Book Review: Designing Pornotopia

What is it that makes porn ‘porn’? Does Paul Davis hate the human race? Does Rem Koolhaus enjoy shopping? Just a sample of the questions that vex Rick Poyner in his latest collection of essays Designing Pornotopia.

Pornotopia is a term coined by American literary critic Steven Marcus to describe “that vision which regards all of human experience as a series of exclusively sexual events or conveniences”. Rick Poyner uses the word to encompass all the obscenity in contemporary culture such as lads mags, makeover TV and extreme cosmetic surgery. At a time when pornography has become part of mainstream culture Poyner is refreshingly, unfashionably critical of it. Many will find his arguments slightly prude-ish but they are a valuable reminder of the dangers of unconscious consumption of sexist, violent or degrading imagery.

As with his previous collection Obey The Giant the essays are all “Travels in Visual Culture” even if they don’t all fit the book’s theme. Virtually all of the essays have been published but unless you religiously read Eye and Print magazine there will be plenty of interesting reads. Highlights include JG Ballard’s opinion of the many Crash book cover designs; the story of how three lads from the same Manchester art class became famous record industry designers (Saville, Garrett and some other chap named Breeden) and a visit to Terezín – the setting for W.G Sebald’s novel Austerlitz.

David Rainbird
Posted on Thursday, 21st of December 2006 Permalink Comment (2)