Semiotics of the Kitchen

Martha Rosler's Semiotics of the Kitchen - 1975

From A to Z, Rosler "shows and tells" the ingredients of the housewife's day, giving us a tour that names and mimics the ordinary with movements more samurai than suburban. Rosler's slashing gesture as she forms the letters of the alphabet in the air with a knife and fork, is a rebel gesture, punching through the "system of harnessed subjectivity" from the inside out.

"I was concerned with something like the notion of Ôlanguage speaking the subject,' and with the transformation of the woman herself into a sign in a system of signs that represent a system of food production, a system of harnessed subjectivity."
—Martha Rosler

Category:

Howto & Style

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• Martha
• Rosler
• Semiotics
• Of
• The
• Kitchen

[evie666]

It is supposed to be boring and tedious, that is the whole damn point of it. It echos the attitudes towards women at that time. It is extremely sarcastic and patronising in how it addresses a woman's role - in the kitchen, nurturing children and generally being treated like a moron. A classic piece of feminist artwork.

[kylekelly123]

@joanebeaudoin perhaps people see what they wanna see thats why everyone interprets art differently, however that doesn't take away from the fact that this woman stabbing a knife into the air like a kid with down's is rediculous and stupid.

[Z3sty367]

This is so fucking funny...i felt bad i couldn't help myself in Class today,i had to look away but hearing her was still too much...Uncontrollable laughter love it!

[giraffemath]

i love the the contrasts. a kitchn is suppose to be warm and inviting yet these tools seems violent and are used to disgard

[MrLukeSensei]

@GenzorX how is it racist? its a feminist piece. It's focusing on gender.

[MrLukeSensei]

@cornstarch27 its from 1975...

[moodringvertigo]

@GenzorX This piece is commenting on the roles of women in the 1960s and not focusing on racial issues! that is just simply not the point. It is boring and tedious to reflect the lives that housewives were expected to live. A woman's role did not involve thought or further examination of her life. Rosler is throwing this in our faces! Its so sarcastic and apparent, really its funny that you wouldn't understand

[cornstarch27]

the sound quality is miserable

[edwdixon5]

I like my "art" simplistic and juvenile, so I love this.

[GenzorX]

@GenzorX They too are still stuck in their own realm and not realizing that others co-exist in their tantrum performance. Neglect is an Artist's worst enemy.

[GenzorX]

I am glad this type of performance art is part of history and no longer exist. We are too smart for these wannabe avant-garde morons to spark a cultural nudge. If you examine closely these type of work were a bit too racists focusing on the stereotype of whites and did not include diversity issues to it's fullest. If they are going to question diversity go for broke.

[Lowgaen11]

@huskerfreak88 Thats it