Representing the Subject: an Interdisciplinary Study of Women's Autobiography,self-portraiture, and Autoethography in the Twentiethcentury

1. Representing the Subject explores the work of asample of twentieth century verbal and visual artistswho challenge Western constructions of "the self" and"Woman" in their innovative self-representations. These artists include: Gertrude Stein (1874-1946), Claude Cahun (1894-1954), Zora Neale Hurston(1901-1960), Frida Kahlo (1907-1954), Lyn Hejinian(b. 1941), Gloria Anzaldúa (b. 1942), Cindy Sherman(b. 1954) and Ruth Behar (b. 1956). For many, theabundance of self-representations produced by womenin the twentieth century reinforces the stereotypethat women cannot help being autobiographical. Muchof the work discussed in this book, however, transcends the personal sphere and extends into therealm of cultural critique. Self-representationalworks allow the creator to occupy dual positions, asboth subject and object; this provides a uniqueinsight into the self/Other dynamic that makessubjectivity possible. Representing the Subjectinvestigates how the aforementioned artistsunderstand the constitution of subjectivity, morethan just their particular experience of subjectivity.