The Gaze Part 1 - Feminism; The Body and Gender

The Gaze Part 1 -  The Body and Gender Week 4 - 23/03/2010

I found this weeks lecture very interesting and really enjoyed learning about scopophilia and voyeurism in art. Learning about the 'male gaze', and how body and gender are displayed in different art works, really opened my eyes to see how much the feminist movement, has had a significant effect on art. I have never really looked at art in this way before, or ever thought about the way that body and gender are used. It was fascinating to see how the ideas and the rules behind those ideas have slowly changed over the years, as more artists have explored different ways of looking at gender, and in some ways pushed the boundaries of what was the natural order for so long.

In the second half of the lecture we watched a few scenes from Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo". Produced in 1958, Vertigo is a psychological thriller that is a product of it's time, and is a good illustration of the 'male gaze' and how women are portrayed in film. The film is about a retired police detective, who has acrophobia, and is hired as a private investigator to follow the wife of an acquaintance to uncover the mystery of her peculiar behavior. Detective John "Scottie" Ferguson develops acrophobia (the fear of heights) after he witnesses a police officer fall to his death during a police chase across the rooftops of San Francisco. (wikipedia.org)

There were are lot of examples of the 'gaze' that I found throughout the film. I had fun unpacking the few scenes we watched, because I would have never looked at or even noticed what was going on beforehand. I have never really looked at the feminist movement and its effects on art and film before. This is because I have grown up in a society that is mainly 'male gaze' focused and has always thought this way, so I have never really known any different.

In Hitchcock's "Vertigo", the woman is the focus and the 'gaze' of the film, but from a distance. In the scenes that I saw, eye contact with the woman does not occur, which shows how the woman is merely the object to be gazed upon. She does not have a personality in the film, and is merely the object that appears in the detectives 'gaze'. She is the object to be acted upon by the subject, or the detective. In the beginning of the scene, when she is at the restaurant with her husband, all we see are profile shots, she never looks directly at the camera. This can be seen in a lot of the art pieces that we discussed earlier in the lecture. Although the work we saw showed progression and change over time, a lot of the earlier works we looked at did not show any eye contact and merely showed an objectified image to be gazed upon. The lack of eye contact from her in this scene confirms that, but it also has a teasing and almost frustrating element to it because, we are seeing her through the eyes of the detective. He sees her beauty, and wants to see the full image, but because he is supposed to be following her, he cannot and has to keep looking away to remain conspicuous. Gazing at a person in a piece of art work seems different than gazing at someone in film. Film is more realistic and more intimate. We are imbedded in the story, and are taken in as if we are in the film itself. Because film is more real, it feels almost wrong to gaze upon someone without seeing the full person, without knowing the person.

This movie typifies the 'male gaze', because we are seeing through the detectives eyes. We see most scenes from his perspective and point of view. The whole storyline is following him, even though the woman is the main focus.

Although we do not see much of the woman's full image, she can be observed fully by the detective and the viewers in the flower shop scene. We are again seeing through the detectives eyes as he gazes at her from behind the door. This is an interesting scene because there is one part of it where it shows a reflection of the woman in a mirror, which splits the screen so we can see both of them next to each other. This clearly shows the contrast between gender. The detective is in dark lighting, with dark shadows. It shows him wearing dark clothing and which emphasises the stereotypical harsh, hard, masculinity of the male gender. In contrast, the woman is seen in very soft and bright lighting. She is wearing light colours and is in a setting that has lots of pastel colours, lots of flowers, and is altogether light and lovely. This also emphasises the often expected way of looking at the female. Even the music comes into play and adds to the overall effect. When focused on the detective, the music is louder, harsher, and seems to have more of a dramatic sound, whereas, when focused on the woman, the music is softer, more feminine and mysterious.

The scene at the museum is interesting because it begins by playing with the viewer's perspective in a circular motion. The view starts off looking at the detective, who then takes us to look at the woman, who is looking at the painting on the wall. This painting is then looking straight back at the detective. The woman is mimicking the painting, by the way that she is sitting, she has flowers that are exactly the same type as seen in the painting and her hair is styled in a circular bun exactly like the woman in the painting. In this scene we get the feeling that the detective is uncomfortable. All this time he has been following her, he has been inconspicuous, and although the woman does not look back, the woman in the painting itself is staring directly at him in a very stern and provocative way. Because the woman herself in mimicking the lady in the painting, it is almost like she is staring at him through the painting.

