fetish

a bit of a laden, perhaps over-determined term and therefore a bit of a hobbyhorse of critical theorists, who could sometimes be more careful to specify what kind of fetish they are talking about exactly. derived from the portuguese feitiço, a term originally used by anthropologists to designate (human-made) objects believed to possess some form of magical or supernatural power over human beings, it was then imported by marx to designate the generalized enchantment of the commodity over nineteenth-century western europe. for marx, the commodity is at first sight a self-evident thing, a material object with an evident use-value, though the analysis of the commodity under the capitalist mode of production “brings out that it is a very strange thing, abounding in metaphysical subtleties and theological niceties”. common usage of the term fetish is however closest to freud’s use of it: for him the fetish is an object (usually a non-sexualized body part) that comes to act as a substitute for another desired but unattainable object, and that therefore becomes an object of (perverse) sexual fixation. the classic examples include shoes/feet, tissues, fabrics, and so forth. in ordinary parlance, we borrow a bit from both marx and freud when we say someone has a fetish for sneakers, gadgets, gizmos, and so forth…

bouche-évier

Posted on 15/01/2012 by marc

name: marc / age: 30 / profession: artist / location: amsterdam / weekday: wednesday / reference: sink stopper, marcel duchamp, 1964. he made it unintentionally, filling in the leaking section of his shower head with lead. it eventually became unusable and he had it cast.

Frederick the cactus makes me happy

Posted on 25/11/2013 by marc

name: Carolina / age: 23 / profession: graphic designer & student / location: Bogotá / weekday: monday / reference: small cactus are important. lego skeleton is a gift from my boyfriend. plants and toys can be friends

Gizmo 2010

Posted on 03/11/2011 by marc

name: Bernardo / age: 28 / profession: artist / location: Amsterdam / weekday: thursday / reference: 2010, 3 polystyrene objects. photography by Thamanta Roeber