Id, ego and superego
The id is the most basic part of the personality, and wants instant gratification for our wants and needs. If these needs or wants are not met, a person becomes tense or anxious.
- Present from birth
- Unconscious
- Primary component of personality
The ego deals with reality, trying to meet the desires of the id in a way that is socially acceptable in the world. This may mean delaying gratification, and helping to get rid of the tension the id feels if a desire is not met right away. The ego recognizes that other people have needs and wants too, and that being selfish is not always good for us in the long run.
- Deals with reality
- Both conscious and unconscious
- Ensures impulses can be expressed in the right way
The superego develops last, and is based on morals and judgments about right and wrong. Even though the superego and the ego may reach the same decision about something, the superego’s reason for that decision is more based on moral values, while the ego’s decision is based more on what others will think or what the consequences of an action could be.
- Makes judgement’s
- Starts around the age of five
- Moral standards – right and wrong
Francesca Woodman
Francesca Woodman is an American photographer who photographs a perception of herself. Many of her pieces of work include black and white photographs of herself or of other female role models. Many of the photographs are of her nude, in surrounding which she is merging herself into, the photographs are often blurry and her face is obscured. She started photographing at the age of 13. Her photographs are usually 8 by 10 inches which is designed to produce an ‘intimate’ experience between the viewer and the photograph itself. Many of her photographs are untitled and are known only by a location and date, after she killed herself at the age of 22 in 1981 and left behind a substantial amount of work. Today Francesca’s work still creates a lot of critical attention.
I chose to research Francesca Woodman because her work links in with the theory of id, ego and superego and the idea of exploring different personalities and the perception you have of yourself and the perception that others have of you. Her work also includes elements of surrealism for example photographing unrealistic scenarios. The blurriness in the photographs make her have a ghostly presence in the photos both these things linking to the idea of fantasy. I think this is an intriguing topic to luck at under the themes truth and fiction. However it is hard to portray through photography. Her work also includes elements of surrealism for example photographing unrealistic scenarios.
