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Surface ImaginationsCosmetic Surgery, Photography, and Skin |
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A meditation on why surfaces are so profound in the contemporary culture of cosmetic surgery.
Versatile, trendy, and resilient, the global cosmetic surgery industry shows no signs of decline, especially with its promises, not just of aesthetic improvement, but of absolute transformation. Introducing the concept of "surface imagination," Rachel Hurst discusses the fantasy that a change to the exterior will enhance the interior, or that the outside is more significant because it fashions the inside.
Drawing on psychoanalysis, feminist theory, popular culture, the history of medicine, and interviews with women who have undergone cosmetic procedures, Hurst explores the tensions between the two primary surfaces of cosmetic surgery: the photograph and the skin. The photograph, an idealized surface for envisioning the effects of cosmetic surgery, allows for speculation and retouching, predictably and without pain. The skin, on the other hand, is a recalcitrant surface that records the passage of time and heals unpredictably. Ultimately, Hurst argues, the fantasy of surface imagination corroborates the belief that one's body is mutable and controllable, and that control over one's body permits control over one's social, emotional, and mental suffering.
Acknowledging the varied experiences and opinions of the patients interviewed, but also critiquing the promises made by the industry, Surface Imaginations develops an innovative approach to thinking about cosmetic surgical transformations through the seduction of surfaces.
Drawing on psychoanalysis, feminist theory, popular culture, the history of medicine, and interviews with women who have undergone cosmetic procedures, Hurst explores the tensions between the two primary surfaces of cosmetic surgery: the photograph and the skin. The photograph, an idealized surface for envisioning the effects of cosmetic surgery, allows for speculation and retouching, predictably and without pain. The skin, on the other hand, is a recalcitrant surface that records the passage of time and heals unpredictably. Ultimately, Hurst argues, the fantasy of surface imagination corroborates the belief that one's body is mutable and controllable, and that control over one's body permits control over one's social, emotional, and mental suffering.
Acknowledging the varied experiences and opinions of the patients interviewed, but also critiquing the promises made by the industry, Surface Imaginations develops an innovative approach to thinking about cosmetic surgical transformations through the seduction of surfaces.
Details
278 Pages, 6 x 9
13 photos, 2 diagrams, 2 tables
ISBN 9780773546004
November 2015
Formats: Cloth, eBook
“Moving beyond traditional approaches towards cosmetic surgery, Surface Imaginations is a poetic, strong, and innovative study that develops and elaborates on issues of fantasy, photography, and the limitations of the skin.” Kathy Davis, VU University Amsterdam
“Hurst masterfully connects feminist theory, the history of cosmetic surgery in the West, and psychoanalytic theory to discuss the desire of internal change via transformation of the body's surface. As the cosmetic surgery industry continues to grow globally, this timely book contributes to understanding the appeal of cosmetic surgery through surface imaginations.” Women's Studies International Forum
“… a challenging, intimate, and innovative study. Surface Imaginations is a welcome and timely addition to the growing body of works considering cosmetic surgery, bodily transformation, and makeovers. It will also be useful to those interested in innovative social research methods. The rich level of detail, the themes and ideas connected, the variety of voices and sources, the distinctive methodology all combine to create a welcome feeling of going beneath the surface of traditional debates around cosmetic surgery. Hurst succeeds in presenting a politically aware account of the tensions attending the transformative promises and impediments, evoked by the voices and surfaces, comprising cosmetic surgery.” Cultural Sociology
“Rachel Hurst has written an exciting book of particular interest to those of us fascinated by the role of the body in psychic life. The implications of her work, I believe, are far-reaching. In considering the processes of surface imagination in relation to bodily transformations, Hurst may well provide a way to conceptualize the psychological steps leading to the radical surgical actions taken by transsexuals to bring their bodies into conformity with their inner view of their sex and gender, an understanding that can facilitate a more satisfactory gender integration. I recommend this book highly as a springboard for discussions about the dynamics of coping with our patients’ biological housings, and our own as well, within time and over time.” Rosemary H. Balsam, Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association
“Hurst masterfully connects feminist theory, the history of cosmetic surgery in the West, and psychoanalytic theory to discuss the desire of internal change via transformation of the body's surface. As the cosmetic surgery industry continues to grow globally, this timely book contributes to understanding the appeal of cosmetic surgery through surface imaginations.” Women's Studies International Forum
“… a challenging, intimate, and innovative study. Surface Imaginations is a welcome and timely addition to the growing body of works considering cosmetic surgery, bodily transformation, and makeovers. It will also be useful to those interested in innovative social research methods. The rich level of detail, the themes and ideas connected, the variety of voices and sources, the distinctive methodology all combine to create a welcome feeling of going beneath the surface of traditional debates around cosmetic surgery. Hurst succeeds in presenting a politically aware account of the tensions attending the transformative promises and impediments, evoked by the voices and surfaces, comprising cosmetic surgery.” Cultural Sociology
“Rachel Hurst has written an exciting book of particular interest to those of us fascinated by the role of the body in psychic life. The implications of her work, I believe, are far-reaching. In considering the processes of surface imagination in relation to bodily transformations, Hurst may well provide a way to conceptualize the psychological steps leading to the radical surgical actions taken by transsexuals to bring their bodies into conformity with their inner view of their sex and gender, an understanding that can facilitate a more satisfactory gender integration. I recommend this book highly as a springboard for discussions about the dynamics of coping with our patients’ biological housings, and our own as well, within time and over time.” Rosemary H. Balsam, Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association
Rachel Alpha Johnston Hurst is associate professor of women's and gender studies at St Francis Xavier University.
CONTENTS
Figures • vii
Acknowledgments • ix
Preface • xiii
Making Introductions • 3
1 Surface Imaginations • 11
2 From the Quest for Recognition to Surface Imagination Surgery • 42
3 The Photograph as Reminder, Evidence, and Promise • 92
4 The Feminine Skin as Anxious Archipelago • 139
5 Conclusion • 188
Appendix: Interviewees • 201
A Note on the Cover • 203
Notes • 205
Bibliography • 229
Index • 239
Figures • vii
Acknowledgments • ix
Preface • xiii
Making Introductions • 3
1 Surface Imaginations • 11
2 From the Quest for Recognition to Surface Imagination Surgery • 42
3 The Photograph as Reminder, Evidence, and Promise • 92
4 The Feminine Skin as Anxious Archipelago • 139
5 Conclusion • 188
Appendix: Interviewees • 201
A Note on the Cover • 203
Notes • 205
Bibliography • 229
Index • 239