We also discussed in class how circular things are often seen and referred to in Hitchcock's work. This scene at the museum represents the title and meaning behind Vertigo, because everything is circular, even her hair has a circular motion to it. The circular motion of her hair creates a whirlpool, which represents how the detective may feel when he is at a vertical height. In a 2004 special issue by "Sight & Sound devoted to Film Music", it says "Hitchcock's film is about obsession, which means that it's about circling back to the same moment, again and again ... even the music is also built around spirals and circles, fulfillment and despair." (hitchcock.tv/essays/vertigoessay)

Overall, it was a very fascinating lecture and has opened my eyes to look at art and films in another light. I very much enjoyed unpacking the different art works from different time periods, and enjoyed comparing them to how gender and body are seen today. It will be interesting to see where our 'gaze' and the ideals of gender and body portrayed in art, will be in another ten years.

Bibliography:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertigo_(film)
http://hitchcock.tv/essays/vertigoessay.html

"Unpacking My Library" Exhibition Visit

Te Tuhi Centre For the Arts,    Week Three - 16/03/2010

"I am unpacking my library. Yes, I am. The books are not yet on the shelves, not yet touched by the mild boredom of order. I cannot march up and down their ranks to pass them in review before a friendly audience. You need not fear any of that. Instead, I must ask you to join me in the disorder of crates that have been wrenched open, the air saturated with the dust of wood, the floor covered with torn paper, to join me among piles of volumes that are seeking daylight again after two years of darkness, so that you may be ready to share with me a bit of the mood - it is certainly not an elegiac mood but, rather, one of anticipation - which these books arouse in the genuine collector. " - Excerpt from Walter Benjamin, "Unpacking my Library: A Talk about Book Collecting," in Illuminations; Essays and Reflections, Engl. trans. (London: Fontana, 1982), pp.59.

Walter Benjamin goes on to say, “...What I am really concerned with is giving you some insight into the relationship of a book collector to his possessions, into collecting rather than a collection.” Benjamin argues that in a detailed collection certain traits of the collector will be revealed. His invitation into his unpacked library is an invitation to enter a collector's mind - to dwell upon what the order and disorder of collections reveals about their gatherers. (danitorres.typepad.com)

Using Walter Benjamin's text as a platform, the Te Tuhi exhibition, 'Unpacking My Library', looks at expanded approaches to collecting. Like Benjamin's text, the displays take interest in the process of collecting, as much as the content of each collection. The works displayed in this exhibition, show different approaches and ideas to collecting. The exhibition also presents both artists who actively explore collecting as a daily practice, and artists who reflect on pre-existing systems of collating and organising objects. (tetuhi.org.nz)

One of the displays that showed pre-existing collecting was that of London based artist Elizabeth McAlpine, who's ongoing project "Found Time: Big Ben" attempts to represent every minute of a twelve hour period through existing postcards of Big Ben. Each hour of time is framed individually with the missing minutes left as blanks. This also clearly shows the process of actively explore collecting as a daily practice.

This particular art work plays on time, as she has structured the work in Perspex squares that are 12 high and 60 long. The postcards that she has collected are placed in order of time according to what is on Big Ben in each image. Elizabeth's work is a form of conceptual art. Her concept is ordering time, this order creates the artwork. The fact that there are empty spaces that she still has to fill, creates an ongoing concept of collection.

When I first glanced at this work, I was confused, as well as a bit bored. Staring at a wall full of old post cards, which seemed to be all over the place and in no particular order did not exactly draw me in. But when listening to the story behind the work, I became fascinated. By unpacking the work, and discovering her process of collection, I was able to really grasp a sense of her direction and what she wanted to achieve. Instead of a confusing bunch of postcards stuck on a wall, the work suddenly made sense, and became a very intellectual and clever piece of art work. "Found Time: Big Ben" ended up being my favourite display in the whole exhibition.

