Masculinity describes the degree to which society focus on assertiveness and achievement. When in contrary, femininity describes the focus of society to quality-of-life issues, such as caring for others, group solidarity and helping the less fortunate are valued. In other words, society still recognizes a gap between male and female values. This dimension is frequently viewed as taboo in highly masculine societies.
Masculinity: Strong egos – feelings of pride and importance are attributed to status. Money and achievement are important. Examples of masculinity cultures are Slovakia, Japan, Hungary, Austria, Venezuela.
Femininity: Relationship oriented, more focus on quality of life. Examples of femininity culture are Sweden, Norway, Netherlands and Denmark.
Masculinity
The term ‘masculinity’ refers to the roles, behaviours and attributes that are considered appropriate for boys and men in a given society. Masculinity is constructed and defined socially, historically and politically, rather than being biologically driven.
Femininity
Femininity is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles generally associated with women and girls. Femininity can be understood as socially constructed, and there is also some evidence that some behaviors considered feminine are influenced by both cultural factors and biological factors.
IDENTITY POLITICS is a term that describes a political approach wherein people of a particular religion, race, social background, class or other identifying factor form exclusive socio-political alliances, moving away from broad-based, coalitional politics to support and follow political movements that share a particular identifying quality with them. Its aim is to support and centre the concerns, agendas, and projects of particular groups, in accord with specific social and political changes.
The term was coined by the Combahee River Collective in 1977. It took on widespread usage in the early 1980s, and in the ensuing decades has been employed in myriad cases with radically different connotations dependent upon the term’s context. It has gained currency with the emergence of social activism, manifesting in various dialogues within the feminist, American civil rights, and LGBT movements, disabled groups, as well as multiple nationalist and postcolonial organizations, for example: Black Lives Matter movement.
It’s true that there are problems with accounts of racism, sexism, homophobia or transphobia that locate blame for oppression in racist, sexist, homophobic and transphobic individuals rather than in social structures – just as there were with the consumerist politics of that Noughties environmentalism. In focussing blame on the individual, this kind of approach can alienate potential allies, without moving powerful organisations to actually deliver change. But in reality, most activists and movements work hard to channel blame up to institutions such as the police, corporations and governments – which is exactly why the likes of the Common Sense Group hate them so much.
Is also true that modern capitalist corporations can use the imagery of liberation politics to improve their own brands. They tend to be rhetorically opposed to racism, sexism and homophobia, with their deep yearning to make everyone a consumer.
Culture Wars
Cultural wars are conflicts between different groups in society over issues related to culture, values and identity. These conflicts can arise over a wide range of issues such as religion, race, gender and sexuality. Cultural wars arte often characterized by heated debates, protests and social movements, as different groups seek to promote their own cultural values and beliefs, and challenges those of others. In some case4s cultural wars can lead to social division, discrimination and even violence, as different groups struggle to assert their own cultural identity and influence over society. However, they can also be an opportunity for dialog, understanding and mutual respect as different groups learn to appreciate and celebrate their differences and find common ground in their shared humanity.
Identity politics is a political construct created by and to support people from all kinds of backgrounds, whether that be race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, religion/spirituality, nationality and socioeconomic status. It is important to be understanding and respective of other peoples identities in order for an inclusive and diverse society. It is also interesting to learn about other people’s lifestyles and environments they live in.
Culture Wars:
Culture conflicts can happen between two different groups or parties etc. whether being about race, beliefs or political standpoints and so on. A scenario were we see two different beliefs confront each other is when Grayson Perry goes on a road trip.
Grayson Perry is a “transvestite” artist, known well for his cross dressing and work on identity and culture. When he went on his road trip he meets a group of Trump supporters. Him and the supporters have very different views on things such as identity politics, abortion rights and vaccinations. Fights and debates happen all of the time throughout the world about all kinds of things and there is not much we can do to stop this, the only thing we can do is respect others views and ides on the world and not interfere with them to avoid any kind of conflict.
In the world today there are many forms of identity which each ones form almost an alliance with each other, it forms sections in society of people who identify in specific areas, and you can be in multiple. Some of these forms of identity can be things such as: religion, culture, race, social background, class.
