Image Analysis 10/10/13 Task 1:
Jeremy Deller, It is what it is, 2009
Marc Quinn, Alison Lapper Pregnant, Olympic Opening Ceremony, 2012
Marc Quinn’s, ‘Alison Lapper Pregnant’ was scaled up from its original size (13 ton marble statue) then placed at the Paralympics opening ceremony in 2012 where it soon became the centerpiece of debate. This image captures a moment that creates a notion of protest (note the people in the foreground holding banners spelling, ‘rights’) which in itself contradicts what one might say Quinn’s initial intention was when he had his piece on show on the Fourth Plynth in Trafalgar square (idea’s of accepting fait and making the most of it). It’s resemblance to that of the Greek marble sculptures that celebrated the wholesome ideal of perfection, to some signifies a modern-day celebration of the disabled. However to others “It shows that we value people for what they are rather than what they achieve. In our era of the politics of identity we seem more interested in celebrating individuals’ fixed and quite accidental attributes – their ethnicity, cultural heritage or in Lapper’s case, her disability – rather than what they have discovered or done in the world outside of their bodies. We prefer victims to heroes.”
The image taken of Jeremy Deller’s piece, ‘It is what it is’ was taken outside of an art gallery in America on his ominous version of the American ‘road trip’ dream. A Dutch activist got in touch with Deller after hearing of his idea from the New York Public Art Body Creative Team. He informed Deller that he had shipped a car wreck from a bomb explosion in a market place in Iraq. Subsequently Deller then drove through America with the wreck towed behind him. Like the opening ceremony image, he provokes discussion and cultural discourse. However Deller concentrates more on the social response, feedback and interaction with society. He brings the art to the people, ‘getting on their level’ as such. Quinn’s piece on the other hand, standing tall at the center of a circular stadium, marks authority, immediately separating the spectator not only because of it’s monstrous size, but the perspective given to the onlooker.
Quinn’s piece has a smooth linear nature, holding true to the classic form depicted by the Greek sculptures’ that idealised their Gods and their pure bodily perfection. Particularly bringing Alexandros of Antioch’s ‘Venus de Milo’ to mind. A marble sculpture where ‘time took it’s toll’ resulting in both her arms falling off. The re-scaled ‘Alison Lapper Pregnant’ seen in this image was an inflated copy. The bulbous, puffed up re-incarnation brings to mind pompous authoritarian characteristics. One could see this to detract from the idea of commemorating the disabled on their achievement but rather bringing forward an actively defensive approach. The people re-enacting protests around the piece, surely suggests suppression, contradicting the purpose of being proud and liberated. Deller’s car wreck however, is a crimpled relock of its past form. Scrunched up and be-littled. Juxtaposing completely to the inflated towering ‘Alison Lapper Pregant’. The rusty remains of the car seem tortured and contorted, creating harsh lines and dark imagery. The rough texture tells a story, one of hardship. Quinn’s piece however, because of the marble white softness, breathes an essence of calm serenity, perhaps holding the notion of acceptance within and perseverance of what nature’s lottery has presented.
Deller’s audience, were the un-expecting every day man – no one went to go see his piece when it was first projected to the public, it was shown to them. It embraced interaction because of it’s removal from an art context, giving a platform of understanding and stripping it of any institute hierarchy. The opening ceremony for the Paralympics held people that travelled far and paid large expenses to see the show. Their excitement, and infectious anticipation for what was to follow will have enabled them to see the ceremony as more of a spectacle. This image on it’s own is seen under a different light. No music, no excitement, it has been exposed and what is left is subject to scrutiny. The image of Deller’s piece shows a moment of it’s journey, and therefore seen in the context Deller instructed and hoped for.
Bibliography:
Jonathan Jones. (2009). How artist Jeremy Deller is bringing the Iraq war home to Americans. Available: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2009/apr/14/jeremy-deller-iraq-war-us. Last accessed 09/10/13.
Brendan O’neill. (2007). Statur of Limitations. Available: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2007/may/17/statueoflimitations. Last accessed 09/10/13.
Lecture Notes: Panopticism 11/10/13
Institutes and Institutional power- Prisons, Factories, The Army, Government, Schools, Hospitals etc
Theorist: Michel Faucault, Books: Madness & Civilisation. Discipline & Punishment
He spekas of a “Disciplinary Society” where the aim is to make a society as productive as possible.
1600’s- The Great Confinement- Before, ‘Mad Men’ were often looked at as the ‘the village idiot’ in a humorous way, and were on show all the time. The attitudes changed towards madness because emphasis on being productive was being put into action. Houses of Confinement were created for- Alcoholics, Criminals, Prostitutes, Madmen etc. They were made to work manual labour for “moral reform”- forced to work to become a better person.
Within a century, houses of confinement were deemed a bad idea because of the negative influences the in-mates had one each other. Asylums emerged and specialist institutes specific to type of ‘problem’. Institutes tried using mind control to better them instead of labour. They were treated like children.
Birth of knowledge specialists- Psychiatry, Medicine, Biology etc. Legitimise the practices of hospitals etc.
When one broke the law they were made examples of to the public to enforce the law by scaring people into behaving. EXample- Guy Folkes.
