Contextualizing the Developing Self in Helen Chadwick’s Ego Geometria Sum

Imogen Racz

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    Abstract

    This chapter discusses Helen Chadwick’s autobiographical work Ego Geometria Sum (1982-84) in relation to her reading of Arthur Koestler’s books The Sleepwalkers and Ghost in the Machine, the development and final display of the work, and its artistic and theoretical contexts. The chapter considers how Chadwick united universal ideas with subjective memories, and, in line with postmodernism, destabilised post-Enlightenment notions of self. The installation incorporated ten, emotionally significant objects that represented key stages in her development, onto which she developed photographic collages that conflated past with present, and depicted her performative, adult body engaging with these memory-objects. The development and significance of these and her sophisticated use of visual languages are discussed.

    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationArt and Dance in Dialogue
    Subtitle of host publicationBody, Space, Object
    EditorsImogen Racz, Sarah Whatley, Marie-Louise Crawley, Katerina Paramara
    PublisherPalgrave
    Pages105-124
    Number of pages20
    ISBN (Electronic)978-3-030-44085-5
    ISBN (Print)978-3-030-44084-8, 978-3-030-44087-9
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 8 Nov 2020

    Bibliographical note

    Copyright © and Moral Rights are retained by the author(s) and/ or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This item cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder(s). The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders

    Keywords

    • Helen Chadwick
    • Ego Geometria Sum
    • Koestler
    • Mathematics
    • Memory
    • Identity
    • Objects
    • Sculpture
    • Photography

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    • Art and Dance in Dialogue: Body, Space, Object

      Whatley, S. (Editor), Racz, I. (Editor), Paramana, K. (Editor) & Crawley, M.-L. (Editor), 8 Nov 2020, 1 ed. Palgrave. 265 p.

      Research output: Book/ReportAnthology or Edited Bookpeer-review

      1 Citation (Scopus)
    • Introduction

      Crawley, M.-L. C., Paramana, K., Racz, I. & Whatley, S., 8 Nov 2020, (E-pub ahead of print) Art and Dance in Dialogue: Body, Space, Object. Whatley, S., Racz, I., Paramana, K. & Crawley, M.-L. (eds.). 1 ed. Palgrave, p. 1-15 15 p.

      Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

      Open Access
      File
      1 Citation (Scopus)
      41 Downloads (Pure)
    • Please do not touch: Dancing with the sculptural works of Robert Therrien

      Crawley, M.-L., 8 Nov 2020, Art and Dance in Dialogue: Body, Space, Object. Whatley, S., Racz, I., Paramana, K. & Crawley, M.-L. (eds.). 1 ed. Palgrave, p. 75-89 15 p.

      Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

      Open Access
      File
      1 Citation (Scopus)
      123 Downloads (Pure)

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