These types of identity affects society and always have. It shows a place for a person and what type of person they are, as it allows them to connect and relate to other who have the similar identity. For example things such as religion, there are many different religions, and each of them used to battle about who was right, and it would cause riots, disagreements and hate towards people. Although now it is more widely accepted to identify as what ever religion you may, because its taught that people should have their own place in life, and to be accepted no matter what. This is similar with culture, race, and social background. Some of these identity’s mix at times, but that doesn’t always mean there are arguments between them, more understanding and mature people accept and move on with what identity people stand for. In todays world there is a significantly less amount of hate towards different identity’s and people can be more accepting, although there are still areas in the world where because of a lack of different identity’s it would be strange for them to encounter one outside of their own.
In a place like jersey there is not as much identity groups or areas in comparison to a bigger country like England. And Jersey is although a small area it is seen as more of a collective island, where people are more collective, as in different places in the world there are more extreme types for people and identity, although in jersey there is a lot of different identity’s everywhere, for example a recent event which was a Portuguese festival playing their cultural and famous songs, and everyone was allowed in, but it shows a cultural/identity celebration.
Identity impacts society majorly, without a concept of identity, everyone would be in unison, but identity creates this separation from other people in a type of way, it doesn’t mean they can’t interact or be with people outside of their own identity, it is more of a deeper connection for themselves and maybe with people who are the same. In society every identity interacts with each other without any problems mostly/all the time.
A good example of identity through religion which has gone on for a long time and still goes on to this day is in Iraq, between a cultural group called ISIS, and fights against its own people and people from outside of the country as well, where they used to be in a war between the US, it caused lots and lots of deaths, and a lot of corruption only because a country had a cultural identity crisis with people in its own land fighting against the country.
“the way children negotiate their surroundings and respond with an unharnessed spatial awareness, which I find really interesting when applied to the adult body.”
“… each living body is space and has space: it produces itself in space and it also produces that space.”
These photographs form part of an ongoing series of engagements with institutional space and architecture. Through my photographic performances I investigate specific gestures and movements undertaken within public and private spaces, considering the impacts on the body by educational and institutional authority. The photographic process of recording the body in space depicts my physical and experiential memory of these sites, which is often absurd or uncomfortable.
My practice at large is informed by feminist theory and considers the implications of representing a woman’s body (my own) in an inherently fetishizing medium. My aim with all my photographs is to subvert the dominant ways we depict women’s subjectivity.
This series was captured in various spaces at RMIT University (life drawing studio, court room, design archive), an institution I have engaged with as a photography student and now lecturer. It is also where my late father studied architecture in the 1950s, which prompted my thinking when making this work about our personal connections to these educational spaces over time. -Clare Ray.
The common theme shown in these specific images are that only her legs and body are visible, her face is hidden and mainly focals the legs which is representing how women’s bodies get fetishized.
In these photographs action is opposed with stillness, danger opposed with suspension; the boundaries of space, both of the body and the environment, the interior and the exterior, memory and dream, are changed.
Chemigram is an experimental piece of art where an image is made by painting with chemicals on light-sensitive paper. Such as photographic paper, which is light sensitive. It requires, light sensitive paper, developer and fixer. this is the use of materials from silver halide-based photography . Like the photogram, the chemigram is made without a camera, however the difference is that it is created in full light instead of in the darkness of the darkroom. For this reason it is arguably not “light that writes” but rather “chemistry that writes”.
often Chemigrams are produced for artistic aspects, not many agree it is a form of photography. however it is an important little part of photography to understand a little more about the subject, and how it works. Chemigrams show similarly how a camera works. Showing the importance of darks and lights, especially film photography.
In a small group we have went for a trip to experiment with light sensitive paper and understand the chemical process behind Chemigrams. We have used a variety of different materials to create our images, the materials were applied before dipping the paper in a developer/fixer. like wax, glue and different methods to apply the developer of fixer, like through a paintbrush, sponge, spray bottle etc.
Identity is our sense of who we are as individuals and as members of social groups.
Mood-board
I wanted to make separate mood boards focussing on aspects of femininity and another for aspects of masculinity. This way I can incorporate more ideas for each side and capture ideas for my own photoshoots.
THEORY/ CONTEXT: Make a blog post and write 300-500 words expressing your view on identity politics and culture wars. How does it impact society? Describe some of the positive aspects of groups harnessing their shared identity and political views as well some of the dangers of tribalism dividing communities. Provide examples both for and against, reference sources used and include images. Try and frame the debate both within a global and local perspective.
essay
Identity politics is a term that describes a political approach wherein people of a particular religion, race, social background, class or other identifying factor form exclusive socio-political alliances. Its aim is to support the concerns, agendas, and projects of particular groups, in accord with specific social and political changes.
