Revisitando o grotesco: O indefinível como transgressão na arte

Abstract

This article presents an analysis of the grotesque as a transgressive element of artistic canons, norms and dominant discourses, considering different periods in the art history(ies). From its manifestation as an aesthetic category in descriptions of Domus Aurea in fifteenth century to the disordered bodies that confront categorizations in contemporary art, the grotesque is constantly in motion and although it cannot be classified it is immediately identified as provocative. Approaches linking Visual Culture to gender issues and political identities are made by emphasizing works that incorporate the excess, the “abnormal”, the “uncanny”, the ambiguity and other grotesques’ manifestations to break boundaries. The results reveal that the grotesque can be seen as a political strategy in different contexts, including its dialogue with the current proposals of provocation of the dissent in contemporary art.