Reflections on the postcolonial and postfeminist in the work of two South African photographers: Jodi Bieber and Zanele Muholi.
Date
2014-06-12
Authors
Thomik, Maxine Gabrielle
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Abstract
The aim of this dissertation is to investigate the extent to which
discourses of postfeminism and postcolonialism inform the reception of
selected portrait photographs by Jodi Bieber and Zanele Muholi. The
dissertation is interested in how cross-cultural and transnational
formations complicate first world feminist notions of a singular,
generalised identity of ‘woman’. I intend to explore whether theories of
postcolonialism and postfeminism allow for more dynamic readings of
their work, as well as how this is represented in the way they portray
women. The dissertation will address the relevance of postcolonialism
and postfeminism in photography and what this theory offers in terms of
the way the images are read. In particular, it will address how the works
of these two artists represent identities of women living outside of the
West, and how this expression of identity can be positioned within
postcolonial and postfeminist theory.