Inappropriate Bodies Art, Design and Maternity

Epp Buller's and Reeve's anthology showcases an array of rich and diverse work. The three sections, ?Body Politics, ? ?Family Practices? and ?By Design, ? comprise overlapping yet distinct discussions of individual artists, critical theory, personal testaments, interviews and conversations, while employing a multiplicity of approaches to the still controversial discussion of the maternal body in visual art, performance and design. The design section was a revelation to me in its consideration of the constraints placed upon the maternal body in the constructed environment. Inappropriate Bodies is a welcome addition to the as yet under-represented field of maternal studies. -- Myrel Chernick, co-editor, with Jennie Klein, of The M Word: Real Mothers in Contemporary Art With clarity and precision, Inappropriate Bodies allows us to understand the delicate, complex links between maternity and art. While circling around the ideology of appropriateness of maternity, Epp Buller and Reeve unravel the cultural coding that surrounds it in artistic, academic and cultural contexts. The book addresses both art and design practices and explores how the work that they analyse reinforces particular expectations of maternity while implicitly negating non-conforming experiences. This is a necessary, timely collection for all scholars and artists invested in exploring the maternal in the creative context. -- Elena Marchevska, Associate Professor Performance Studies, London South Bank University