Critical Writing Index

Explicit But Equal : Toward A New Pornography

by Karen Knights

Video Guide, Dec. 1986, v. 8, no. 4, pp. 6-7

Karen Knights discusses sexual representation in video art. The debate on sexual imagery revolved around defintions of erotica/erotic and pornography/pornographic. Karen writes that we need to re-educate ourselves about sexuality in order to produce explicit sexual imagery that is non-exploitive especially in context with gay males and women. Karen beileves that artists must reach beyond their own immediate art context and open honest discussions within other groups about female sexuality and must act as intermediaries between their visual culture and that of women who have little contact with it. If one is to legitimize new porn and celebrate desire, one must first legitimize sexuality.

ITEM 1986.017 – available for viewing in the Research Centre

Videos, Artworks and Artists Cited

Desert HeartsDonna Dietch

John Greyson

Rodney Werden

Lisa Steele

Kim Tomczak

Richard Fund

Paul Wong