Author: Marc Kristal
Rating: 2.75 / 5 stars
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Favorite Quote: “Like someone removed from suspended animation, Pauline Boty has begun to emerge from the glacial ice of history into a world transformed, a world more ready to receive her message than the one in which he levied. Her story is rich in relevance: to art and politics, sex and free expression, celebrity and popular culture, the possibilities and limitations of mass media, and to the struggle to be a fully actualized woman in societies still suffering from sexual stereotyping and gender equality.” Kristal, Marc. Pauline Boty: British Pop Art’s Sole Sister. Frances Lincoln, 2023, pg. 10.
Review: Thank you to the publisher, Frances Lincoln, and the NetGalley platform for the free e-ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.
This book outlines the life and work of British Pop Artist, Pauline Boty. It genuinely is a nice foundation for folks (like myself) who didn’t know about Boty’s work until reading this book. (My reason for picking this book up is that I’ve been interested in learning more about art as I go on my own art journey and this seemed like a wonderful place to start.) It does try to strike a nice balance between detailing Boty’s life (and thus the inspiration for her work) and the work itself. The pages that include photos of her or prints of her work are also working really well because they provide a nice balance to the text.
However - and this is where the relatively low rating is coming from - the author seems to engage in the same type of behavior that he is also purportedly criticizing - namely, emphasizing Boty’s body and her sexuality instead of her position as a professional and an artist. By referring to Boty as the “Sole SIster '' in the title, the author is positioning Boty on a bit of a pedestal, or, at the very least, distinct from other individuals. And yet - even as the author at times points out how Boty was featured for her beauty or her sexuality throughout her life, the author ultimately ends up doing the same much of the time.
Boty was talented and, per the book, explored a variety of creative endeavors, some more successful than others. She had a vibrant life, both personally and professionally. And yet, much like many of the commentators the author critiqued, he ends up often reducing her to the same qualities she was reduced to during her life. It was disappointing.
About that Quote: I think this quote, aptly found in the book’s description, is what I hoped to find in the book as a whole. In the next paragraph, the author goes on to explore the ways in which Boty’s success was hampered by the people around her and the society she lived in. But, as previously noted, the author often falls into these same narratives.
Are you a fan of Pauline Boty? Do you plan to read Pauline Boty: British Pop Art’s Sole Sister? Share your thoughts below!
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