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0724\/1043\/1707\/files\/81ITGIx4vSL._SL1500.jpg?v=1770752014","url":"https:\/\/gearmusthave.com\/products\/the-female-body-in-the-looking-glass-contemporary-art","provider":"GearMustHave","version":"1.0","type":"link"}