When researching Elizabeth McAlpine, I found out that she works mainly with time-based media and that she describes her working practice as 'close to geology'. Often in her work she tracks the repetitions and gestures found in popular media. She extracts pieces of found material from archives, and repositions them in a way that reveals patterns and associations that we would never have considered before. (elizabethmcalpine.com)

Another very clever example of some of her work is, "Quintent". "This is a sound installation of spliced together coloured vinyl records that, whilst rotating, generate the illusion of three dimensional dynamic objects. Her selection of records, based purely on colour, work as an audio-collage, that jumps from one track to another, just as the viewers eye jumps from spinning colour to moving object."(spacex.co.uk)

Elizabeth has based this work on Marcel Duchamp's "Circular Painted Disks that Rotate" (1920's). "In this work she addresses Duchamp's theories of 'precision optics': the idea that optical illusions would actually help visualize the working process of individual perception."(marcelduchamp.net)

Overall, I really enjoyed looking at her work. Elizabeth McAlpine is very clever in the way she presents her ideas and processes.

Another work that I enjoyed at the exhibition was Anne Shelton's studies of the "Fredrick Butler Archive". This work also analyses pre-existing collections. In this work she has selected some of Butlers books and created a slideshow of images. These books consist of handwritten notes, newspaper clippings, diagrams and references. Her display of his collection is a creation that shows us a bit of his personal world. She is in fact, sort of documenting his world and giving us a look into his mind. This is another form of conceptual art. You can see that she has carefully forethought her idea because the work shows every single page of each of the books, even the blank pages. It is a precise and good representation of Butlers books, and it gave me a glimpse into his world.

When researching about her, I was fascinated by her work "A Library to Scale". This work records a likeness of a collection of scrapbooks, a visual re-enactment of a collection of books. The display focuses on the obsessive documenting of local events, by Frederick B. Butler, who for sixty years used thousands of old hardcover novels to create scrapbooks for newspaper clippings about Taranaki history and life.

Butler clipped articles, ads and images from the many newspapers he read; he then pasted these articles, or transcribed them where he was unable to obtain an original clipping, he then ordered them thematically and pasted them into upside down novels. Butler observed, condensed, re-constructed and re-shaped his newspaper archive, which contains some 3,500 volumes. Spanning two world wars, Butler’s project forms an alternative mapping of Taranaki. His archive marks out the space of Taranaki’s settler history, from conflicts to commerce, politics to land confiscations and its changing social climates. 

Each of the 3,500 books was first covered with wallpaper, every second page then sliced out to add space for the glued in cuttings, and after the clippings were added, a thematic title and period was handwritten on the spine. These files are now stored in the Puke Ariki Museum, and have been documented by Ann Shelton as life-size images of the books, as they are positioned on the library shelves, with the spines facing the camera. (annshelton.com)

Ann's work engages the viewer in a process of recovery, retrieval, and re-presentation, as it seeks to show Frederick B. Butler’s project anew, to look back on it from today's time period. The viewer is propelled from record to account, from the ‘then’ to the ‘now’.

Overall, I really enjoyed this exhibition. I have never been to anything like this before, and it really opened my eyes to see the processes and thought behind each of the pieces of work. I was intrigued by each work, as I began to get insight into the collectors minds, I began to see the order or disorder of the collections and what that revealed about the collectors themselves.

Bibliography:

Unpacking My Library
1 http://www.tetuhi.org.nz/
2 http://www.idehist.uu.se/distans/ilmh/Ren/benj-bookcoll.htm
3 http://danitorres.typepad.com/workinprogress/2010/01/unpacking-my-library.html


Eliszabeth McAlpine
1 http://www.elizabethmcalpine.com/
2 http://www.spacex.co.uk/pl39.html
3 http://www.marcelduchamp.net

Ann Shelton
1 http://www.annshelton.com/omwf/01.shtml
2 http://annshelton.com/publications/the_reflecting_archive.pdf
3 http://www.annshelton.com/articles/library.shtml

Justin Patons' "Ten Good Reasons"

Summary of  "Top Ten Good Reasons," by Justin Paton. Week Two - 09/03/2010


In the chapter "Top Ten Good Reasons", Justin Paton begins by addressing the question "What is art?" When mulling over this question, there are many answers and ideas to what art could be. Paton writes that the many ideas and questions surrounding this topic are good, but they seem disconnected from the simple experience of just looking at the art. He makes the suggestion that when this question arises, one should ask for a list of their personal top ten artworks, and the reasons for their choices. He suggests that we should worry less about what art is and talk more about the essence of the artwork, how it is made, why it catches our attention. Through this we each should grasp the answer to what art is to us. In this chapter, Justin Paton also goes on to talk about the top ten paintings that matter to him personally, and the reasons why.

