The Body in Question (Aperture)

Rating:
Summary: Censorship, AIDS, domestic violence, gender, sexuality
Review: Aperture 121, 1990. 24 x 29 cm, paperback, 79 pages. 50 b&w photos, 32 color photos, by Dorit Cypis, Donna Ferrato, Sally Mann, Robert Mapplethorpe, Jock Sturges, David Wojnarowicz, and others. Front cover: "Virginia at 4, 1989" by Sally Mann.

Contents:
The Mirrors of Christer Stromholm, by Nan Richardson
The Fairer Sex, by Jennie Livingston
The Doll, by Patrick McGrath
Aunt Mandy, by Karen Finley
Prodigal Stories: AIDS and Family, by Tom Kalin
David Wojnarowicz's "Sex Series"
Sex Workers, by Synn
Donna Ferrato's Women: Under the Skin
The Right to Depict Children in the Nude, by Allen Ginsberg and Joseph Richey
The Alice Sims Case, by Elizabeth Hess
The Big Chill: Censorship and the Law, by Edward de Grazia
Photography, Pornography and Sexual Politics, by Carole S. Vance
Dorit Cypis: Singing the Body Eclectic, by Mary-Charlotte Domandi
On Our Own, by Herbert Muschamp
Peter Greenaway and the Erotics of Form, by Charles Hagen
Obscure Objects of Desire: The Films of Pedro Almodovar, by Katherine Dieckmann
B's Make Honey, by David Frankel

Comments from the back cover:

"It took editorial guts to publish Aperture's fall 1990 issue, The Body in Question, at a time when a major American museum and its director were being tried on obscenity charges relating to photographs of naken children. The Body in Question was and remains essential reading for anyone involved in criticizing, producing (or reproducing), exhibiting, collecting, or legislating on contemporary art. It raises some of the most important questions of our time -- questions of censorship, of AIDS information, of sexuality and gender, and of that ever-shifting ground, public morality. Repression often breeds overreaction -- an automatic reflex of defending controversial art without necessarily getting the arguments right. The Body in Question is far more thoughtful and focused, showing us again that openness breeds tolerance, the basis of humanity and discovery." -- Anthony Korner, Publisher, Artforum International.

"Every page of The Body in Question helps us to see and think in new ways. The book is a beautiful reminder of how precious it is to see and think for ourselves." -- Leanne Katz, Executive Director, National Coalition Against Censorship.

"The accompanying text leaves no room for misinterpretation: angry, thoughtful essays ... explicate the dangerous times we live in and the necessity of speaking the forbidden.... What [the photographs] tell is, beyond their having a right to visual representation, is that our bodies are tremendously mutable, exuberantly plastic, capable of registering countless pains and pleasures." -- Stacey D'Erasmo, The Village Voice, January 15, 1991.

Back cover summary:
"The arts in this country have come under increasing attack from political and religious leaders concerned that certain works undermine public morality. The current climate of pious outrage endangers a growing range of artistic expression, as self-appointed censors attempt to impose their moral judgments and tastes through political intimidation and legal threats.

"Focusing on censorship, the representation of AIDS, domestic violence, gender, sexuality, and other concerns, The Body in Question is a major contribution to the growing national debade about questions of artistic freedom and personal and societal rights. Much of the photographic work that has recently been attacked is presented here, along with insightful essays about these important and timely questions. The Body in Question throws new light on the issues behind the current furor over artistic expression and censorship."