Collage of Power or Porn?

The Museum of Contemporary Art in LA is featuring an exhibit entitled “WACK! Art and the Feminist Revolution.” The cover of the catalogue for the exhibition, co-published by MIT Press, features a collage by the feminist artist Martha Rosler.

The cover is a collage of photos of nude women taken from various advertisements in men’s magazines. The cover has caused quite a stir—feminists can’t seem to agree on whether the art is degrading or empowering. The women in the photos are in sensual poses, smiling, enticing the viewer. Lorraine Wild, the cover designer, noted that each of these women in a photo by herself was meant to be the object of male desire. But grouped together, the cluster of women seem to be the audience, the viewers instead of the object being viewed. Their smiles that individually express playfulness and invitation, when grouped together, signal mockery, playing with the viewer’s desire.

When I first saw the cover, I found it disturbing, and my first impulse was to shudder at the "carnage," as a commenter on the MoCA blog described. It seemed exploitative. On second glance, it almost seemed too heavy-handed, like the artist was exploiting her own status as a feminist and using it to produce controversial art at the expense of the integrity of the women photographed.

I appreciate the creativity and controversy the art has provoked. I like the discussion taking place among feminists in the art world. I do wish the art didn’t so flagrantly expose so many women, who have already been smeared across the pornographic page. But I am conscious and appreciative of the almost sarcastic tone of the piece—forcing the viewer to redefine what is beautiful, what is enticing. Instead of presenting the models as victims to be pitied, the artist re-contextualizes the purpose for their poses and provides a community of empowerment.

It makes me think that there is more to art than what is seen. The motive of the artist can play a significant role in the interpretation of the art. It doesn’t have to—you can look at this collage and just see naked women. Or you can think about Ms. Rosler, cutting out each image, pasting them all together to show her viewers something that couldn’t be expressed with words. I think that this piece is not meant to be quietly observed. What do you see?