Emilie Notéris explores postmodern fetishism in new book

Emilie Notéris, born in 1978, is a writer and visual artist. Her book 'Fétichisme postmoderne' examines fetishism through ethnology, Marxist theory, psychoanalysis, and feminism, arguing that capitalist society fetishizes objects more intensely than primitive societies, where objects served as symbols and messengers. In capitalism, objects lack transcendence, creating an addictive relationship. The book also explores how sexual fetishism, as defined by Freud, merges with capitalist fetishism—a shoe is both a commodity and a fetish object. The final section addresses feminist reactions to the fetishization of women's bodies, particularly in cinema, where feminism has struggled to counter this mechanism. Only in art do some artists, like Cindy Sherman, resist commodification by positioning themselves as fetish objects. The book is erudite and well-documented, though the feminist section is criticized for excessive references and unclear personal perspective.