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Portraying Unease : the Art and Politics of Uncomfortable Attachments

Suneson, Ellen LU (2022)
Abstract
Portraying Unease critically discusses a tendency amongst politicized scholars to endow artworks with traits of subversion and political productivity. Artworks that address structural discrimination, such as heterosexism, racism, or ableism, are often described as possessing qualities that can challenge unjust systems or initiate political change. This thesis considers hope and belief in the political utility of visual art in terms of an emotional attachment: an anticipatory emotional bond to a set of promises concerning art’s abilities. It follows the work of five artists: Laura Aguilar (US), T.J. Dedeaux-Norris (US), Sands Murray-Wassink (NE), Jenny Grönvall (SE), and Xandra Ibarra (US), for whom the act of attributing hopes of social or... (More)
Portraying Unease critically discusses a tendency amongst politicized scholars to endow artworks with traits of subversion and political productivity. Artworks that address structural discrimination, such as heterosexism, racism, or ableism, are often described as possessing qualities that can challenge unjust systems or initiate political change. This thesis considers hope and belief in the political utility of visual art in terms of an emotional attachment: an anticipatory emotional bond to a set of promises concerning art’s abilities. It follows the work of five artists: Laura Aguilar (US), T.J. Dedeaux-Norris (US), Sands Murray-Wassink (NE), Jenny Grönvall (SE), and Xandra Ibarra (US), for whom the act of attributing hopes of social or political change to art is portrayed as a source of depression, insecurity, self-doubt, embarrassment, and a sense of being stuck. When one turns to art in search of its potential political efficacy one risks, the author argues, using a framework wherein representations of specific kinds of weaknesses, failures, or institutional attachments become associated with scholarly discomfort or embarrassment. (Less)
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author
supervisor
opponent
  • professor Mathias Danbolt, University of Copenhagen
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
emotional responses, contemporary art, performance art, affect theory, feminist theory, queer feminist theory, visual methodology, embarrassment, attachment, hope, subversion, repair, self-doubt, institutional attachment, institutional promises
pages
227 pages
publisher
Makadam förlag
defense location
LUX C121
defense date
2022-05-27 13:00:00
ISBN
978-91-7061-391-3
978-91-7061-891-8
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
fdd4c8a2-e831-43a6-980b-ce695c42eb46
date added to LUP
2022-04-25 14:21:36
date last changed
2023-03-21 15:33:21
@phdthesis{fdd4c8a2-e831-43a6-980b-ce695c42eb46,
  abstract     = {{Portraying Unease critically discusses a tendency amongst politicized scholars to endow artworks with traits of subversion and political productivity. Artworks that address structural discrimination, such as heterosexism, racism, or ableism, are often described as possessing qualities that can challenge unjust systems or initiate political change. This thesis considers hope and belief in the political utility of visual art in terms of an emotional attachment: an anticipatory emotional bond to a set of promises concerning art’s abilities. It follows the work of five artists: Laura Aguilar (US), T.J. Dedeaux-Norris (US), Sands Murray-Wassink (NE), Jenny Grönvall (SE), and Xandra Ibarra (US), for whom the act of attributing hopes of social or political change to art is portrayed as a source of depression, insecurity, self-doubt, embarrassment, and a sense of being stuck. When one turns to art in search of its potential political efficacy one risks, the author argues, using a framework wherein representations of specific kinds of weaknesses, failures, or institutional attachments become associated with scholarly discomfort or embarrassment.}},
  author       = {{Suneson, Ellen}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-7061-391-3}},
  keywords     = {{emotional responses; contemporary art; performance art; affect theory; feminist theory; queer feminist theory; visual methodology; embarrassment; attachment; hope; subversion; repair; self-doubt; institutional attachment; institutional promises}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Makadam förlag}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  title        = {{Portraying Unease : the Art and Politics of Uncomfortable Attachments}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/117182586/suneson_portraying.pdf}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}