Abstract
Sounding the Depths a collaborative installation by Pauline Cummins and Louise Walsh, 1992 reclaimed the female body appropriated by the Eight Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland and symbolically opened it up to speak and even laugh in defiance of patriarchal and heteronormative definitions of “woman”. First exhibited in 1992, the artwork was addressed to the silencing of women about abortion and other denigrated bodily experiences in a deeply repressive social and political climate. More recent artworks which challenge how women’s reproductive bodies are controlled by the state evidence the continued relevance of these themes as related to the Irish contexts, North and South. This essay considers how art and contemporary pro-choice arts activism explores ways of “saying the unsayable” when abortion is criminalised, stigmatised and largely experienced secretly and silently, to transform its symbols and discourse.
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages | 73– 93 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| Journal | Irish Studies Review |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2 Jan 2019 |
Fingerprint
Keywords
- Art
- Ireland
- Repeal campaign
- abortion
- feminism
- silence
Cite this
}
Speaking of Silence, Speaking of Art, Abortion and Ireland. / Chan, Suzanna.
In: Irish Studies Review, Vol. 27, No. 1, 02.01.2019, p. 73– 93.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Speaking of Silence, Speaking of Art, Abortion and Ireland
AU - Chan, Suzanna
PY - 2019/1/2
Y1 - 2019/1/2
N2 - Sounding the Depths a collaborative installation by Pauline Cummins and Louise Walsh, 1992 reclaimed the female body appropriated by the Eight Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland and symbolically opened it up to speak and even laugh in defiance of patriarchal and heteronormative definitions of “woman”. First exhibited in 1992, the artwork was addressed to the silencing of women about abortion and other denigrated bodily experiences in a deeply repressive social and political climate. More recent artworks which challenge how women’s reproductive bodies are controlled by the state evidence the continued relevance of these themes as related to the Irish contexts, North and South. This essay considers how art and contemporary pro-choice arts activism explores ways of “saying the unsayable” when abortion is criminalised, stigmatised and largely experienced secretly and silently, to transform its symbols and discourse.
AB - Sounding the Depths a collaborative installation by Pauline Cummins and Louise Walsh, 1992 reclaimed the female body appropriated by the Eight Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland and symbolically opened it up to speak and even laugh in defiance of patriarchal and heteronormative definitions of “woman”. First exhibited in 1992, the artwork was addressed to the silencing of women about abortion and other denigrated bodily experiences in a deeply repressive social and political climate. More recent artworks which challenge how women’s reproductive bodies are controlled by the state evidence the continued relevance of these themes as related to the Irish contexts, North and South. This essay considers how art and contemporary pro-choice arts activism explores ways of “saying the unsayable” when abortion is criminalised, stigmatised and largely experienced secretly and silently, to transform its symbols and discourse.
KW - Art
KW - Ireland
KW - Repeal campaign
KW - abortion
KW - feminism
KW - silence
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85059300904&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://pure.ulster.ac.uk/en/publications/speaking-of-silence-speaking-of-art-abortion-and-ireland
U2 - 10.1080/09670882.2018.1560892
DO - 10.1080/09670882.2018.1560892
M3 - Article
VL - 27
SP - 73
EP - 93
JO - Irish Studies Review
T2 - Irish Studies Review
JF - Irish Studies Review
SN - 0967-0882
IS - 1
ER -