Abjection and Representation: An Exploration of Abjection in the Visual Arts, Film and Literature

by Rina Arya

Abjection and Representation is a theoretical investigation of the concept of abjection as expounded by Julia Kristeva in Powers of Horror (1982) and its application in various fields including the visual arts, film and literature. It examines the complexity of the concept and its significance as a cultural category.

Genres: Nonfiction, Art

243 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Justin A Burnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kristeva’s notion of abjection is a tough topic to breach from the outside. I have more than the average reader’s grasp of Lacan, and still The Powers of Horror proved an uphill battle. Arya handles the subject with precision and clarity, and the consistent engagement with Bataille was a delight. I feel ready to take another crack at Kristeva now, and what better metric is there for gauging the success of this book?

[Jakub Adamčík · Rating 4 out of 5]

a well written introduction and overall explanation/guide of Kristeva's abjection, especially in context of arts and media, recommended !