Staeck

Hereisabewilderingcollectionofcuriosofeverydayviolence:pressphotosofstreetfights,nakedvictimsofwar,andtorturedprisonersfollowstagedbody-artpicturesandawidearrayofobjectscoloredbydesire,power,exposureandsurveillance.Withanamethatreferstox-ratedimagesandtheobscene,theworksshowninPornografiemaybefarfromavoyeur'sexpectations.Indeed,itisfilledwithobscenephotos,butasthephilosopherHerbertMarcuseputit:"It'snotthepictureofanakedwomanthat'sobscenebutthatofageneralwhoshowsoffhismedalsearnedinawarofaggression."Thebookisacompleteworkofart,offensiveineverysenseoftheword,andasanartisticmanifestoaboutviolenceinthetwenty-firstcentury,itcouldn'tbeanymorecurrent,especiallygivenmovementslikeactivistart.Pornografiewasfirstpublishedin1971,andhassubsequentlybecomeanoutstandingandtimelessdocumentofpoliticalartwork.