Claude Cahun was an artist, photographer, and writer, but she was best known for her self portraits, where she dressed up as different characters. She was a surrealist photographer, and explored the themes of gender identity and subconscious mind as most of her art work and photography focuses on gender and identity, while also including aspects of theatre, as she dresses up as characters in front of the camera.

Her name was Lucy Schwob, born in 1984, Nantes France to wealthy Jewish Parents. She has a close connection to Jersey as she would regularly visit there during her holidays. Cahun then moved to Jersey in 1937, and found her passion for art as she began to experiment with radical styles and ideas. For example she refused to conform to gender normality, so she adopted a masculine appearance and used gender neutral pronouns to assert her own identity. This was also explored throughout her artwork and photography.

Her work she produced first, started to show an interest in surrealism, as she quickly became a part of an artistic community in Jersey. She started to produce a series of photomontages and photographs that challenges traditional ideas of gender, sexuality and identity.

Others would describe Claude Cahuns work as daring and provocative as it was greatly attracted by the Surrealist movement in Paris. This was thought as she explored a variety of guises, exploring a variety of different personas and identity. This provoked the viewers in ways which it challenges their assumptions on gender and identity, as it is not clear whether she is dressed man or woman.

Cahun’s most iconic work was produced in 1920s-1930s where she created a series of self portraits using herself. She presented herself in a variety of poses, exploring themes of gender fluidity and identity. She dresses as both male and female, bus also a genderless figure – this was done to challenge the viewers assumptions about gender identity.

“Under this mask, another Mask.”

I think what makes this photo interesting and engaging for the viewer is how Claude Cahun is posing into the mirror but looking away. It makes us as the viewer intrigued, as it draws you in creating the main focus points. We first see her in the portrait but then our attention is shifted to the portrait created in the mirror which gives this other very interesting and engaging focus point – this makes us look closer into the portrait. I think the choice of clothes and style Claude Cahun uses in this photo and in general gives the viewer this interesting perception of the photo making us think differently about her identity.

This self portrait from 1928 of Claude Cahun explains her attitude and style, as she stares directly into the camera, and dresses up as a neither masculine or feminine characters. I think Claude Cahun creates a really interesting concept about the portrait, because she engages the viewer in ways that challenges our own judgement of the gender identity.

It is interesting because when we see a portrait of something we can’t identify straight away, it makes us look closer. The way she dresses and poses, and also how we see the character, such as how we see her reflection in the mirror, makes the portrait very engaging, as we create our own judgement on the portrait.

I think this portrait of Claude Cahun is very interesting. Cluade Cahun experiments with identity expressing this with what she wears for example, the chequered jacket creates an interesting focal point. We get this impression that it is neither masculine or feminine as not only what she is dressed in gives us different assumptions but normally we would depict light and softer tones such as white or light grey to be more feminine, and the darker tones to be more masculine. This portrait makes the viewer question the identity of the subject, as Cahun doesn’t make it obvious whether it’s male or female, this is a way of her making engaged with the portrait as she wants you to work it out yourself. The quote ‘under this mask, another mask,’ is what Cahun uses to describe her photography. Claude Cahun communicates this as she creates two portraits of her. The first shows the mask, and the portrait in the mirror shows what’s beneath the mask.

Out of the three artists I picked I chose Collier Schorr as an artist reference, but first I need to analyse and find out more about his work.

About the photographer

Collier Schorr is an artist and fashion photographer who grew up in New York. Her work explores themes such as history, nationality, war and gender. She is most popularly known for her adolescent portraits which blend photorealism with elements of youthful fantasy.

Examples of her work

Americans

The photo has horizontal lines from what is believed to be metal bars on a wooden gate, the wood on the gate gives the background, of the photo in the middle, a rough texture.

The photo at the back of the montage is taken indoors and uses artificial light. in the photo it looks like there is a man with a hat playing snooker/pool. Having that photo at the back could imply that it is less important and there is a hierarchy in the photos as the photo of the cowboy is placed in the middle, drawing the attention.

The photo in the top left behind the middle photo has a yellow filter to it, you can’t really see what is happening in the photo but it does have a man with a hat in it.

The photo in the top right has a group of people standing possibly around something but you can’t tell what it is because the photo of the cowboy is covering it, the photo looks like it was taken at night with an artificial light possibly from a torch shining at them, however the light is not too bright that it affects the exposure of the photo.

For this photoshoot, I decided to photograph my both, male and female friends outside. I wanted them girls to pose in a way that they felt was comfortable to them. Above are all of the photos I took from this photoshoot. I decided to pick a day when the weather was snowing as it gave me the perfect opportunity to photograph girls and boys being themselves and show how their personalities and actions differ to express femininity and masculinity in adolescence.