I like Paton's writing style because his writing is light-hearted and easy to read. It is clear, when reading this chapter, that each work he talks about has some kind of meaning or memory associated with it that he personally relates to. I like the choices that he has made for his top ten because they cover a wide range of artists and styles, as well as covering a broad time period. I think that Paton's intention in writing this chapter is to portray the message that there is no strict code or canon for art. Art is to each person, what they read and see in it, and what it means to them personally. He also mentions that these lists that we create are simplistic and can instantly change as we see and experience more in life. He ends this piece of writing by saying that passion for a particular artwork doesn't always have to have a specific meaning or reason to it. Every once in a while it is fair to say "I like it just because".

Bonnie's Top Five Visual Favourites

1) Photographer, Rodney Smith

Rodney Smith takes some of the coolest photographs I have ever seen and he is one of my favourite photographers. I have always loved his work because his use of colour, light and his playful approach make some very memorable images. I find that the world that is depicted in Rodney Smith's photographs is full of quaint and funny surprises.

"In one image, an elegant woman stands before a window in a sun-shot Baroque sitting room, while her reflection in a nearby mirror creates a ghostly double. In another, men in bowler hats and impeccable suits stand chest-deep in a field with pruning shears raised, yet cut nothing. Each of these events is captured in Smith’s stunning black-and-white photographs (sometimes tinted with other delicate colours), which are characterized by their tightly arranged, evenly balanced compositions." (Reverie and Reality Article)

When I look at Smith’s clever images they inspire a sense of curiosity in me. I like the fact that, in the calm, ordered world of Smith’s images, everything seems composed and in its place, yet he is still able to create magic and bring humour. "His photographs impress upon their viewers the sense that the world is a magical place, full of untapped potential and happy accidents that can occur anywhere and at any time, if only we pay attention." (Reverie and Reality Article)  I love the arty and unique approach that Smith brings to his work, it is something out of the ordinary, that instantly creates and tells a story. Smith believes that, "A real rebellion in art would be to show people that there is real beauty and grace in the world." (Reverie and Reality Article)

2) The "LOVE" Sculpture, by Robert Indiana

Robert Indiana's work often consists of bold, simple, iconic images, especially numbers and short words like EAT, HUG, and, his best known example, LOVE. The idea for the sculptural piece originated from a visit to a Christian church in Indianapolis, where Robert was taken by a banner that read "GOD is LOVE." (Wikipedia) "Conceived in a time when the United States was consumed by the Vietnam War, LOVE became a symbol for Peace. This famous sculpture is one of the most celebrated works within the pop art movement as well the art world as a whole. LOVE is a 144" (h) x144" (w) x72" (d) sculpture made of poly-chromed red and blue aluminium, weighing 3,800 lbs."(scottsdalepublicart.org) The sculpture consists of the letters LO (with the O canted sideways) over the letters VE.

LOVE is a sophisticated yet abstract composition, and it is also, in essence, a one-word poem. The brilliant contrast of the colors and the bold contours of the letters give the sculpture  visual intensity. Indiana has arranged the word so that it fits in a square format, with the stacked letters touching one another in a manner that could suggest physical intimacy. His composition for LOVE is innovative in the way it dissolves the division between seeing and reading. Indiana has described the character of his work as “verbal-visual.” (magazine article, q and a with artist)

This is one of my favourite sculptures because it relates to what I believe is one of the most powerful elements of life. Love is such a huge and powerful thing. There are so many questions that arise concerning this one word. The way that Robert Indiana has made this sculpture instantly creates a statement with the bold colours used. This is one memorable sculpture that is not easily forgotten. 

3) Graphic Designer, David Carson

David Carson is best known for his use of photography in Graphic Design and for his innovations in the field of typography. He is often referred to as the “father of grunge.” I love his work because he became famous by breaking all the rules of Graphic Design and developed his own signature style. I like the fact that his works do more to communicate the emotion of the product, article, or whatever subject he is designing around then they do to literally display the subject.

I like his work because he is clearly unafraid to mix sizes, fonts, weights, styles, and orientations of letters, to make a statement. "The bizarre placement of type goes against any and all preset rules of design, breaking them all and not bothering to create new ones." (dcd.com) He places pictures in places most would not think for them to go. Yet somehow, this jumble of creative regurgitation still works and creates a fresh and entertaining vibe.

