Reflection of My Issue in Art.

Barbara Kruger. I shop Therefor I Am. 1987. Digital.

This is a powerful image that highlights consumerism.  It makes me as a viewer holistically aware of the idea that the worth of my possessions equates to the worth of myself.

Star Models. You Are Not A Sketch. 2013. Multi-Media.

This image is striking.  It blatantly addresses the fact that fashion illustration is unrealistic.  There are people in this world that maintain the opinion that ‘garments just look better on thinner models.’  This opinion disgusts me.  It encourages an unhealthy standard to be set that can destroy the mind alongside the body.

Matthew Rolston. Barbie VS Reality. 2011. Photography.

This image I loved because I have heard it said that Barbie is an instigator in youth body image issues.  The surgical markings that this woman has drawn over her entire form indicate the alterations she would need to look like the small doll.  What gets me is she is considered a plus-sized model!

Dressmann. Underwear for Perfect Men. 2015. Photography.

This one I think is so important:  men ALSO have body image issues.  And this body-positive campaign is so inspiring.  It not just illustrates the issue; it then presents a positive message to the audience.

Carol Rossetti. Women in English. 2014. Pencil on Paper.

This one is my absolute favourite.  Rossetti is a phenomenal artist who empowers woman by debunking ideas imposed upon us.  She has a whole series of cards illustrating evils women face every single day.  These cards are personalised to a specific character.  Their dispute is identified, and then an incredibly powerful moral firmly stated that feels as if it soothes any hurt caused by the issue.

 

There is a lot of self-image issues, for both me and women.  I am sick of being old that ‘you have to look this way or else you are ugly.’  You could be perfectly healthy and not be skinny enough to fit the description.  Anorexia is almost encouraged by the declining sizes.  Once you get into that size zero, people shame you for fitting idealised proportions.  People fat shame, saying that bigger people are lazy and have no respect for themselves.  Healthy is not an aspired size: it is genuine health.  It is entirely possible they are that size because they have compromised their physicality for their mental health.  But the thing is that no matter what size you are you should be able to wear what you want to, or wear something that makes you feel attractive.  A good designer can make anyone feel good.

 

Photos Sourced: The Art History Archive.  Feminist Art.  (Viewed on 25 May 2016).  Web.

UK Sport Nutrition Store.  Beauty.  (Viewed on 25 May 2016).  Web.

Rivers Research.  Social Responsibility in Fashion Illustration.  (Viewed on 25 May 2016).  Web.

Bustle.  11 Body Positive Photoshoots That Did It Right.  (Viewed on 25 May 2016).  Web.

Facebook.  Carol Rossetti.  (Viewed on 25 May 2016).  Web.

Imaged Fashion VS the Image Self.

Nicholas Mirzoeff explores how effective visual activism is your ability to express and depict your opinions to solidify the importance of your cause.  As a citizen in this global era you are constantly exposed to publication of opinion by mass and social media.

The Fashion Industry is worth multi-trillion dollars globally, driven by consumerism.  They sell you material things that are redundant within a calendar month; replaced by the next trend.  Trends are dictated by what those who run the reigning conglomerates deem attractive.  These trends are advertised by mass media in every mode available.  Advertisements show us products endorsed by celebrities.  Even when a celebrity is not in the media, they are still self-promoting using social media.  Fashion is an inescapable reality.  Even if you detest the industry, you will at some point consume their merchandise.

I have aimed my education at fashion: an industry that has a lot to offer the world.  I believe that clothes are a way to express yourself, but in many ways people are bound by a stigma.  It is imposed upon us that we must look a certain way.  The aesthetics hold an emotional value; the same way a visual text can elicit an emotional response.  If you don’t fit what is on the rack you feel fat.  If it looks bad when you try it on you feel ugly.  Furthermore, the thought of how people will perceive our appearance influences how we feel about ourselves, and how we look.  In turn this inspires consumerism so that we feel more attractive and acceptable.  We are constantly comparing ourselves – and being compared – to the imaged idea of fashion.

