Pornography, erotica, cyberspace and the work of two female artists

Abstract

This article examines pornography and erotica as categories of representation, in which cultural and societal constructions and constrictions define the female body as passive and ‘other’ in relation to the male body. It briefly examines traditional forms of pornography, then contrasts these with the practice of certain contemporary female artists, who use pornography and cyberpornography to subvert these constrictions and to suggest more liberating representations of the female gender and sexuality. It argues that cyberspace and virtual reality, in enabling the construction of dematerialised bodies, might offer a means for female artists to liberate their bodies from cultural stereotypes in their production of erotic art.Hierdie artikel ondersoek pornografie en die erotiek binne ‘n kategorie van representasie wat kulturele en sosiale konstruksies en konstriksies van die vroue liggaam definieer as die ‘ander’ of passief teenoor die manlike liggaam. Kortliks ondersoek die artikel tradisionele vorme van pornografie en kontrasteer dit dan met die werk van sekere vroue kunstenaars wat pornografie en ‘cyber’-pornografie [kuberpornografie] gebruik om hierdie beperkinge te bevraagteken ten doel om ‘n meer vrystellende representasie van vroulike seksualiteit en geslag te suggereer. Dit ondersoek die moontlikhede wat die virtuele vroue liggaam aan erotiese vroue kunstenaars gee om hulle liggame vry te stel van die bestaande kulturele stereotipes.