Surface Relations: Queer Forms of Asian American Inscrutability

Vivian L. Huang's book Surface Relations explores how Asian and Asian American artists have reworked the stereotype of inscrutability as a form of resistance against racism, feminism, and queer discrimination. Through analyses of diverse works by performance artists, writers, and video, multimedia, and conceptual artists, Huang challenges neoliberal narratives of assimilation and creates new frameworks for affirming Asianness as a source of political and social critique and innovative forms of life and creativity.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 08 November 2022
Publisher: Duke University Press

In Surface Relations, Vivian L. Huang delves into the intricate ways in which Asian and Asian American artists have reimagined the harmful stereotype of inscrutability as a powerful form of resistance against racism, feminism, and queer discrimination. Spanning a period of over five decades, Huang's study explores the pervasive presence of inscrutability in literature, visual culture, and performance art, highlighting how Asian American artists have embraced and repurposed its aesthetics to convey the rich tapestry of Asian American life. Through a comprehensive analysis of diverse works by performance artists such as Tehching Hsieh, Baseera Khan, Emma Sulkowicz, and Tseng Kwong Chi, as well as writers like Kim Fu, Kai Cheng Thom, and Monique Truong, and video, multimedia, and conceptual artists like Laurel Nakadate, Yoko Ono, and Mika Tajima, Huang challenges the dominant neoliberal narratives of assimilation that seek to erase Asianness. By employing sound, touch, and affect, these artists and writers forge innovative frameworks for affirming Asianness as a catalyst for political and social critique, as well as a source of inspiration for new and innovative forms of life and creativity.

Huang's work is a groundbreaking contribution to the field of art history and cultural studies, as it sheds light on the complex and multifaceted ways in which Asian and Asian American artists have resisted marginalization and subjugation. Through their creative expressions, they have challenged the dominant narratives and stereotypes that have perpetuated discrimination and oppression, and have instead offered a vision of a more inclusive and diverse world. Surface Relations is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the role of art in shaping social and political discourse, and in exploring the ways in which artists can use their work to challenge and transform the world around them.

Weight: 358g
Dimension: 152 x 229 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478018995