『 욕망의 지속적 상태 』 에 나타난 캐런 핀리의 여성 성욕에 대한 여성주의적 공연미학 = Karen Finley`s Performance Aesthetics on Female Sexuality in The Constant State of Desire

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The central idea Karen Finley tries to develop in The Constant State of Desire is that female sexuality and biological identity should be defined by women themselves, not by men. In order to define new female sexuality and identity for women, she keeps the focus of her performance aesthetics on strong negation against the conventional performing and narrative mechanism called realism. She challenges and derides realism conventions which have been used for reinforcing male-centered cultural regime. She firmly believes that the conventional realism cunningly strengthens the discourses of dominating culture in representing established gender-class power dynamics. Throughout the performance of The Constant State of Desire, Finley wishes to destroy every tool and representational mechanism for realism conventions in order to represent her own female sexuality both in words and images. Since the conventional representations of female body and sexuality have been contaminated and distorted by patriarchal cultural ideologies, Finley`s work and performance are fully devoted to tearing down male fantasies about female body and sexuality. Grotesque words and obscene scenes themselves are not for the purpose of her performance but just for her tools to express her feminist performance aesthetics. Finley shows great enthusiasm in defining biological identity of her own sex. Exposing her body and pornographic expressions can be her own shocking and aggressive statement for new definitions of female body and sexuality. What she hopes to achieve in her work and performance is to reject the male-fabricated images and words about women and their sexuality. In The Constant State of Desire, Finley`s messages, expressed both in words and scenes, stir up strong fear and criticism from the dominating male-centered culture. However, what she has done in The Constant State of Desire is neither a performance happenings nor a vain symbol. Finley`s themes and aesthetics in the play are now gradually obtaining broad support from various classes.