Political ARTivism and Queer Theory: Towards a Politicization of Female Autobiography

Abstract

The purpose of queer theory is to challenge normality, not just heterosexuality. The interests of queer theory extend to a more general deconstruction of contemporary social ontology and arise from structures and labels imposed by the dominant culture. My study analyzes the autobiographical visual art of Argentine photographer Gabriela Liffschitz and Chicano artist Laura Aguilar. Both artists parody the male perspective and challenge expectations through their photographic projects. To this end, Liffschitz disrupts the visual convention of the female breast regarded as a sexual object for male appropriation and pleasure, and Aguilar does the same by reassessing the obese female body. I attempt to show the benefits of using the term “queer” to its full potential without restricting its scope of research. Key words: Female autobiography; Gabriela Liffschitz; Laura Aguilar; Queer theory