Sunday 25 March 2012

Task 5: The Gaze

The Birth of Venus, Alexandre Cabarel (1863)

Eva Herzigova Wonderbra Ad (1994)

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‘according to usage and conventions which are at last being questioned but have by no means been overcome - men act and women appear. Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at’ (Berger 1972, 45, 47) 

Throughout history, men have been the dominant gender in society, with women seen as a means of satisfying men.  For example, the vast majority of nudes in historical art were women, aimed to be admired by men.

Today, the scenario is more or less the same, but with a much different approach.  Whereas historical women were submissive and ever obedient, modern women have developed an authority over men that wasn't present before the mid-20th Century.

The first image, The Birth of Venus by Alexandre Cabarel, is a prime example of a woman appearing.  Her pose signifies submission, allowing herself to be looked upon with no confrontation.  The cherubs surrounding her back up the innocent fantasy of the piece and creates an idealistic portrayal of the perfect women for the ever dominant male presence of the 19th Century.

In contemporary culture, there is more emphasis on the woman watching themselves being looked at.  With the progression of female rights, more opportunities are opening for women and with that, a social equality is being formed.  Modern women are very rarely submissive, like they were in the 19th Century, and have the ability to strike fear into men.  They have become more challenging, they have a stronger presence.

The Wonderbra Ad from 1994 displays Eva Herzigova in very limited clothing, paired with a suggestive strapline.  She is allowing herself to be gazed upon, but also has a stance that evokes power and potential confrontation.  She is stood firmly, showing emotion at her own beauty.  It gives men permission to look, but lets them understand that it is her choice; any risk of detection and the man would feel challenged, under her authority.

The shift in power over the gaze is what separates the two images and eras.  Similarities show in the male gaze on the female body, but the modern woman has the potential to have authority over men - using the gaze.  The fact that men are now being objectified in modern advertising demonstrates the social equality that has been reached, and with that a shift of power with the gaze.

Task 4: Hyperreality

 


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Celebrity status brings with it a range of qualities that the person holds to the public: desirability, envy, something to aspire to - they are perceived as perfection.  Whether they are placed on the front of a high end magazine, photographed on the red carpet of their newest box office hit, or simply snapped in public unaware, they are constantly critiqued on their appearance and the impression they leave on a global scale.  

The advancement of technology over the past 25 years has opened new doors in terms of photographic reproduction and tweaking.  The software available in the present day harbours new techniques; techniques that can be implemented past the initial shot, applied to give the image an added edge that the original simply didn't have.  The act of doctoring images is an example of hyperreality in the media today - an exaggerated form of an original image.

The three images that I have included are the best examples of photographic alteration through digital means, in my opinion.  Before the restoration, Penélope Cruz has prominent wrinkles, George Clooney looks older than he should and Kim Kardashian has visible cellulite.  Regular problems for regular people, it seems.  But these images are rarely seen by the public eye.  It is the latter images that people see on the front of magazines, through self promotion and as a part of corporate advertisements on a worldwide scale.  These images are constantly streamed to the public to give a false perception of celebrity appearance. 

The simulation of celebrity perfection also creates false aspirations, which reflects on personal appearances of the public.  Personal imperfections that are picked up on by members of the public may be present on many celebrities, but are simply airbrushed out prior to public release.