i keep studying on frankenstein but also libido. Libido is a paramount keyword of this project so i visited the museum of Freud, a psychoanalyst, who explored libido. the museum didn’t have that useful information as much as i expected. However, i found a book the title is ‘Shame and Sexuality’ in a bookstore of the museum.
This seemed that it has resources i am looking for so i purchased it and started off reading it. This is kind of an academic book, for this reason, its really hard to read for a beginner of english. However, i am trying to think this is also a part of study while i am in London so i am taking my time and reading it. I’m sometimes upset myself because of my English. Its because when i do research of my work i cant think organically and this interrupts to develop my work. In this case, i cant fully understand this book so i might miss some interesting lines i could use as elements of my project. This will be the motivation and the reason why i should not to stop studying English.
For this reason, i made a conclusion that i would not be able to finish the whole book because i cant really read it fast so i focused on few chapters.
i found some interesting elements in the book. The author used ‘The garden of eden’ to interpret sex and shame. Especially, the part talking about the clothes made with the fig leaves was interesting. it says “Sewing together leaves is an act of manufacture through which nature is transformed into culture.” the fig leaves, sewn together, were used to hid both nakedness and shame. i think i can make connection between the scar of Frankenstein and the idea of sewing in this book to visualize this conceptual ideas. however, this is about the genesis story so i have to try not to be lost by religion interpretation. This was one of my weakness and mistakes i made when the first time i started learning art because i tend to be obsessed with in small details.
The book mentioned an artist, Penny Siopis, investigated about ‘shame’. The book says ‘ The initially amorphous liquid process i encourage sets conditions for figuring unspeakable things, taboos, like the still shameful ‘curse’ of menstrual bleeding….’ it seems interesting element because the theme of my work is why sexual desire is consider as unlovely topic in society. I studied in depth and found out that her work is more aimed to talk about childhood memory and feminity. I already found Francis Bacon as my artist inspiration so i don’t think i will take her work as other inspiration.
i felt something child-like spirit from the monster of frankenstien. so i also wanted to talk about innocent spirit of the monster. The thing was i already had to study about the conceptual idea of libido so it could be too much. Besides, it would be hard to make a logical connection between franeknstein, libido, and childlike spirit. However the book says ‘small children are essentially without shame.’ although this is mentioned in terms of infantile sexuality. The idea that children doesn’t feel about shame from sexuality can be connected to the monster’s innocence.
The last chapter was interesting. The chapter approached shame through facial injury ( facial disfigurement) in wartime Britain. The book talks about the absence of mirrors on facial wards for the physical and psychological isolation of patients with facial injuries. This reminds me of one of scenes in a film, I was a teenage Frankenstein.
In the film, the dr Frankenstein locked the monster up while the monster was craving to go around and to meet people. The monster asked him why he cant go out and Dr frankenstein showed the reflection of his face through the mirror. this chapter refer to The Happy Hospital written by Ward Muir. He portrayed patients who have facial injuries ‘gargoyle’ as it is the narrative deformations of Gothic horror which can be connected to Frankenstein. Also the chapter refers to the definition of Geoffrey Harpham : a species of confusion. Besides, it quotes Juila Kristeva’s definition of disgust: disgust is a primary symptom of objection disturbs identity, system, order. What does not respect borders, positions, rules. the in-between, the ambiguous, the compostie.
Furthermore, i found some inspirational photos from people mentioned in the book.
These injuries remind me of the monster’s face in Frankenstein. In the film, the primitive reason why people show hatred toward the monster is his face. Thus, the one who is disgusting based on the definition of Juila Kristeva is mob (people) in the film.
Some twisted face also reminds me of artwork of francis bacon
I think i am going too deep as i concerned like being obsessed with details . I cant work with all of inspiration so i have to choose one and organize it.