Foucault’s idea of modern perception of discipline- Kept under surveillance, Control Conduct- This improves performance. He calls this Panopticism. (Based on the Panopticon Architectural Design that a Philosopher- Jeremy Bentham created)
Panoptican- Individual Units looking into a space in the middle- This is called the Institutional ‘Gaze’.
-Sense of being on you own staring out out to authority- a constant reminder of who has power.
-You are permanently on display- sense of being watched 24/7
-Mental training and control
-Can’t measure your experience with anyone else.
– Just you and the face of Institution
– Foucault calls it self controlling because of the Panopticon= Panopticism.
Panoptican is also a meanings of Surveillance, specialists would experiment. Allowed scrutiny. Reforms Prisoners. Helps treat. Society trains.
Examples of modern day panoptic control: Open plan Offices. Open Plan Bars, instead of little private spaces found in old english bars.
Mental control and Physical control created ‘Docile Bodies’ (Obedient’)
SUMMARY: Michel Foucault/ Panopticism as a form of control/ Techniques of the body/ Docile Bodies
Lecture Notes: Gender 10/01/14
-Assumed sex & gender is different
-Sex- Biological appearance/ Gender- The meaning we give to biological differences defined by our culture
Different societies have a set of gender categories. Masculinity/Feminity formed by social cues… behaviour is then adjusted accordingly.
Georgia O’Keefe- Artist speaks of metaphors for female sexuality. Powerful symbolism. Sexuality has a movable line, people are born with their own sexuality regardless of their biological appearance.
Sarah Lucas – Artist does her ‘Messed Up Mattress’ in Sigmund Freud’s old home to break apart his opinions on gender.
Archetypes- Carl Yung- He uses “archaic patterns” to describe archetypes- he calls it “A hysterical Medium”
The Gaze- Originally associated with males (males distancing themselves from females staring at woman as an object) However “Looking is no way neutral”- Behind the lense. This is because females have their part of the gaze. They have a look of knowing. They are aware of being looked at as an object and play up to it.
Look at Marianne Brandt’s photomontages. 1930s
Second wave of feminism: 1960s
-They gained new derogatory stereotypes- “Aggressive, butch, ugly”
Look at Judy Chicago’s- The Dinner Party
-Hyper-sexualisation- Gail Dines… Supersexed: Pop culture’s images if women in our daily landscape is “toxic”.
Task 2: 16/04/14. Essay Comparison: Rosalind Coward’s, ‘The Look’ and Laura Mulvey’s, ‘Visual Please and Narrative Film’.
Both Essays look at the subjectification of women due to the Active male gaze or in R. Cowards terms, ‘The Look’. There are many similarities found in their arguments, however the origins perceived by both vary, as well a slight differences in ideas, outcomes and purpose.
Rosalind Coward firstly comments on the effect our western patriarchal society has on women, and the pressure they feel to match up to societies’ ideals. She comments on the various avenues in which pressure takes it’s form when she states, “Film, photography and Television all offer forms of entertainment and communication based on the circulation of visual images and the meanings conveyed by them.” Like Mulvey she agrees that Men control the Gaze due to dominance in the industries as well as comfort in possessing the more powerful role. However their ideas of origin are slightly differed. Mulvey discusses “The Paradox of phallocentrism” suggesting that a female’s desire to please the Male’s subconscious is intrinsic to the lack of phallus and feeling subjected to castration, thus having to “Make Good” of the situation, and in turn conforming to ideals. R Coward however puts emphasis on her believed fact that men do not posses a natural impulse to scrutinize women, and that it is due to subordination of women as the passive recipients of the gaze that it is this way. She explains that women’s aesthetics is a tool used by our patriarchal society to control women’s sexual behaviour. That men are comfortable in power and subjectification of women is the result, not a born belief as Mulvey implies.
Laura Mulvey’s essay is far more concentrated on film as the main protagonist in reinforcing society’s ideologies. Like R. Coward, Mulvey states, “The Images of woman as (passive) raw material for the (active) gaze of man takes the argument a step further into the structure of representation, adding a further layer demanded by the ideology of the patriarchal order as it is worked out in cinematic form.” When Mulvey speaks of cinema, the term “scopophillia” is often used. Suggesting love of looking in film; when cinema portrays these idealistic perceptions of the female form, the audience, including women takes great pleasure out of doing so. R. Coward strongly opposes this in her argument about Narcissism; she states, “This assertion of women’s greater narcissism has been left largely unchallenged…” In depth she explains at first there is the natural curiosity and fascination of human form of which Mulvey comment on too but then she goes into how there is no self-love in comparing oneself through self-critical eyes, to imagery of the perceived ideal beauty, of which narcissism insinuates.
Both women agree in their essay that men are dominant across professions and thus project their preferred ideals in their work, and so in areas like film and media of which are heavily influential because being image based, reinforce patriarchal order and power. R. Coward in her essay however concentrates more on the inequality and unfairness of the female position, and the effect/damage it has on women. Where as Mulvey looks specifically at film, as a primary source and the visual pleasure in which then so easily imprints on society.
lilyvanlennep 