CONSTRUCTION OF THE FEMALE
IDENTITY
This image looks like its in a home in America in the projects. The first thing that caught my eye was the grills in the right mans mouth since they’re not like the usual ones you see these are much bigger, the second thing I immediately notice is the left mans gun fingers imitating some type of aggression to the camera. the whole demeanour of both of them is almost like a gang mentality, both of the men almost share a identity due to wearing similar things with the chain, jeans and shirtless. The right man has tattoos which may symbolise or link to a name, both of these attitudes create fear and intimidate. There teeth in the top corner blocking the mans face, they look like filthy dentures although they are actually George Washingtons denture’s. The colours in the image mostly consist of browns and blacks , the only bit of colour in the image is behind them, which is the wall and the painting. This picture is different from reality because it is staged although it looks very natural and as if she has just walked in and said can I take a picture of you but almost everything has been done on purpose although there are only mini fragments of reality like his tattoos or face since they will be there in reality as to everything else it could be staged and changed, the men only allow us to see what they want to show and can manipulate and disfigure reality in whatever way they please. This image reminds me of the American hood just because of how they are acting and dressed, but I feel that its supposed to make us feel like that, like recognising the stereotype of thinking of black African American men as criminals and create violence in our society, this is proven by things such as police brutality. When most people look at this image including myself I would immediately be intimidated or feel threatened by the appearances of these individuals. The right mans hairstyle caught my eye since it looks as if he has twists but if you look closer its actually been permed straight then curled, I thought this was unique because I had never seen this on a black man before only women and mostly not in modern society.
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Ellen Von Unwerth recreation
What I want to know about my projects
What I want to know about my project is how women act in front of the camera and almost this mask they put on but not just them everyone. Everyone changes themselves in general not just in front of a camera from makeup to dying your hair. I even do this I have piercings, dyed hair and wear makeup but why is this. Makeup helps enhance your appearance and show off your features but at what point does it become too much? are you doing this for yourself or for other people.
How much do you want to document what you see
I want to document real and also staged moments. I will be taking images of my friends in however way I want to present them but if I saw a in particular moment when I'm out or with my friends I may take a candid picture of them which I think matches my theme.
what kind of emotions/ experience do you want the viewer to have
Women are supposed to be all of these different things presentable but not doing too much, pretty but not too much makeup and the list goes on, the pressure to look a certain way is a everyday norm for women. Social media presents women in certain ways in adverts ands tv and paints them out to be something that is not realistic, in movies when women are fighting at war they have a full face of makeup on but what for. the makeup industry is extremely large and is all over platforms such as Tik Tok or youtube and women are constantly being advertise products that simply just aren’t necessary. Men are allowed to be flawed they don’t have to cover up there blemishes or spots with makeup but women just aren’t , women are seen as objects for consumption and have to be a certain way. this is the meaning of my images that I have took, the model is tired of always having to look a certain way for other people not just whatever she wants. She struggles to understand what she really looks like and who she really is since she has slowly changed herself without realising it. I want the girls looking at my photos to feel a sense of relation.
what do you want to share with the veiwer
I want to share with the viewer the pressure of being a woman which consists of multiple things such as motherhood, sisterhood, managing boundaries, external gazes, female stereotypes, school, periods and lots more. there is so much to handle and keep on balance. Women are expected to look attractive but come across as vain or overly confident and I want the viewer look at my images and relate to her with the constant pressure.
What I want to know about my project is how women act in front of the camera and almost this mask they put on but not just them everyone. Everyone changes themselves in general not just in front of a camera from makeup to dying your hair. I even do this I have piercings, dyed hair and wear makeup but why is this. Makeup helps enhance your appearance and show off your features but at what point does it become too much? are you doing this for yourself or for other people.
How much do you want to document what you see
I want to document real and also staged moments. I will be taking images of my friends in however way I want to present them but if I saw a in particular moment when I'm out or with my friends I may take a candid picture of them which I think matches my theme.
what kind of emotions/ experience do you want the viewer to have
Women are supposed to be all of these different things presentable but not doing too much, pretty but not too much makeup and the list goes on, the pressure to look a certain way is a everyday norm for women. Social media presents women in certain ways in adverts ands tv and paints them out to be something that is not realistic, in movies when women are fighting at war they have a full face of makeup on but what for. the makeup industry is extremely large and is all over platforms such as Tik Tok or youtube and women are constantly being advertise products that simply just aren’t necessary. Men are allowed to be flawed they don’t have to cover up there blemishes or spots with makeup but women just aren’t , women are seen as objects for consumption and have to be a certain way. this is the meaning of my images that I have took, the model is tired of always having to look a certain way for other people not just whatever she wants. She struggles to understand what she really looks like and who she really is since she has slowly changed herself without realising it. I want the girls looking at my photos to feel a sense of relation.
what do you want to share with the veiwer
I want to share with the viewer the pressure of being a woman which consists of multiple things such as motherhood, sisterhood, managing boundaries, external gazes, female stereotypes, school, periods and lots more. there is so much to handle and keep on balance. Women are expected to look attractive but come across as vain or overly confident and I want the viewer look at my images and relate to her with the constant pressure.
This is my chosen book called 'GIRL ON GIRL' it's about the female gaze and art and photography of feminity.
''Girl on Girl looks at how women are using photography, the internet and the female gaze to explore self–image and female identity in contemporary art. A new generation of women is taking the art world – online and offline – by storm. In an image–obsessed culture saturated with social media, these 40 artists are using photography and the female gaze to redefine the fields of fashion, art, advertising and photojournalism, making a profound impact on our visual world.'' |