Fashion holds the potential to both empower and depress, so I am focusing on the idea of self-image.  It is reflected in the clothes we wear.  It is influenced by Popular Culture.  It is kept relevant by constantly altering the visual representation of ‘attractive.’  The social detriment of fashion is brought about by evident predispositions in advertisement.

 

Texts Referenced:  Mirzoeff, Nicholas.  How to See the World: A Pelican Introduction. Pages 255-298. Print.

The Social Detriment of Fashion.

I want to focus on the social detriment of Fashion.  This is quite a broad one, but my main focus I want to be self-image.  Over the course of this assessment I hope to whittle it down, but I think I don’t mind starting big.

I am a big believer that it is not you, it is the garment.  Once you learn about the components and composition of a garment (such as silhouette, style lines, colour and so on) then it is an easier concept to accept.

I want to explore the projected standards of fashion, those deemed attractive and why.  I want to look at how fashion forces self-reflection, how it affects our sociability, dictates our worth.  I want to know what attention it attracts, and how this attention can induce emotions because you dressed yourself.

Clothes make us conscious of our selves.  How is Fashion socially detrimental?

 

 

Gathering Information.

http://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/1603/the-social-effect-of-clothing

Article about the prejudices, stereotypes and assumptions made on what you are wearing.

https://fashionphotograp.wordpress.com/social-impact-of-fashion-photography/

Blog post exploring the “psychological effects imposed” by general fashion advertised to us.

http://www.debate.org/opinions/does-fashion-influence-culture

Debate about whether or not fashion affects culture.

http://aplus.com/a/dressed-like-gigi-hadid-kendall-jenner-to-prove-fashion-point

Blog post realising that praise is given to celebrities based more on their status and deemed attractiveness than their style.

TEDx Talk by Eva Kruse: a member of the fashion industry.  Eva highlights the issues fashion presents, and actively campaigns for recognition and change.

 

Texts Referenced:  Fibre2Fashion.  Buchanan, Kadence.  The Social Effect of Clothing.  (Viewed on Thursday 17 May 2016).  Web.

Daniel.  The Social Impact of Fashion Photography.  (Viewed on Thursday 17 May 2016).  Web.

Does fashion influence culture?  (Viewed on Thursday 17 May 2016).  Web.

Sauer, Lauren.  I Dressed Like Style Icons to Prove a Point About Fashion.  (Viewed on Thursday 17 May 2016).  Web.

Kruse, Eva.  Changing the world through fashion: Eva Kruse at TEDxCopenhagen.  (Viewed on Thursday 17 May 2016).  Web.

 

 

 

 

Issues.

I have aimed my tertiary education towards Fashion as a subject.  I have a massive love for what I do: designing against a brief, creating a portfolio, turning my scribbles into outcomes, chugging away at my project in the wee hours of the morning.  It’s a lifestyle that I have chosen.  But there are many issues with the industry that I am concerned with; that everyone should be concerned with.  For this brief I will be pursuing something from my subject, so I have made a quick brain dump to spit ball some issues.

 

THE FASHION INDUSTRY.

Social.  The impact that it is personally having, on actual people in their lives.

Racism| Designers will exclusively use certain ethnicity models, or specifically detest even the consideration of a certain ethnicity wearing their clothes.  Prejudices also can affect whether or not a perfectly capable model gets booked.

Feminism| This one is broad, so a few ideas are objectification, over-sexualisation, scandalous mass-produced trends aimed at the younger generation, feeling guilty for dressing a certain way, being blamed for dressing a certain way… sooo many.

Self-Image| Trends are based on a look that has been decided is attractive.  The thing is, the garments are designed for a certain shape and size, then replicated in multiple sizes.  Furthermore, they’re usually originally designed for a petite figure.  Consequently, when you enlarge the design, obviously (though not obvious enough) it will NOT look the same as it did on the model they are advertising.  This inspires thoughts that to look good you have to look like that model, but you don’t.  Don not let people tell you that you have to look a certain way! You do you booboo.  In saying that, just because you can, does not mean you should.  Some people wear trends that are specifically designed for a certain body (or that I feel should not even exist) and it makes me sad.

 

Economic.  There is an insatiable greed that ignores many ethical conducts.

