Barbara Kruger圖文作品之女性意識與身體政治

Abstract

Barbara Kruger的創作隨著女性主義的演變而轉變，她將圖像與文字諷刺性地解構再重構，對日常生活的建構和消費、誘惑和控制的社會機制進行批判性理解。本論文將Kruger的作品分為「性別論述」、「父系霸權」、「主體自我」三大範疇進行探討與分析。

Kruger的圖文作品傳達性別差異是經過文化詮釋過後的意涵，社會性別強制身體變成一個文化符號。男性陽具在父權社會象徵權力，對女性身體的貶損導致意識形態上的統治，刻板印象更有助於製造標準化的主體。在父權社會中，女性是被剝削的對象、可交換的商品，女人被塑造成性慾的對象，在女性氣質的面具下失去自我。軀體美學使身體成為異化的產品、消費的對象，資產階級「苗條的暴政」乃文化標準化女人的強大規訓。身體是權力的鬥爭場域，女性成為規範權利下幽暗沉默的犧牲品。女性應透過書寫向父權的專斷論述宣戰，打破菲勒斯中心話語的統治。

Kruger圖文作品慧黠幽默的諷刺性結合，揭示社會隱而不宣的現實及女性難以啟齒的切身訴求。女性久遭壓抑馴化的身心因與其作品共鳴而遭受撩撥，鬆動制伏僵化身心的銬鐐枷鎖。Kruger女性議題的作品完成階段性的時代任務，極具歷史意義及價值。

Barbara Kruger's works changed with the evolution of feminism. She ironically deconstructed and reconstructed pictures and words, and critically understood the social mechanisms of daily life construction, consumption, seduction and control. This thesis divides Kruger's works into three categories: "gender discourse", "patriarchal hegemony" and "subject self".

Kruger's works with pictures and words convey gender differences which are meanings under cultural interpretation, and gender forces bodies to become cultural symbols. Male phallus symbolizes power in patriarchal society, and disparaging to female body leads to ideological domination. Stereotypes even facilitate to create standardized subjects. In the patriarchal society, women are the exploited objects, exchangeable commodities, and women are shaped into objects of sexual desire, and lost themselves under the mask of femininity. Body aesthetics makes bodies to become alienated products and consuming objects. The "slim tyranny" of bourgeois is a powerful discipline which culturally standardizes women. Bodies are the struggling fields of power, and women become gloomy silent victims under normative rights. Women should declare a war to patriarchy arbitrary discourse through writing to break the rule of Phallogocentric discourse.

The ironic combination of Kruger's works of pictures and words with humor reveals hidden realities of society and women's unspeakable claims. Women's long-repressed and domesticated minds and bodies are swayed by resonating with Kruger's works, therefore the shackles of rigid bodies and minds are loosened. The works of Kruger's feminine issues complete stage tasks, they are full of great historical significance and value.