Feminist substances

Plastics in art of the 1960s and 1970s
Feminist substances considers why and how women artists engaged with plastics as artistic materials in the 1960s and 1970s. Discussing the works of Carla Accardi, Lea Lublin and Alina Szapocznikow, the book explores the feminist potential of these controversial materials, addressing questions of social reproduction, motherhood, desire and illness.
In the art of the 1960s and 1970s, many women artists worked extensively with industrial materials such as plastics, challenging assumptions shaped by the dominant discourse of the period. Feminist Substances shows how their practices offered distinct, gender-aware approaches to synthetic materials, generating new meanings through a feminist lens. Focusing on Europe and Latin America, the book examines the work of Carla Accardi, Lea Lublin and Alina Szapocznikow, combining close analyses of selected artworks with broader reflections on their social contexts. It explores their use of Sicofoil, plexiglass, plastic inflatables, polyester resin and polyurethane foam to address themes central to feminist thought, including social reproduction, motherhood, memory, desire and illness. Moving beyond clichés about plastics as inherently ‘bad’ materials, Feminist Substances considers more complex, entangled ways of engaging with synthetic matter.

UK Delivery:

• Free delivery on all orders of £10 or more.
• £1.49 delivery fee on orders below £10.
• UK orders are shipped via Royal Mail 2nd Class.

International Delivery:

• Flat rate delivery charges vary by country.

Dispatch and Delivery Times:

• All orders are shipped from our warehouse in Northampton, UK as soon as stock is available.
• UK mainland orders typically arrive within 3-7 working days via Royal Mail 2nd Class.
• International estimated delivery times:
• Europe & Channel Islands: 7 to 10 working days
• USA: 7 to 15 working days
• Rest of the World: 9 to 30 working days

View our full delivery infomation here.