"As a theory of fascism, Male Fantasies sets forth the jarring- and ultimately horrifying proposition that the fascist is not doing 'something else, but doing what he wants to do. Theweleit insists that we see and not 'read' violence. He forces us to acknowledge that these acts of fascist terror spring from irreducible human desire." from the foreword by barbara ehrenreich
"In the academic family romance, many studies and movements can claim the authorship of Klaus Theweleit. His Male Fantasies—a two-volume German bestseller from the ’70s, published in English by the University of Minnesota Press in 1987 and 1989—was the first in the corridors of scholarship to apply the tools of high literary criticism to all the cultural artifacts in the archive of a given era or concern, right down to the pulp of cheap soldier novels."
ABOUT: As with most things, the meme-ification of a shirt I made whilst at The School of Visual Arts in 2018 began as a happy accident. I silkscreened the first few tees for myself after using Male Fantasies by Klaus Theweleit as a source for my undergraduate thesis. Dasha Nekrosova was my first official customer, and I owe the virality of the shirt to her. Through the proliferation of Male Fantasies selfies, an academic text on masculinity and violence became synonymous (in certain niche online circles) with the visual language of #coquette #pale #redscare #traumacore etc.
As the maker, watching this simple screen printed t-shirt posted and reposted, memed, bootlegged, canceled and uncancelled, was a vital moment in my practice that inspired me to utilize the internet as a stage for digital performance and its users as unwitting participants. Images of myself and others wearing the shirt have a life of their own on social media, and belong to the internet more than they do to me.
BIO: Maggie Dunlap (b. 1995, Washington, D.C.) is an American conceptual artist currently based in Brooklyn, New York and represented by No Gallery. She received her BFA in Visual and Critical Studies from the School of Visual Art in New York City, and her MA in Critical Art Practice from the Royal College of Art in London.
DETAILS: Unisex One Size X-Large Garment dyed Cement color Premium 100% Cotton 14 oz Fleece Pre-shrunk Knit, Cut, Sewn, Finished, Dyed in Los Angeles, CA with a fair-wage workforce
MEASUREMENTS: Approximate with variances due to the garment dye process Length 27" Chest 30.75" Sleeve 22.75"
CARE INSTRUCTIONS: Machine wash cold with like color Tumble dry medium, inside out To reduce energy use, hang dry in the shade
Ships in April.
Category | Art, Culture, Apparel |
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Release Date | 4 June 2024 |
Catalog Number | MD001 |