Pornography , erotica , cyberspace and the work of two female

This article examines pornography and erotica as categories of representation, in which cultural and societal constructions and constrictions define the female body as passive and ‘other’ in relation to the male body. It briefly examines traditional forms of pornography, then contrasts these with the practice of certain contemporary female artists, who use pornography and cyberpornography to subvert these constrictions and to suggest more liberating representations of the female gender and sexuality. It argues that cyberspace and virtual reality, in enabling the construction of dematerialised bodies, might offer a means for female artists to liberate their bodies from cultural stereotypes in their production of erotic art.