Thesis (MA (VA))--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation investigates forms of excess in representations of the body in specific
examples of contemporary visual art in South Africa and internationally. Representations of
excess are phenomena that have gained increasing prominence in recent art practice both
locally and abroad. The discussion is focused on two artworks that are examples of this
increasing phenomenon of excess in contemporary art: the Swedish video artist Nathalie
Djurberg’s video installation Experimentet (2009), and South African performance artist
Steven Cohen’s film Golgotha (2007-9).
My discussion of the two artworks revolves around the central question: what is the signifying
role of excess in representations of the human body in contemporary visual art? This central
question is asked throughout the dissertation with two aims in mind: firstly, to situate within a
theoretical framework the phenomenon of excess in relation to depictions of the body in
contemporary art; and secondly, to situate my own arts practice within this framework.
The analysis of Djurberg’s Experimentet and Cohen’s Golgotha is spread over four
discussions, each relating to a specific aspect of the representation of excess in relation to
the body. Firstly, I investigate the grotesque body with regards to Mikhail Bakhtin’s notion of
grotesque realism and Jacques Lacan’s psychological notion of the fragmented body, or
corps morcelé. Secondly, I examine the ‘body spectacle’ as a cultural critique of capitalism,
and make specific reference to Cohen’s use of real human skulls as shoes in Golgotha as a
cultural critique of capitalism. In this discussion I also investigate George Bataille’s
philosophical enquiry into the notion of expenditure as a critique of capitalism. The ‘body
spectacle’ is situated in the context of late-twentieth-century theorist Frederic Jameson’s view
of the postmodern and his exposition of the ‘waning of affect’. Thirdly, I investigate excess
and mimesis in representations of the female body, with specific reference to Djurberg’s
Experimentet. Here the discussion is situated within the context of French feminist
psychoanalytical theory with Luce Irigaray’s concept of the role of excess in mimesis. The
study then turns to investigating the experiences elicited in spectators by representations of
excess in relation to the body. I draw from George Bataille’s writings of the function of taboo
and Mikhail Bakhtin’s insistence on the ambivalence of grotesque imagery to explain my own
observations on images of excess. Here I argue, in reference to both Experimentet and
Golgotha, that excess is characterised by the paradoxical stance of being simultaneously
attracted and repulsed. Lastly I discuss my own current art practice with reference to the
theoretical framework outlined here around representations of excess in relation to the body. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie verhandeling ondersoek die voorkoms van oordaad in die uitbeelding van die
menslike liggaam in spesifieke voorbeelde van kontemporêre Suid-Afrikaanse en
internasionale visuele kunswerke. Oordaadsuitbeelding is ‘n verskynsel wat opvallender
voorkom in huidige plaaslike en internasionale kunspraktyke. Die verhandeling fokus primêr
op twee kunswerke ter illustrasie van hierdie verskynsel: die Sweedse videokunstenaar
Natalie Djurberg se video-instellasie Experimentet (2009), en Suid-Afrikaanse ‘performance’-
kunstenaar Steven Cohen se film Golgotha (2007 -9).
My bespreking van die twee kunswerke wentel rondom die sentrale vraag: watter
aanduidende rol speel oordadigheid in uitbeeldings van die menslike liggaam in
kontemporêre visuele kuns? Ter beantwoording van hierdie vraag het hierdie ondersoek ten
doel om, eerstens, die verskynsel van oordaadsuitbeelding van die menslike liggaam in
kontemporêre kuns binne ‘n teoretiese raamwerk te plaas. Ten tweede gaan ek my eie
kunspraktyk binne hierdie raamwerk plaas.
Die oorsig van Djurberg se Experimentet en Cohen se Golgotha word oor vier hoofstukke
versprei. Elke hoofstuk bespreek ‘n spesifieke aspek van oordaadsuitbeelding rakende die
menslike liggaam. Ten eerste bespreek ek die groteske liggaam aan die hand van Mikhail
Bakhtin se idée van groteske realisme en ek verwys ook na Jacques Lacan se
psigoanalitiese idée van die gefragmenteerde liggaam, of corpse morcelé. Die tweede
ondersoek in die verband van oordaadsuitbeelding verwys na die ‘liggaamspektakel’ as
kulturele kritiek op kapitalisme, met spesifieke verwysing na Cohen se gebruik van egte
menslike skedels as skoene in Golgotha. Ek bespreek ook George Bataille se filosofiese
ondersoek na die idée van ‘uitgawe’ as kritiek op kapitalisme. Die ‘liggaamspektakel’ word
geplaas binne die konteks van die laat-twintigste-eeuse teoretikus Frederic Jameson se
opvatting van postmodernisme en sy verduideliking van die afname in gevoelsinhoud. Ten
derde ondersoek ek oordaad en nabootsing in uitbeeldings van die vroulike liggaam, met
spesiefieke verwysing na Djurberg se Experimentet. Hier is die bespreking geplaas in die
konteks van die Franse feministiese psigoanalitiese teorie van Luce Irigaray se konsep van
die rol van oordaad in nabootsing. Die studie verander dan na die ondersoek na die ervarings
wat by die gehoor ontlok word deur die uitbeeldings van oordaad rakende die menslike
liggaam. Ek verduidelik my eie observasies oor oordaadsuitbeelding deur gebruik te maak
van George Bataille se skrywes oor die funksie van taboe, sowel as Mikail Bakhtin se
aandrang op die ambivalensie van groteske beelde. Hier argumenteer ek, met verwysing na
Experimentet en Golgotha, dat oordaad gekenmerk word deur die paradoks van gelyktydige
aantrekking en walging. Ten einde bespreek ek my eie kunspraktyk met verwysing na die
teoretiese raamwerk uiteengesit rondom uitbeeldings van oordaad rakende die liggaam.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/20224 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Engelbrecht, Larita |
| Contributors | Van der Merwe, Hentie, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Visual Arts |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 143 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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