' “Prospeculum” by Porchia consists of quotations from openly available films in which women are humiliated, attacked, raped and murdered by men. Yet careful viewing reveals that this diet of hatred and violence is less unrelenting than it seems to be. For intercut with this are scenes of revenge and even a sequence where a macho man encounters and wakes up alongside a transvestite. This is a serious attempt to make confrontational use of offensive sexual material.'

[LESS]
' “Prospeculum” by Porchia consists of quotations from openly available films in which women are humiliated, attacked, raped and murdered by men. Yet careful viewing reveals that this diet of hatred and violence is less unrelenting than it seems to be. For intercut with this are scenes of revenge and even a sequence where a macho man encounters and wakes up alongside a transvestite. This is a serious attempt to make confrontational use of offensive sexual material.'

‘Does art imitate life, or does life imitate art? Crime and violence will occur with or without the presence of popular culture, but how great an influence are 'action' movies and certain genres of rock and rap music on violent and misogynist attitudes? In the wake of the resurgence of feminist inquiry and in an era of increased awareness of the violence committed against both sexes, Prospeculum addresses the issue of violence in society, with emphasis on the violence against women and raises questions about the roles and definitions associated with male and female as promoted through popular culture in Western society. It examines two main celluloid stereotypes of women - the 'goddess' and the 'slut' - to point out their association with sensational action packed scenes of violence, rape and murder. Women are assumed to be 'loose' if they drink too much, dress or act provocatively, hitch-hike, work as waitresses or barmaids, or stay out late at night. Such behaviour casts doubt on the integrity or virtue of women and they are easily dismissed in the eyes of a judgemental public and in the justice system as being 'deserved' of ill fate such as physical abuse and rape. Prospeculum has previously been displayed as an installation with three monitors set in a false wall papered with blown-up photocopies of news headlines, photos and articles about Los Angeles street gangs, the recent LA riots, the date rape case of Kennedy and some of the mass murderers and serial killers that have plagued the Los Angeles area over the past five years. Its title is derived from the words 'prospect', as in looking to the future and 'speculum', the gynaecological instrument used in examinations. The work surgically extracts explosive murder and sex scenes from popular cinema, then reassembles them into condensed, quick clips of back-to-back action, with a mixed down soundtrack of violent and misogynist rap music. Prospeculum presents fictions and facts as promoted in popular culture in the hope that the viewer will recognise harmful myths, stereotypes and attitudes, and inspect their own beliefs, attitudes and responses to popular cinema and music. Public demand promotes the products marketed. What is the prospect for our future?’

[LESS]
‘Does art imitate life, or does life imitate art? Crime and violence will occur with or without the presence of popular culture, but how great an influence are 'action' movies and certain genres of rock and rap music on violent and misogynist attitudes? In the wake of the resurgence of feminist inquiry and in an era of increased awareness of the violence committed against both sexes, Prospeculum addresses the issue of violence in society, with emphasis on the violence against women and raises questions about the roles and definitions associated with male and female as promoted through popular culture in Western society. It examines two main celluloid stereotypes of women - the 'goddess' and the 'slut' - to point out their association with sensational action packed scenes of violence, rape and murder. Women are assumed to be 'loose' if they drink too much, dress or act provocatively, hitch-hike, work as waitresses or barmaids, or stay out late at night. Such behaviour casts doubt on the integrity or virtue of women and they are easily dismissed in the eyes of a judgemental public and in the justice system as being 'deserved' of ill fate such as physical abuse and rape. Prospeculum has previously been displayed as an installation with three monitors set in a false wall papered with blown-up photocopies of news headlines, photos and articles about Los Angeles street gangs, the recent LA riots, the date rape case of Kennedy and some of the mass murderers and serial killers that have plagued the Los Angeles area over the past five years. Its title is derived from the words 'prospect', as in looking to the future and 'speculum', the gynaecological instrument used in examinations. The work surgically extracts explosive murder and sex scenes from popular cinema, then reassembles them into condensed, quick clips of back-to-back action, with a mixed down soundtrack of violent and misogynist rap music. Prospeculum presents fictions and facts as promoted in popular culture in the hope that the viewer will recognise harmful myths, stereotypes and attitudes, and inspect their own beliefs, attitudes and responses to popular cinema and music. Public demand promotes the products marketed. What is the prospect for our future?’