Talia Veneruz

Which As You Know Means Violence: Book Review

Written by critic and essayist, Philippa Snow, Which as You Know Means Violence: On Self Injury as Art and Entertainment, critically reflects on famous performance artists who pursued pain and self-injury at the forefront of their practices. Over four sections, Snow explores histories of performance art since its conception during the second wave feminism of the 1970’s, to present day. Snow bridges the conventional criticism of high and low art to locate sadomasochism within arts and culture, referencing a diverse range of figures from Marina Abramović to Johnny Knoxville’s Jackass crew. In doing so, she navigates understandings of gender studies, the body as a psychoanalytic archive, and the development of postmodern anti-aesthetics.