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

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. Rina Arya provides an accessible, systematic and interdisciplinary exposition of abjection in psychoanalysis, the role that it occupies in society and its resonance in different cultural fields. Drawing on the work of Georges Bataille, Mary Douglas and other theorists, the book explores the significance and continuing development of abjection as a cultural code that is of interest to contemporary artists, writers and film theorists. It promotes rigour, intelligibility and cross-disciplinary understanding.

Rina Arya is Reader at the University of Wolverhampton, UK. Her areas of expertise include art theory and post-war art, and she has written extensively on Francis Bacon and Georges Bataille. Previously published works include Francis Bacon: Painting in a Godless World (2012), which was long-listed for the William M. B. Berger Prize for British Art History, and Contemplations of the Spiritual in Art (2013).

Contents
Preface
Introduction
1. Unpacking Abjection
2. A Cultural History of Abjection
3. Recovering the Sacred: The Abject Body
4. Abjection in the Visual Arts
5. The Formless
6. Abjection and Film
7. Abjection in Literature
Concluding Remarks