If you look at the Ray Gun cover, it demonstrates his disregard for traditional graphic design rules and shows a determination to be set apart. His use of all lower-case letters shows informality and invites the reader in as an equal. The unexpected orientation of the cover photo would catch the eye of a potential reader passing by, setting Ray Gun apart from other magazines as interesting and unique.

I have always enjoyed looking at typography and the use of words in art. I just love the look of words, patterns and letters in art. I find Carson's work very inspiring because I love to experiment with words in art and find myself doodling all the time, scribbling out quotes etc... I also love the fact that he didn't follow traditional guidelines, but tried something different and becuase of his passion, he became successful. 

4) Fashion Designer, Vera Wang

After her own unsuccessful search for the perfect wedding dress, American fashion designer Vera Wang created a business plan, started her own company, and filled a void in the bridal gown industry. Perhaps the best known name in bridal fashion, her contemporary yet often simple designs have adorned many brides. According to the official Vera Wang website, "The Vera Wang label quickly took off, earning praise from the fashion elite for its luxurious fabrics, exquisite detailing and modern interpretation of classic lines."

Vera Wang has revolutionized the way people look at bridal dresses.  She has transformed them in the last decade to stylish, couture-look gowns. "Before we brought sexuality to weddings," she said, most brides "looked like the bride on top of a cake, very decorated."(Vera Wang Website) I absolutely love her nonchalant approach to style and luxury. Her design has signature layering, intricate draping and she has exquisite attention to fabric and detail. In her work she captures the art of draping and showcases a classic symbol of romance: the bow.

In fashion, I love Vera's use of ribbons, buttons, bows and blossoms because they add romance and eccentricity to her work. These design elements also establish an optimistic tone, which is what one wants at their wedding, hopefully. :)

I have always love fashion and textiles. Every since I can remember I have been interested in colour and dress sense. As a little girl I would sit for hours and draw figures of girls in different styles of clothing. Nowadays, my favourite thing to do is shopping. :) To walk around the shopping malls and look at the latest styles and colours that people are wearing and that have come out in stores. I love especially love Vera Wang's work because of the simplistic but romantic style and design of her dresses.

5) Artist, Mark Shasha

Mark Shasha is an American artist. He is also an author, illustrator and educator. His subjects are often very familiar, realistic and figurative, and are usually inspired by the textures and light found along the New England coast where he has lived since childhood.

Shasha's work has received acclaim; "Captivating" (Smithsonian), "Alluring and dreamy" (The New York Times), "Beautiful and strongly atmospheric" (Publisher's Weekly), "Dazzling, beautiful" (Marblehead Reporter). (MarkShasha.com)

A lot of his work is oil painting, in which he uses shimmering blues and greens and vibrant reds and oranges. His work seems to be strongly atmospheric. His use of light, shadows, and darkness in the luminous full-colour paintings invite viewers into the scene as if we are experiencing it for ourselves .

The softness and tranquillity of Shasha's work draws me in because what he paints depicts a lot of what I relate to from my childhood. Playing in the water, being by the seaside etc... I feel a calmness and peace when I look at his work because it brings good memories. I also love the very sweet and quaint style that he has in painting, using vibrant colours to bring warmth and happiness.

Bibliography:

Rodney Smith

1. http://www.rodneysmith.com/

2. J Hartz, Anne Chesnut, Reverie and Reality; Photographs by Rodney Smith, Article, (16 May - 10 August 2003) University of Virginia/Art Museum, Online http://www.virginia.edu/artmuseum/downloads/reverie_and_reality-rodney%20smith.pdf.
Robert Indianna
1. Image off Google Images
2. http://www.scottsdalepublicart.org/collection/love.php
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LOVE_(sculpture)
4. Nancy Heiser, Eat, Hope, Love, Magazine Article, (June 21, 2009; Globe Newspaper Company) Online http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/magazine/articles/2009/06/21/qa_with_artist_robert_indiana/. 

David Carson
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Carson_(graphic_designer)
2. http://www.davidcarsondesign.com/

Vera Wang
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vera_Wang
 2. http://www.verawangonweddings.com/
3. http://www.answers.com/topic/vera-wang

Mark Shasha
1. http://www.markshasha.com/
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Shasha