Between Gazes

Camelia Elias

Source:

Chris Beasley: What is Feminism, 1999

S.C.U.M. ManifestoS.C.U.M. Manifesto(Society for Cutting Up Men)(Society for Cutting Up Men)

by Valerie Solanasby Valerie Solanas

Life in this society being, at best, an Life in this society being, at best, an utter bore and no aspect of society utter bore and no aspect of society being at all relevant to women, there being at all relevant to women, there remains to civic-minded, responsible, remains to civic-minded, responsible, thrill-seeking females only to thrill-seeking females only to overthrow the government, eliminate overthrow the government, eliminate the money system, institute complete the money system, institute complete automation and destroy the male sex. automation and destroy the male sex.

SCUM MANIFESTOSCUM MANIFESTO Being an incomplete female, the male spends his Being an incomplete female, the male spends his

life attempting to complete himself, to become life attempting to complete himself, to become female. He attempts to do this by constantly female. He attempts to do this by constantly seeking out, fraternizing with and trying to live seeking out, fraternizing with and trying to live through and fuse with the female, and by claiming through and fuse with the female, and by claiming as his own all female characteristics – emotional as his own all female characteristics – emotional strength and independence, forcefulness, strength and independence, forcefulness, dynamism, decisiveness, coolness, objectivity, dynamism, decisiveness, coolness, objectivity, assertiveness, courage, integrity, vitality, intensity, assertiveness, courage, integrity, vitality, intensity, depth of character, grooviness, etc – and projecting depth of character, grooviness, etc – and projecting onto women all male traits – vanity, frivolity, onto women all male traits – vanity, frivolity, triviality, weakness, etc. It should be said, though, triviality, weakness, etc. It should be said, though, that the male has one glaring area of superiority that the male has one glaring area of superiority over the female – public relations. (He has done a over the female – public relations. (He has done a brilliant job of convincing millions of women that brilliant job of convincing millions of women that men are women and women are men). The male men are women and women are men). The male claim that females find fulfillment through claim that females find fulfillment through motherhood and sexuality reflects what males think motherhood and sexuality reflects what males think they'd find fulfilling if they were female. they'd find fulfilling if they were female.

concerns in radical feminismconcerns in radical feminism

pay attention to women’s oppression pay attention to women’s oppression as women as women

recover positive elements in femininityrecover positive elements in femininity celebrate the bodycelebrate the body question notions of:question notions of:

authorshipauthorshipauthorial property authorial property the relationship of art to culturethe relationship of art to culture

Mary Herron Mary Herron

andy warholandy warhol

32 Campbell's Soup Cans32 Campbell's Soup Cans Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles, 1962 Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles, 1962

Warhol’s poetics of the imageWarhol’s poetics of the image

repetition creates iconic imagesrepetition creates iconic images iconic images represent a form of iconic images represent a form of

‘affectless art’‘affectless art’ ‘‘affectless art’ represents affectless art’ represents

detachmentdetachment the collective state of mind replaces the collective state of mind replaces

the sacred and the symbolic the sacred and the symbolic

Warhol as a prophetWarhol as a prophet

““In the future everybody will be In the future everybody will be famous for 15 minutes”famous for 15 minutes”

Revised philosophy: "In the future Revised philosophy: "In the future everyone will be famous for fifteen everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes." I'm bored with that line. I minutes." I'm bored with that line. I never use it anymore. My new line is, never use it anymore. My new line is, "In fifteen minutes everybody will be "In fifteen minutes everybody will be famous.” (1979) famous.” (1979)

I Shot Andy WarholI Shot Andy Warhol, 1996 , 1996 (Mary Herron)(Mary Herron)

contrastscontrasts

personal cause vs. public causepersonal cause vs. public cause the state against the individualthe state against the individual feminists as a collective group vs. feminists as a collective group vs.

free agentsfree agents the idealist vs. the capitalistthe idealist vs. the capitalist man vs. womanman vs. woman

culture vs capitalculture vs capital

the theater (live performance) vs. the the theater (live performance) vs. the virtual (static image)virtual (static image)

the collective vs. the corporatethe collective vs. the corporate resistance vs. complicityresistance vs. complicity the public space of the street the public space of the street

(Solanas’s inner space) vs. the (Solanas’s inner space) vs. the private space of Warhol productions private space of Warhol productions (Warhol’s public persona)(Warhol’s public persona)

auteur art filmsauteur art films

deliberately address the audience as deliberately address the audience as knowledgeable cinemagoers, those knowledgeable cinemagoers, those who understand film techniqueswho understand film techniques

play with difficult expressive codes play with difficult expressive codes such as sharp breaks with story linessuch as sharp breaks with story lines

deliberately mirror the auteur in the deliberately mirror the auteur in the characterscharacters

characteristic featurescharacteristic features

muted and dominant double voicemuted and dominant double voice deep focusdeep focus prevents spectator identificationprevents spectator identification repetitive use of particular elements repetitive use of particular elements

inflections (of voice, images)inflections (of voice, images) intensityintensity camera focus allows women to be camera focus allows women to be

controllers of their spacescontrollers of their spaces synchronic not diachronic chronologysynchronic not diachronic chronology