Slave Labour/ Fair Wages| This is basically sacrificing the humanity of workers to turn a better profit.  It is the greed of the western world exploiting those who need the pathetic pay ‘promised,’ but sometimes not received.

Product Sourcing| Materials are being taken from unsustainable sources and not being renewed.  Furthermore, there are unethical practices exercised within the industry.  For instance, geese are being live plucked to make puffers, because they became a trend, and everyone wanted to wear them to look o-some in summer.

 

Environmental.  The industry is unsustainable.

Water| The consumption when treating textiles, even doing laundry and stuff, if phenomenal.  There is a lot of waste during these processes and the water is a lot of the time in not reusable.  It then gets pumped out into the waterways.

Pollution| Factories producing by-products that are affecting he environment it’s in.  Also dumping waste and cast-offs into waterways and that.

Re/Up-Cycling| Actively trying to make a difference by reducing the dumping of materials.  Furthermore, trying to reduce the taking of new materials that could be sourced by recycling.

 

Obviously this is a minute example, and there are many more stances and views.  These are some big issues that I personally care about and a really quick, vague explanation behind each.

 

Mirzoeff’s Visual Activism and Visual Thinking.

Visual texts are dense with information that may not be accompanied by an explanation (Mirzoeff 277).  Visualised data is rapidly becoming a dominant means of global communication.

In his seventh chapter and after-word, Nicholas Mirzoeff explores visual thinking in relation to visual activism, emphasising the word represent.  Visual thought is a combination of critical thought and visual literacy.  Simply put, “new visual thinking” (Mirzoeff 257) asks us what we represent, how do we show what we represent, and who represents us.

Mirzoeff looks at the use of space as a medium.  Maybe it had a resonate meaning behind it that inspires people, or maybe it is a place where people can express themselves – like a canvas.  The main thing is that the space is situated somewhere that you cannot ignore, redefining the term “public space.”

Space does not necessarily physical, though, as Mirzoeff explains how cyber-space presented a platform that allowed people to overcome physical prohibitions (Mirzoeff 262).  Mass media also helped catalyse the adoption of ideologies via “diffusion of the news by Facebook and other forms of peer-to-peer communication” (260).  Publicity is incredibly important to gather support and inform the ignorant.

The idea of visual activism is to campaign for social change using visual text as your mode of communication.  “In the face of domestic censorship and international ignorance” (Mirzoeff 267), who is trying to ignore it, and why should we look.  You must take up a cause, deciding how you will express it, and considering how your campaign will be received (261).

Who are you claiming to be, and what are you claiming to stand for (Mirzoeff 274)?  There is definitely potential for your campaign to encounter criticism in regards to your representation, demonstrated by the “artocracy” (Mirzoeff 261) movement.

 

Effective visual activism is decided by your ability to express and depict your opinions to solidify the importance of your cause.  It will evoke thought; these thoughts will inspire belief of your cause; the belief inspired will incite others to act; and action makes an impact (Mirzoeff 274).

The real question:  is your cause worth it?

 

Texts Referenced:  Mirzoeff, Nicholas.  How to See the World: A Pelican Introduction. Pages 255-298. Print.

T1| My Critical and Contexual Toolkit.

Planning and Preparation.

Types of Planners| I have learnt that I am an Architect Planner, but also evaluated the other types of planners that exist.  This has allowed me to see the positive and detrimental points about the way people including me plan, and use this information to assist me as future reference.  T1b| Thinking, Planning, Writing.

Set Reading and Viewings| The course reader has been incredibly helpful, alongside set reading/viewings.  Annotations and note collation of these prep-texts has been really helpful in grasping a comprehensive knowledge of the given topic.

Lectures| The lectures have been amazing – my personal favourite being the one where we learnt about Pukeahu and the Tomb.  The showed us how contextualisation is important, and gave us helpful tips pertaining to academic writing in regards to our Design Bachelors.

 

Writing Skills.

Helping Me Improve How I Write| I struggled with academic writing: especially conforming to the conventions when attempting to articulate an answer for the question asked.  I think this paper is helping me to improve my academic writing, especially in terms of critical analysis.

