Weekly Modules: Castration and Medusa: Orlan’s Art on the Cutting Edge

Weekly Modules Name Course Professor’s Name Due Date The article titled Castration and Medusa: Orlan’s Art on the Cutting Edge discusses and explores an artist by the name of Orlan. The lady who modified her body to convey a new message of what it means to be a woman or even a human being. She challenges the traditionally instituted notions of gender, female body and forces those who see her to rethink of what they thought of when they imagined a woman. She expands the space for her own good and others and she has become the embodiment of personal choice irrespective of societal standards. The author describes her interaction and personal views about Orlan and likens her to Medusa and points out that Orlan forces us to revisit our hard-lined assumptions about art, beauty, gender, identity, and technology. The author concludes that the boundaries of beauty and definitions which we have and have held are not necessarily the only ones. We should expect things that challenge our thoughts and embrace them. The author uses Orlan’s case to highlight the possibility of the things around our world which we have vilified or overlooked because they do not fit the definitions we have of the world. He uses Orlan as an example to show that there is no limit to our own creations. But we must always be prepared to push the boundaries or things around us. The views raised by Knafo with reference to Orlan and her art can be said to be polarizing. Currently, people are divided into two groups. There are conservatives who believe in the world as it is, with the rules in place and with the universal definitions of society and its facets. On the other hand, there are those who believe in defining things and adopting perspectives that lead to more knowledge of the world. Orlan is among the people in the latter group. In her expression of her views, she considers the definition of being human and that of a woman as conservative. Through her image and words, she has chosen to challenge these views and do adopt a stance that rivals the conservative definitions. I find this to be an important piece in this article as it forces the reader to reflect and consider their view or perception of the world. It forces one to take a stand or at least consider where one lies. Looking at the views presented, I can decisively say that I agree with the author in that accepting the world or our circumstances as they are is wrong. People have to learn to challenge the set boundaries because this is the only way to learn about the world and to create new knowledge. In the article titled The Waiting Time of Prostitution: Gynaecology and Temporality in Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s Rue des Moulins, Mary Hunter seeks to explore the tensions between the public, regulated time or police enforced gynaecological inspections on prostitutes in 19th century France and the experiences the victims endured. The article is centered on paintings painted in the 19th century pegged on the humiliating and degrading practice of compelling sex workers and prostitutes to have a gynaecological exam every 8-15 days depending on their social ranking. It was considered a norm and it was framed in law but it was sexual prejudice at its best. The practice was dehumanizing and ha...