New Books in Critical Theory Angela Dimitrakaki, "Feminism. Art. Capitalism" (Pluto Press, 2026)
May 6, 2026
Angela Dimitrakaki, Professor of contemporary art history and theory at the University of Edinburgh, offers a Marxist feminist lens on art and capitalism. She links capitalism to gendered inequalities in art institutions. Discussion covers realism in teaching, technology’s role in labor and subjectivity, market pressures on artistic practice, and tensions between reform and revolutionary change.
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Feminism Is Shaped By Capitalist Modernity
- Feminist struggles must be situated within capitalism because capitalism shapes desires, institutions, and art markets.
- Angela Dimitrakaki traces feminism's modern configuration to 19th-century capitalist development and argues goals can't be fully realized under capitalism.
Marxist Feminism Explains Gendered Labor Under Capitalism
- Marxist feminism links gendered divisions of labor to capitalist modes of production and reproduction.
- Dimitrakaki emphasizes class, transnational exploitation, and the need to denaturalize gender roles within material conditions.
Use A Marxist Feminist Method In Art Analysis
- Adopt a Marxist feminist framework in art history to reveal what other paradigms overlook.
- Dimitrakaki suggests this method clarifies capitalism's role and shows what is missed by eclectic or fragmented uses of Marxism.
