Iconoclast+Orlan

i·con·o·clast/īˈkänəˌklast/

Noun:

A person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions. A destroyer of images used in religious worship. Is Orlan "iconoclast" in the religious sense? Aside from having people dress like priests, no. But she is certainly an iconoclast in the sense of attacking cherished beliefs -- and she'd probably be offended if you said she wasn't.

Orlan's whole intent was to attack the "institutions" of the view of women -- as objects, as symbols, in their "cherished" roles. Everything she did sought to attack that view. And I feel that the view of women and their role is in fact an "institution." She also is an iconoclast in her method of extrapolating the beauty rituals of other societies. The fact that she even features them probably makes some more traditional members of those cultures cringe and call foul. But she is purposefully stripping them from their context, removing them from the institutions they are rooted in, and having the viewer observe. 

I would comment more on her surgery videos, but since I faint at the sight of blood, I think my eyes were closed most of the time. Sorry.

I'm not sure if I necessarily agree with her methods. I think that the Guerrilla Girls were probably more my speed at getting the feminist message across. While not handling the exact same issues, they certainly had similar aims. On that note, I'm sure you could call the Guerrilla Girls iconoclastic with their art as well. Hell -- if they weren't they wouldn't be very useful would they?

I thought the Lady Gaga video was surprisingly amazing. I have never been one for Lady Gaga, though I appreciate her views on the LGBT community, and the video was actually quite stunning. Once again, it amazes me how much of what we learned in the class, as niche as it may seem at first, is attacking still embedded in our  popular culture.