The desire for space: stains in Zoltan Kluger’s institutional photography

Livnat Konopny-Decleve, Niza Yanay

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

The article studies the construction of Zionist space in Kluger’s institutional photographs in an attempt to understand the ideological desire for space in Zionist imagistic propaganda. The analysis employs Lacanian ‘stains’ as well as strategies of art interpretation to suggest that behind the image of Sisyphean work of men toiling the land stands the Zionist ‘law’ (in contrast to the female jouissance) which comes to signify the Jewish return to history after the fall from divine grace. This paper demonstrates by what means Kluger’s photographs echoed and propagated the Zionist unconscious based on western and Christian desire for eternity and redemption of the land, even if it meant sacrificing the sons in exchange for eternal life and the return to grace.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)53-66
Number of pages14
JournalVisual Studies
Volume34
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2 Jan 2019

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cultural Studies
  • Anthropology
  • Visual Arts and Performing Arts

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