In my opinion, depending on how you look at it, identity politics could have both positive and negative impacts on society. On one hand, it is a threat to those in power, since it destabilises the amount of control said people have. While on the other hand, it unites minority groups, making individuals who feel alone, have a safe area for those who are the same.
Some positives of groups harnessing their shared identity would be a way to make said groups feel more confident, understanded and empowered. It also acts as a safe space for all those who feel or are the same way. While this is a very positive aspect of identity policy, others may not view it as such since it takes away power from those in control.
An example of identity politics would be the suffragette’s movement. This was a group of women who were fighting to get women the right to vote. They would parade the streets and take risky actions in hope to get their points across (one event was when a suffragette jumped in front of a horse race in order to bring attention to their movement). Once they were given the right to vote, it took some power from men, who were originally the only voters at the time. Some saw their movement as unnecessarily violent while others viewed it as a necessary evil in order to achieve their goal of gaining women more rights and freedom.
A snoot is a tool placed over the strobe head. The snoot controls and directs your strobe flash by creating a narrow or broad light beam in its cast, depending on the effect the shooter desires. Snoots do not create the flash – they are merely a tool used with your existing strobe to direct the light.
The light that the coloured fillers that the snoot has, is then emitted onto the person changing the colour of the image. A disadvantage is that it may get very hot and gloves will have to be used to remove the plastic filters. what may happen is the plastic may melt if it is wrongly adjusted.
I have experimented with different lighting that are emitted by the snoot, but haven’t changed the location of the light stand. However bellow is the basic set up of where the snoot is advertised to be placed.
I have produced a tiny selection of the photographs that look the best to me. I wanted to have a variety of different coloured images and different positions.
Because of the different coloured photographs and different positions, I was able to merge 2 or more images together to create a virtual double exposure.
To create this I have opened 2 separate images in Photoshop and have layered one on top of the other. I have changed the opacity and placement of a layered image which gave a ghost-like appearance .
I have also change the setting of the effect of the image by choosing different blending methods, as well as regulated the strength of the effect.
Claude Cahun was a Surrealist photographer whose work explored gender identity and the subconscious mind. The artist’s self-portrait from 1928 epitomizes her attitude and style, as she stares defiantly at the camera in an outfit that looks neither conventionally masculine nor feminine. “Under this mask, another mask,” the artist famously said. “I will never be finished removing all these faces.” Born Lucy Schwob in Nantes, France on October 25, 1894 to a prominent Jewish family, she would later attend the University of Paris, Sorbonne. Her first recorded self-portraits are dated as early as 1912, when the artist was about 18. In the early 1920s, she would change her name to the gender neutral Claude Cahun, which would be the third and last time the artist changed her name. Along with step-sister and lover Marcel Moor, she moved to Paris and fell into the milieu of the Surrealist art scene. The artist went on to collaborate with Man Ray, as well as founding the left-wing group Contre Attaque alongside André Breton and Georges Bataille. In the late 1930s, Moore and Cahun moved to Jersey, an island off the coast of Normandy, where they, disguised as non-Jews, they produced and distributed anti-Nazi propaganda. After being caught, imprisoned, and sentenced to death, they successfully escaped such a fate when Jersey was liberated by allies in 1945. Cahun is considered to be a ground-breaking artist who fully embraced her gender fluidity long before the term came into use. Tragically, she never fully recovered from her maltreatment in prison and passed away on December 8, 1954 in Jersey, United Kingdom. Her work left a huge impression on photography and directly influenced contemporary photographers Cindy Sherman, Gillian Wearing, and Nan Goldin.
Cahun shares an interest in certain motifs such as hair, hands, and animal familiars with other female Surrealists, and similarly uses techniques of doubling and reflection to call into question fixed notions of gender and identity.
Due to Cahun being non-binary this influenced a lot of their photos due to them featuring some oppositional characteristics of the stereotypical traits of their biological gender, such as shaven hair on a biological female like the image below, due to this it shows that Cahun wanted and did challenge gender performativity.
Cahun inspired may other artists with her work for example in 2017 Gillian Wearing was inspired by her work and almost identically recreated her work, there for Cahun was very influential even after 70 years.
Claude Cahun
Gillian Wearing
Cahuns photographs she has created throughout her time can be seen as ab-normal and strange as they aren’t your stereotypical portrait photos from that time, they can be seen as scary due to the reflections she uses of a mirror to create two versions of the person in the photo, in many of Cahuns photos the models are wearing what is deemed as odd outfits which adds character and mystery to there photographs.
