AMust-Read:Vogue,ChicagoReviewofBooks,LiteraryHub“Destinedtobecomeanewclassic...Elkinshattersthetruismsthathaveevolvedaroundfeministthought.“--ChrisKraus,authorofILoveDickandAfterKathyAcker:ALiteraryBiographyWhatkindofartdoesamonstermake?Andwhatifmonsterisaverb?Nounoraverb,theideaisadare:tooverwhelmlimits,toinventourowndefinitionsofbeauty.Inthisdazzlinglyoriginalreassessmentofwomen’sstories,bodies,andart,LaurenElkin--thecelebratedauthorofFl璽neuse--exploresthewaysinwhichfeministartistshavetakenupthechallengeoftheirworkandhowtheynotonlyreactagainstthepatriarchybutredefinetheirownaestheticaims.Howdowetellthetruthaboutourexperiencesasbodies?Whatisthelanguage,whatarethematerials,thatweneedtotranscribethem?Andwhataretheuniquequestionsfacingthoseengagedwithfemalebodies,queerbodies,sickbodies,racializedbodies?Encompassingarichgenealogyofworkacrosstheliteraryandartisticlandscape,Elkinmakesdaringlinksbetweendisparatepointsofreference--amongthemJuliaMargaretCameron’sphotography,KaraWalker’ssilhouettes,VanessaBell’sportraits,EvaHesse’sropesculptures,CaroleeSchneemann’sbodyart,TheresaHakKyungCha’strilingualmasterpieceDICTEE--andstepsintothetraditionofculturalcriticismestablishedbySusanSontag,H矇l癡neCixous,andMaggieNelson.Anerudite,potentexaminationofbeautyandexcess,sentimentandtouch,thepersonalandthepolitical,theambiguousandtheopaque,ArtMonstersisaradicalinterventionthatforcesustoconsiderhowtheideaoftheartmonstermighttransformthewayweimagine--andenact--ourlives.
