Fashioning the Body: Versions of the Citizen, the Self, and the Subject

When it comes to the writings of Foucault, his numerous use of the same word is not to confuse his audience but to orient them in way that he can use this lone word to emphasize the multiplicity of it’s meaning in the English language.  His use of the word “knowledge” is just one example allowing us to subscribe to the many discourses throughout his first volume of: The History of Sexuality, an Introduction.  Knowledge is said to be a general awareness or possession of information, facts, ideas, truths, or principles learned throughout time or familiarities/understandings gained through experience/study.  Foucault’s use of knowledge is to allocate other such terms like awareness, consciousness, enlightenment, education, science, familiarity and even carnal to promote further exploration for the discourses in which he questions.

Knowledge creates power, education provides for the opportunity for knowledge, but sex is still controversial.  According to Foucault, “what sustains our eagerness to speak of sex in terms of repression is doubtless, this opportunity to speak out against the powers that be, to utter truths and promise bliss, to link together enlightenment, liberation, and manifold pleasures; to pronounce a discourse that combines fervor of knowledge, the determination to change the laws and the longing for the garden of earthly delights.”(Pg. 7)  Meaning, we crave this fantastic illusion of pleasure and satisfaction in private but how we activate it publicly has a negative discretion allowing for the fall of our own sexuality.  To say “sex is free,” holds regulations on society, being it economically, physically, and even mentally.  “On the face of it at least, our civilization possesses no ars erotica.  In return, it is undoubtedly the only civilization to practice a scientia sexualis; or rather, the only civilization to have developed over the centuries procedures for telling the truth of sex which are geared to a form of knowledge-power strictly opposed to the art of initiations and the masterful secret: I have in mind the confession.” (Pg. 58)  The confession promotes the idea of always having to tell someone else of an act worth being judge by an outside party.  The acknowledgement of a certain scenario promotes power over an individual victim.  Ars Erotica is kept in secret; it beholds passion, obsession, desire and an element of fantasy, western civilization does not believe in this, sex must be learned, acknowledged, kept track of and in some circumstances frowned upon.  What Foucault is trying to teach us, is that our knowledge of sex and sexuality should be embraced; it owns us as much as we claim it, our own personally binary creating us as individuals.

Stripper/Balcony Reference 

The Balcony takes form of a simple three step stage in the mystical shape of a trapezoid.  In the rear consisting between two openings in the wall covered by a lengthy red cloth, a mirror sectioned off creating its own 180 degree visual for our center of attention.  Two vertical bars creating the front of this platform and just below our visual enhancement a horizontal bar creating an illusion of flexibility.  Our object of desire for the evening is young, supple, not out of the ordinary, smooth, and round in only ways that seem to enhance the beauty of this form.  She is distant in practice but her movement is rhythmic.  Her strategy seems to create her own individualistic manner but on repeat, for a “V” no matter how faced, is a reminder that formality is never new.  The sights and sounds are creating the illusion of dualism; it’s just you and I in the room.  Flashes of blue, purple, red and white stream from overhead enhancing the soulful, unique, unspoken word of seduction, innocence and the desire that intellectually stimulates our imagination to lust after the view presented for us as an act, or play.  The noise that invokes foot-tapping links her movement to the voice of another quietly disbursed through her lips as her body sways back and forth as if to do the “la la dance,” an erotic hypnosis on her audience.  Swarming an array of dress from top to bottom, she is “a woman, rather young, highly made up and wearing a lace dressing gown.” (pg.7)  Not quite, try again.  Is she, “a woman, young and beautiful, chained, with her wrists bound for her muslin dress is torn, and her breasts are visible and perhaps, standing in front of her is the executioner?” (pg. 13&14)  Her uniform a tease to later reveal a skin in which we all share but for her, this society will be her last until the new form a day, she owes her body to the man who sits below her heel but her mind is hers for the sake of sanity and the nightly game which consumes her lifestyle.  Suddenly a shift to a darker side, her movements become more violent and less traditional.  Her domination seeps from the soles of her boots.  She is in charge, and with a quick glance through the glass, she sees him, for she is, “near him, looking very indifferent, a very beautiful red-haired girl.  Leather corset, leather boots.  Naked with beautiful thighs.  A Fur jacket, she is waiting. So is the man.  He is impatient, and nervous.  The girl is motionless. (pg. 28)  The man toys with this element of fantasy by baiting this young apprentice for her reward.  She takes it like an animal even though her instinct may say otherwise.  That is what she is here to do, to appease those who lack the power of knowledge, for she is not the dog as he is the rodent caught in a chase.  As this dramatic series of interactions play to an end, this stage is now, “a public square, with patches of shadow.  In the background, at some distance, we perceive the façade of the Grand Balcony, the blinds of which are drawn.” (pg. 55)  The exit is that of sweet release as we find ourselves back in reality.  The gentleman’s club is that of his own atmosphere.

The Form of “The Form”

This should only take a few minutes.

Well that’s good.

Ok, first things first, name?

Joe Hansen.

Oh Mr. Joe Hansen.  How old are you Mr. Joe Hansen?

I’m 36, why?

It’s only a question.

Whatever just make it quick!

So Joe, you got a wife?  Huh, maybe some hooligans?

Yeah, I guess her name’s Susan Beam, no kids though.

No kids!  Well that makes this easier.

Does it?

Alright wise guy, where do you reside?

22 Shockingly Lame Blvd.

As we wondered through what appeared to be an oddly shaped community of triple sectioned blue buildings among precisely placed ornaments of bushy, some stout, others where giant green sticks.  The paths were twisty, each curving to a unique destination creating an idea of artistic placement as some were very hard to walk on, and others were soft, consisting of loosely placed tiny pebbles.  Each building seemed to be dressed in a different theme, pieces of paper (multi-colored) attached as if to promote some sort of statement or gathering for perhaps those who occupy this space.  We did come across some bodies coincidently entering these facilities, very secluded and quiet, as if to be on a secret mission, not to glance away from their destination or make any sort of contact with those around them.  The buildings themselves seemed to be aligned in a circular fashion with two sets of these green, yellow and blue boxes, each having their own distinct aroma but its sour stench kept us from peeking inside in spite of the writing above these containers mentioning “Garbage” or “Recycle” and “Mixed Waste.”  Another observation we found were that in the entrances of these buildings, on the one side there was a long piece of wood stretched out on top of a few posts, mostly likely used for sitting, standing, perhaps even dancing, but opposite this structure were metal pipes shaped in a fashion to secure oddly shaped units which we can only assume are used for transportation.  In one instance, we discovered that in one building, occupying the right side seemed to be a group more detail oriented then those on the left, only by which the signs on the door seemed to prove, most likely stating each sex separated by a wall which also seemed to be associated with how these beings walk amongst each other as well.  One on the right and another on the left, this type of technique seemed to be established as common rule without question.