Feminists have been justifiably wary of popular culture for its commercially driven need to cultivate the kind of desire and dissatisfaction that lead to conformity and consumption.

But, the feminist movement itself has historically been dedicated to the cultivation of desire and dissatisfaction--in its own case, leading to dissent.

As such, contrary to stereotypes, it should be unsurprising that popular culture should be tapped by a feminist movement that has always sought to inspire broad cultural change.

Using examples from 19th-century pin-ups to the contemporary art world, in this lecture Dr. Buszek will address what photographer Catherine Opie recently defended as "the potential of desire" in feminist art and art scholarship.

Maria Buszek, Ph.D. is a critic, curator, and Assistant Professor of Art History at the Kansas City Art Institute where she teaches Modern and contemporary art. Her recent publications include the book Pin-Up Grrrls: Feminism, Sexuality, Popular Culture; contributions to the anthologies Blaze: Discourse on Art, Women, and Feminism and It's Time for Action, There's No Option: About Feminism; catalogue essays for Gagosian Gallery, Migros Museum of Contemporary Art, and Grand Arts; and articles in Art in America, Photography Quarterly, Woman's Art Journal, and TDR: The Journal of Performance Studies.

Dr. Buszek has also been a regular contributor to the popular journal BUST since 1999.

This event is free and open to the public.

For more information, please contact: Elissa Auerbach at 478-445-0808, elissa.auerbach@gcsu.edu