Feminism

Feminism

The idea that a women’s worth is not as great as a mans had been smashed against the rocks so many times that the argument is flawed and irrelevant.

Todays biggest CEO’S are majority women.

Feminism first came into the eyes of the art world when women artists/photographers demanded the same respect and exhibition rights as men. Since then the feminine world really hasn’t looked back.

There have been key figures in the fight against feminism and this can’t be summed up any better then the work of the gorilla girls.

A group of female artists who dressed in masks and routinely attacked the way the world thought about women and their work.

This was the type of work that they were famous for, bringing to the forefront the views of women in today’s world.

One artist who has stood out and clearly demonstrated the idea of crossing gender roles and producing work that shows women in jobs, which are stereotypically dominated by men, is Cindy Sherman.

Campaigning for equal rites and recognition on the same level as male artists, one of the ways this has been tackled or approached by Cindy Sherman is to show in her own characteristic style, self portraits wearing various outfits, showing roles which are not normally associated with women such as a bus drivers or male school children. By doing so she has drawn the gaze and attention of thousand to the cause.

http://blogs.artinfo.com/lacmonfire/2011/02/21/guerilla-girl/

(accessed 14/04/2011)

http://www.likeyou.com/en/node/10257 (accessed 14/05/2011)

Postmodernism

Post modernism

To understand post modernism it is necessary to first gain an understanding of modernism. This is defined in simplistic terms by Clement Greenberg in his books. 

Greenberg describes modernism as a purity and work which tackles or brings up serious intellectual issues whilst breaking away from the traditional ideas of art. At the time the works were produced, modernism was becoming more apparent; the idea of it was rejected due to the associated changing of social status that people were breaking with the movement therefore changing the views of reality. 

Characteristics of post-modernism on the other hand, is the belief or thinking that the world we live in has no boundaries, in the sense of reality, that the truth is not always clearly defined or shown but has been created by the viewer or artist; and therefore is a interpretation of it. The idea of post-modernism branches across many different fields of art, from architecture to literature. 

Photographers such as David Hockney and Man Ray are valid examples of post-modernist photographers, creating works which offer a different view point of subjects which have been used repeatedly, such as portraiture and how Man Ray crossed boundaries with the relation of body parts to landscapes.

The design observer book, 2006, Languorous BodyScapes, from: http://observatory.designobserver.com/entry.html?entry=4177 (accessed: 16/04/2011)

Nan Goldin

Nan Goldin

Goldin is a photographer from Washington D.C whose work tackles very sensitive material, which could be considered to be bordering the lines of taboo.

The book, ‘The ballad of sexual dependency’, hit home due to the fact that most of the subjects she portrayed in the photographs and who she gained a personal relationship with were deceased by the end of the 1990’s through drugs or aids.

Her work focuses on the intimate moments of life between various couples, none of which are the stereotypically perfect or conventional partners. Homosexuals and transexuals dominate the pages of her book showing us the viewer a more in depth understanding to the ideas and associations which everyone thought of, which at the time was considered normal.

 This work is from the book Goldin, N, (2003) The devils playground, expresses the delicate manner in which Goldin captures her subjects, she usually  relies on available light, to capture the emotion and atmosphere in its most truthful.

The imagery shows a gay couple, one whose body has been ravaged and destroyed by HIV/AIDS. his condition is expressed through a shadow of his former self so visible by the over sized t-shirt. Dying moments captured on a camera which speak in volumes, intimacy of Goldin work is what instantly draws you in and demands attention from the viewer, I have struggled to compare this level of intimate moments to any other photographers/artist  body of work.

Yvonne De Rosa

Yvonne De Rosa

Rosa is a fine arts photographer, born in Naples 1975. Rosa’s Body of work ‘crazy god’ is one which has inspired and captivated me, along with countless other imagery.

The images are of her previous place of work from the 1990’s, which she revisited to document. The institution which the location she still keeps a secret.

Rosa keeps her place of work hidden from the audience, and forbids them from knowing its location.

Numerous years have passed since the closure of this institute, and she has revisited to document the personal items and treasures left by previous patients. Items which would of held great meaning are left dormant and uncared for sprawled across the floor. Treatments adorn the chalkboards a vivid memory of days which were not so luxurious for the patients. 

The natural beauty caused by the passing of time on this location is documented in such a sensitive way that; were it should be grim, almost touching morbid the sheer beauty of the natural lighting and formations formed by decay and growth of plants which were once kept in a clean and organized manner, almost bursts through the page. This captures the attention of audience and various companies who know compete for here photographic skills. This now freelance photographer who is based in London was awarded the ‘woman international prize in photography’ in 2006.

Fame

Louis Vuitton

The ability to be able to market a brand on the status and fame of a person in todays culture seems to be one of the biggest and most influential ways to make sure the product is in the eyes of  a wide selection of potential buyers. 

This advertisement for Louis Vuitton, taken by Annie Leibovitz, features Keith richard’s from the Rolling Stones. The advert examines a person whose life has been scrutinised and scorned upon for the manner and life style he has lived.  Richard’s is labelled as one of the all time rockers and lady’s man. 

Using a character that has such a stigma and reputation with him to sell a product shows the brand is trying to be on edge and go against conventions of fashion advertising. This type of endorsement would usually be associated with a different area of glamour, fame and celebrities who adorn the cover of glossy magazines and have television shows made about them. 

This type of advertising is trying to entice a whole different niche market to this illustrious brand. It just goes to show you how a reputation and celebrity can sell anything, do you honestly think Keith Richards travels with Louis Vuitton luggage? i highly doubt it. But he has made his money and has no-doubt for filled his end of the agreement, by literally marketing his face and social status. 

semiotics.

Semiotics

when looking at signs within a image, there has always been a difference of opinions when it comes to the correct or most relevant interpretation of the role and meaning of semiotics. 

According to the book produced by Daniel Chandler*, entitled “Semiotics the basics”, the most well known and easily understood meaning by a person of todays age is called Umberto Eco ‘semiotics is concerned with everything that can be taken as a sign’ (Eco 1976). The visual sign, as well as the the associated meanings that come with it.

A simple straight forward dove, when thought about from a non semiotic approach is easily understandable, the signifier a white bird whilst the signified meaning can be related and interrupted as peace, not automatically associated with it. This is due to the associations  and meanings we the viewer have placed upon everyday objects/ items or people, these ideas and associations have been effected by numerous variants, including culture politics or currently on topic issues. 

The two main theorists Saussure and Peirce who are often regarded as the founders of semiotics employ different but comparable ideas of the subject. This is described by Saussure as, ‘a science which studies the roles of signs as part of social life’.
 Compared to Peirce who described it as.  ‘logic in a general sense is semiotics.....signs used by a scientific intelligence, that is to say by a intelligence capable of learning from experience.’ 

Peirce and Sassure agree that to make semiotics work, its hugely defined and represented by todays culture and understanding. 

Daniel Chandler (2002). Semiotics the basics . 2nd ed. Oxon