In the performance Semiotics of the Kitchen (1975) by Martha Rosler, she explores the meaning and function of each utensil alphabetically while explaining each item to the audience in a monotone way that progressively becomes more aggressive. Rosler's performance begets the question of who this is for, meaning the audience, and even more so, who the labor in the kitchen is for. Although broad, Rosler's performance speaks to a larger theme surrounding the social implications of domesticity, women, and physical labor while focusing just on the kitchen. She evokes this ideology by further actualizing the environment of the kitchen where food is to be made, and labor is made to be consumed. Through this understanding of Martha Rosler's performance and the societal expectations for women to be domestic,  Martha critiques the oppressive environment of the kitchen and the societal expectations of femininity, domesticity, and the consumption of labor. 

Martha begins the performance by alphabetically explaining each tool in the kitchen, with the physical performance of each tool's function. How they function and how she moves on to the next kitchen utensil or device is integral to this performance's meaning. This is because the function of the tool and the performance of using the tool lets viewers know how she has become naturalized to the mechanics of the kitchens. This speaks to the broader theme surrounding the social implications of femininity and domesticity as women are treated as those who should know the kitchen's mechanics. Her illusion is to portray the silent yet apparent schema amongst society that it is understood for a woman to know the basics of the kitchen and, even more so, be the teacher of the kitchen, the explainer of the kitchen, and the chef all at once. Her monotone expression throughout this showcases her devoid of passion or craving to be a part of the kitchen, yet still being mobilized in the kitchen despite that. Yet her expression towards her environment and her having to explain the basics of the kitchen progresses throughout the piece as she moves from a monotonic voice to a form of passive resistance with heavy irritation fueled by anger. It felt as if Martha's aggression was because of the exhaustive experience of having to explain everything in the kitchen. Martha, in this performance, does not take on the role of the homemaker but is rather forced into the oppressive role of being the domestic. To further exemplify this, Christine Fillipone writes, "She begins the process passively, but gradually her voice escalates with rising anger, revealing the violent frustrations of women confined by the social expectations of domesticity." Thus, Martha showcases this personalized and reactive expression of the oppressive nature of being domestic.

The critique regarding domesticity as it relates to femininity and the consumption of labor comes from the understood nature of the kitchen where food is to be made and the labor that is to be consumed. While Martha does a great deal of showing the performance regarding the mechanics of the kitchen, the environment of the kitchen is integral to the critique of labor, domesticity, and femininity. Kitchens are seen as the heart of the home, or where the true nature of home lies. Yet Martha showcases her passive resistance to the kitchen as the performance progresses she also calls attention to the labor involved in the kitchen. It is not enough for Martha to be the chef or prepare the food, but for everything to be neat and organized. This is seen through the sterile environment of the kitchen throughout the performance, where even the cleanliness of the kitchen becomes an extension of the labor women have to produce. Everything in the performance becomes an extension of how Martha is servicing the viewer and how laborious that becomes through her exhaustion. It speaks to the broader understanding of how women within patriarchies become actualized to their femininity and their roles within society by being in service to the oppressive structure against them. In the article "House Work and Art Work," Helen Molesworth argues that the politicized nature of women to traditionally uphold men through acts of service, in this case, housework, enables the informal understanding that women understand the house and the work surrounding it. For example, "These services have become so naturalized that 'clearly part of the privilege accorded to members of a political body is that their needs, desires, and powers are converted to rights and virtues' where men attain the right of access to the services women are aggressively forced to do, and where women attain the virtue of being a domestic. Thus, through the performance, Martha critiques the laborious nature of women in the kitchen and the mechanics surrounding it as it relates to the exhaustive experience of being a slave to female oppression.

Citations: 

Christine Filippone,“Martha Rosler”

Molenswort Helen “House Work and Art Work”,pg. 75