Approaching Set Tasks| I really like how the way we have been asked to approach our tasks creates notes that can I can turn into coherent blog posts.  When I annotate readings or viewings, I can look back through my notes and gather the gist of the text.  It makes it a lot easier to write the posts when prompted by good notes, and the posts are what are supposed to prompt the essay.

Citing| This is something that I will definitely take away.  Before this paper I had absolutely no idea how to cite – let alone MLA style.  Citing is so important in academia, so I am glad we were taught how to correctly cite.

 

Content and Visual Analysis Tools.

Context| I have learnt not just the importance of contextualisation when it comes to visual analysis, but also the relevant information you need to critically analyse a visual text.  T1| Context: the Critical Perception of a Visual Text.

Visual World| The power of the visual, the importance of visual literacy and the necessity critical thought in daily life, let alone an Art/Design career path.  T1| Fact Vs Fiction: Your Conviction.

Relevance of World View, Beliefs and Ideologies to my Work| Obviously, everything you are is somehow portrayed in everything you do, but this paper thus far has redefined how everything is interconnected.  It also makes me question the ideas I had about how visual texts affect me and my world.  Furthermore, how my works might affect the world I live in.  T2| Seeing the World.

 

Research and Information Gathering Tools and Protocols.

Library Database| I appreciate the things I have learned in regards to researching in a tertiary institute.  First of all, the library and how to search its databases.  This is going to be so helpful for future research.

EndNote| I have discovered this is also an amazing program.  I actually detested it before I learned how to work it, but once you figure out the logistics, it is amazing.

Sourcing| The other thing was how to gather relevant, verified information, and then use it in a contextualised manner to better your writing.

 

 

T4| Questioning Topic Scentences.

The Absolute used visual texts to prove their Majesty, and convince the common they possessed other-worldly powers for reigning over the masses.  As time passed, people started to question this logic and the hierarchies fell.  After ages of War for power, Popular Culture arose in the wake of WWII’s destruction.  It was a phenomenon that encouraged consumerism via advertisement.  The models that promoted false lifestyles forced reflection upon our own selves, and convinced the masses that to feel worthy they had to amount to the unrealistic expectations portrayed.  Since then we have reached the latest apex of the self-portrait in the form of a Selfie.  In our New Era, instantaneous global connection created by the internet lets us upload, respond and critique the portrayed selves of others.  In uploading selfies, we are actively inviting others to engage in a visual conversation, using our own world views and ethical standings to form opinions of their imaged identities.

 

Texts Referenced:

Mirzoeff, Nicholas.  How to See the World: A Pelican Introduction. Pages 31-69. Print.

T3| Compare and Contrast.

Venn Diagram Generator: http://www.lucidchart.com

Betty Friedan’s book The Feminine Mystique “highlighted Friedan’s view of a coercive and pervasive post-World War II ideology of female domesticity that stifled middle-class women’s opportunities to be anything but homemakers.”

Nicholas Mirzoeff looks at the idea of the Power of Portrait and its affect over history.  He explores how visual text has had the ability to influence ideologies of the author, and the importance of visual literacy in our increasingly visual world.

Don Levy explores the way visual literacy has been created and defined over history, and concludes that “true literacy is realised with the power to tell the difference” between factual and fictional information portrayed visually.

Luke DuBois is an artist who visualises data into “emotionally resonate” pieces to illustrate the reflection of technology upon us and our world.

Mark Osterman looks at the nature of photographic deceit from its invention right up to today.  He illustrates how even before manipulation software photographs were not the whole truth, rather had their own truth.

 

Texts Referenced:

Jewish Women’s Archive. Publication of “The Feminine Mystique” by Betty Friedan.  (Viewed on April 14, 2016) <http://jwa.org/thisweek/feb/17/1963/betty-friedan>.

Mirzoeff, Nicholas.  How to See the World: A Pelican Introduction. Pages 31-69. Print.

Sturken, Marita, and Lisa Cartwright. “Images, Power and Politics”. Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. 16-22. Print.

Levy, Don.  Visual Age. (Viewed on April 25,  2016) <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f09ybYDJoSE>.

