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

Tags:

• 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.

[enishicz28]

This should be called Autistics of the Kitchen instead

[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

[huskerfreak88]

This gives me insane nightmares...

[huskerfreak88]

@Lowgaen11 By chance at the Sheldon in Lincoln?

[redsummerwings]

i didn't know there were so many weapons in a kitchen :O men, be careful not to offend your wives.

[Lowgaen11]

I saw this at an art museum a few days ago. This woman sounds she might come kill you in the night

[QuoGirl]

After the fork stabbing motion, I knew that this woman was no ordinary kitchen woman. Ice Pick. *stab. stab. stab. stab* oh yeah that's how it works. O_O

[IdrilCarnesir]

woot! for haveing to wirte 5 page paper on this....fun wow!