Victoria Pitts

Both fascinating and frightening, Pitts' look at body modification and the surrounding cultural politics is both encompassing and detailed enough to provide various case studies and examples. While her chapters sometimes seem clouded with theoretical terms, each discussion is then made concrete with specifics and detailed case studies that clarify the theory and politics surrounding each subject. As a whole, each chapter then works as a focused and critical discussion. The topics under consideration include (among others): body art technologies, body politics, feminist debates around body modifications, tattoos and piercings, modern primitivism, cyberpunk, bio-medicine, implants, cosmetic surgery, and body modifications of all kinds (from the most pedestrian to the most extreme), along with their intersections and relations with subcultures such as S/M and punk.

As a whole, Pitts' study is comprehensive and worth pursuing for anyone interested in the topics under discussion. Her inclusion of debates (and counter-points) make for a well-rounded overview that outlines objective ground while still clearly showing the more subjective concerns that she holds, as well as the concerns and voices made clear by those directly engaged in body modifications.

If you're interested, this is indeed absolutely recommended.… (mer)