DuBois, Mark.  Insightful Human Portraits Made from Data.  (Viewed on May 3, 2016)  <https://www.ted.com/talks/r_luke_dubois_insightful_human_portraits_made_from_data?utm_campaign=ios-share&utm_medium=social&source=email&utm_source=email>.

Osterman, Mark.  A Photographic Truth (Viewed on May 4, 2016)  <https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=uq8JGzZ9ql4>.

T2| Seeing the World.

Your world view is how you view the world around you, and your ideologies determine how you interact with that world.  Myth of photography comes into play when viewing the visual world around you.  The truths you derive from what you are seeing in visual culture are influenced by your prior knowledge and ideologies.

If you were to critically evaluate the producer of a visual text, you would need contextualisation.  Who they are, their belief system, what they are trying to convey or sell, and their moral standings.

For example.

Kardashian, Kim. When you’re like I have nothing to wear LOL. 2016. Instagram Post.

Kim Kardashian is a Reality Star who made her name in scandal.  She is heavily grounded in the material world, flaunting her western views.  She prides herself on her possessions, and her ability to frivolously consume with her wealth.  Furthermore she is a fashionista, producing expensive ranges in an effort to climb the industry and fame ladder.  Kim is part of the industry that I have aimed my tertiary education at, but I detest her ethical and social standings.  She does not directly influence me to go out and consume in order to achieve her status, but she does inspire a lot of critical thought.

If you are pressing an ideology, understand who will view your visual text and the best way to convey your idea.  Dominant world views are normalised every day, and we hardly notice it is even occurring: advertisement encouraging consumption using people who are deemed ‘attractive.’  The idea of advertisement is that you need their product.  Based upon your world views, ideology and the myth of photography, you decide whether or not they have convinced you to adopt their ideology, and buy their product.

 

Texts Referenced:  The Indigenous world view vs. Western world view https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsh-NcZyuiI

T1| Photographic Truth?

There are three main truths in regards to photography:  the photographic truth, the photographer truth, and the audience’s truth.  The photographic truth is the actual content of the photo.  The photographer’s truth is their intentions when composing the photograph.  The audience’s truth is how the audience perceive the photograph, both denoting and connoting the image.

It was argued that the new medium was better at documenting things scientifically, as the artist’s had was subjective, and the machine was objective.  The artist was inclined to create in the mind’s eye, whereas photography was largely up to the apparatus and was considered a “mind-less eye” that needed no skill.

How the photograph is perceived is reliant on contextualisation, and the ability to differentiate the factual evidence from the fictional creations.  From the implementation of photography as a medium there has been deceit – from untrue representation of the subject (even though accurate, back-to-front and off-colour) to retouching negatives, and now manipulation soft wares such as Photoshop.

With selfies, you are not just the subject, but also the curator of the photograph.  You are able to portray the ‘truth’ you would like the image to portray, combining the photographs truth with the photographer’s truth.  In turn, this give you more influence over what you want the audience’s truth to be.  However you will never be able to fully revoke the audience’s power to critically analyse your photo and form their own opinion, only influence it.

Kardashian, Kim. When you’re like I have nothing to wear LOL. 2016. Instagram Post.

Kim K’s selfie riled up the internet, not just because it can be denoted that she is naked.  Her intentions were to portray herself as a confident woman who was proud of her body.  Unfortunately, unless you were pro-Kim, the internet overall deemed the photograph as indecent.  The selfie was taken in her en suite mirror on her cell phone, then uploaded (I assume) immediately to her Instagram.  As Instagram is a world-wide social media platform used by million, the photo was viewed by the masses and spread wide.  Not to mention that she is a celebrity, so she has the ability to influence younger people who are subjected to her actions.  Many of her supporters tried to retort to the negative backlash with naked photographs of themselves, but were met with the same dismay that Kim was.  Kim aimed for her selfie to denote a body without shame, but the audience went on to connote the image as a woman notoriously scandalous undertaking yet another shameless stunt.

 

Texts Referenced:  A Photographic Truth lectured by Mark Osterman https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=uq8JGzZ9ql4

Sturken, Marita, and Lisa Cartwright. “Images, Power and Politics”. Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. 16-22. Print.