OUGD501 - Lecture.
The Gaze and the media.
'According to usage and conventions which are at last being questioned but by have'
Hans memling
Blames the woman for the display of her body, because she holds a mirror because she is therefore looking at herself, it is okay for us or others to look at her. The hammer of witches, allows people to prosecute woman as witches, any of those outside the norm. If you drowned you were innocent, if you floated you were guilty.
Fashion magazine.
The device of the mirror appears in contemporary fashion images, we cannot see her eyes or reflection in the mirror. She is pre-occupied by looking at herself, this gives us permission as the viewers to gaze at her too. A moment of spying upon her.
Birth of venus.
The woman in this image is partially covering her eyes, per or post sleep, we are left to regard the named body uninterrupted. We are invited by the artist, but the woman also does not stop us.
Sophie Dahl for opium.
This version of the advert was deemed too sexual for publishing, felt that it was too sexual and wouldnt pass the advertising standard. The advert was then turbed on its side, the advert now had more emphasis on the face rather than the body.
Titan's venus urbino. (1538)
Women looks out of the side of her eyes, a flirty invitation, we are then made to feel we are spying on her. The curtain dictates a personal space. Left hand covering herself modestly or a sexual gesture?
MANET olympia (1863)
- A modern nude.
An example of the slight differences of pose. Similar body position, There is a difference in the woman's gaze. Here there is a challenge to the gaze. Hand position is definite, stopping the viewer from viewing this part of her body. The woman is actually a prostitute, rather than being a mythological figure, she is a modern nude and she has the symbols of wealth, jewellery and a servant. Money is celebrated with this powerful female figure vs mythological woman.
Ingnes 'Le grand Odalisque' (1814)
The gorilla girls took the image and made it into a poster which they put on buses.
Less than 5% of modern artists are woman.
85% of the nudes are female.
MANET Bar at the folies bergeres (1882)
Makes painting as a self portrait. skeud perspective, mirror reflects her back but not as it should do in feel life. Reflected in the mirror behind her is the Paris society, which she is not a part of, from this we are able to depict the tradgedy of the photo, it also highlughts the superficiality of the Parisian culture.
Jeff wall 'Picture for women'
Same position as the previous painting, the image is complex. There is a mirrored wall behind her where he is reflected, image is divided into thirds, camera represents Manet, photographer is separated from female figure. Refers to the use of Manet's painting.
Coward. R. 1984.
The camera in contemporary media has been out to use as an extension of the male gaze at the women on the street.
Model is wearing sunglasses which means that the gaze cannot be returned, we are able to gaze at her without feeling we are being looked back at.
Eva Herzigova (1994)
Looking down at the people below, we are able to survey her without her knowing.
'Peeping tom' (1960)
The problem with objectification of the body results in the ditatchment of who women really are, real women.
The profusion of images which characterises contemporary society could be seen as obsessive distancing of women. A form of voyeurism.
The female body is not the only who is objectified.
He is 'sleeping' we are able to look at the image.
The problem is the volume of images.
In what frequency is objectification evident in ads.
Although male objectification has been increased it is no way balanced.
however this balance does no reflect the POWER balance.
Dolce and Gabbana. (2007)
all our gazes are returned, we are no passive.
Laura Mulberry.
Studies spectatorship in Hollywood cinema.
Looks at the way bodies are chopped up by the camera, framing where if there is a sexual scene, what parts of the body are in close up. Making the body partial removes us from the actress, the females in the films are never the driver os the story, they are reacting passively to the male characters.
In the cinema, one may look without being seen, by those on screen and those in the audience. Facilitate the voyueristic process of objectification of female characters and the identification if the ideal ego on screen.
Women are active and aggressive. Reposition the role of women in art history. The idea of the artist as a genius is always given to a male figure. Making their voices visible. Women are marginalised within masculine discourses of art history.' Women are supposed to be marginalised.
Cindy Sherman (1977-79) Untitled film still #6
Work challenges the gaze.
Image is turned upright so that there is more of a focus on the face.
Holding a mirror, rathern than looking at herself. We are denied the narritive that allows us to look at her without her looking back. There is something staged and awkward looking about the image.
Barbara Kruger (1981) Your gaze hits the side of my face.
Newspaper impression, reference to some sort of violent connotation, of objectifying women by looking at them.
Sarah Lucas 'Eating a bannana'
Pictures herself eating a banana. Humourous work with a strong message, returning the male gaze.
Self portrait with fried eyes - describes women with flat chests. No way that we are allowed to look at her without feeling challenged.
Tracey Emin 'Money photo' 2001.
Work couldnt be real or genuine because she was making so much money out of it, seen as prostitution.
In 2013 we still have page 3, a naked picture in a national newspaper for anybody to see. Caroline Lucas MP in june 2013. Was asked to remove her tshirt, draws attention to the ludicrous acts. The sun itself was availible in palimentry houses. (No more page 3)
It does strike me as irony ans the t shirt is not allowed to be worn, however the newspaper is availiable in different locations of the westminster estate.
Criado-Perez.
Re-instate female figures on bank notes. removing women from history, if they are going to be replaced, replace them with powerful women.
Argued that the equality act 2010 commits public institutions to end discrimination.
recieved up to 50 rape and death threats a day on her twitter account. She was forced to delete her account. There is now a report abuse button.
Lucy Ann-Homes - fought a campaign to get rid of page three, and also received death threats.
Murray ends 77-year wait for British win, Ignores that 30 years ago Virginia won the British title.
Social networking is used ti perpetuate the male gaze.
Susan Sontag.
To photograph something, you are able to have some possesion of something. Like sexual voyuerism, it encourages what is going on to keep on happening.
Paparazzi shot of princess Diana. People desire these images, to see the mask of the celebrity lifted, to see them as ordinary people.
Reality television.
- Big brother appear to offer us a position of power, we see everything and have the descision on who goes and who stays.
There is no active role for the viewer.
contestants are aware of their representation.
The truman show (1988)
Who life is a reality television set. He discovers his world is a sham and everything around him is a staged event.
Big brother offers equality, both men and women but makes voyeurism an everyday activity, they cannot see us, but we can see them.
'Looking is not indifferent. There can never be any question of 'just looking'. Victor Burgin (1982)
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