My Favourite Photos

These photos are my favourite photos I took of the girls. Whilst asking them to pose how they could express their own personalities. My models decided to crouch, stand, smile and sit how they felt comfortable. This helped to convey the idea of wanting to feel confident in a photo whilst being surrounded by e.g. flowers. I edited these photos in Adobe Lightroom and increased mostly the:

• Shadows
• Brightness
• Warmth
• Sharpness

This was due to the bright and white colour of the snow reflecting on the camera. Whilst adjusting my camera settings I also had to focus on increasing the aperture. I increased my aperture to f/8 and the ISO to 200. This is because my camera’s light meter will see the bright snow as too much light which will cause it to underexpose my photos and and leave the snow looking a dull grey colour.

These photos are my favourite photos I took of the boys. I also asked them to pose how they could express their own personalities. However, they decided to pose whilst engaging with each other and having fun, which contrasts from the girls and how standing and smiling for the picture was more important that continuing what they are doing and enjoying their activities whilst being photographed. This method of photographing both girls and boys and seeing how they react, perfectly highlighted the theory of both gender’s usual qualities. For example, women tend to score higher than men on personality traits. These traits consist of agreeableness, openness to experience, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and extroversion. Women also mostly have a higher amount of traits of anxiety and sympathy, while men tend to be more assertive and risk-taking. This was shown through how they adapted to being photographed doing what they want to do.

In this photo, I asked a male and a female to pose how they felt comfortable with. The female model chose to smile, with a soft expression. This immediately creates a sociable, delightful impression of happiness, joy and content, which is usually the expression a teenage female will choose when they are being photographed. This is due to the fact smiling is seen as a way to capture a happy memory and socially acceptable behaviour. Women usually want to be seen as having a good time and possibly even putting on a facade that they are enjoying themselves to e.g. keep up a social status as fun and sociable.

The male model chose to not smile and have a more neutral or serious expression. This immediately creates an impression of masculinity and that serious face communicates strength and independence. It is said that many men throughout the world do not want to show any elements of vulnerability or joy that others can easily read meanings to, so a genuine smile is rare in a photo of adolescent boys, especially in solo photographs, due to social hierarchy of men on social media.

This photo would be my favourite image out of all, due to the fact of the contrast between the immediate reactions between males and females when being photographed, however the image is slightly blurry and therefore brings down the quality of the photo, to improve this, next time I will increase my shutter speed, this will help me to get a sharper images, without including any motion blur. I decided to attempt to remove the blur of the photo as much as I can in Adobe Lightroom however I did not succeed with a high quality image.

 

Shannon O’Donnell is another photographer who I would like to incorporate into my work as an inspiration because her work is very moving and attempts to grasp an understanding of the way gender can be represented in a fast-growing society.

Shannon O’Donnell:

Shannon O’Donnell is a contemporary artist, photographer and short filmmaker currently living in Jersey Channel Islands. Her work is documentary yet performative which explores a gendered experience which focuses on the characteristics and traits of femininity and masculinity. The outcomes she produces challenges the traditional stereotypes placed on women and men in a sociological way, attempting to gage an understanding on how gender is seen in general society. Her work that particularly stands out to me is That’s Not The Way The River Flows (2019).

That’s Not The Way The River Flows (2019) is a collection of images that playfully explores the themes of masculinity and femininity through a series of self-portraits. However, this (similar to Cindy Shermans work Untitled Film Stills) comes from selections of stills from moving scenes of her masquerading as different personas however she opens up to a multitude of different sub-categories of gender differentiating from male or female: non-binary, transgender and gender fluidity. By doing so, this unpicks the traditional conforming narrative of gender causing the viewers to re-imagine our society and understand what makes us who we are and how we identify. This project gives another insight into how the photographer may have conflicting thoughts on her own identity and gender experiences. This project is fundamental to a growing and fast-changing society because it helps people (especially those who find it harder to comprehend) see the struggles and hardships that many people during the exploration and acceptance of themselves, revealing the pressures, stereotypes and difficulties that they face whilst growing up in a strongly gendered society.

That’s Not The Way The River Flows (2019) is from a short film, described as a moving visual poem demonstrating the claustrophobia of identity in peoples lives and the demanding pressure to ‘fit in’. This piece also pokes fun at the ideals surrounding masculinity and femininity and pushing the boundaries and characteristics that were dictated to these themes.

Image Analysis:

I find this image one of the most powerful of the visual poem series. Initially, the monotone to the image creates drama with a sense of seriousness and professionalism. Due to this, the clothing on the subject has a high contrast from the pale wall behind, with the aspect of blankness throughout the image this means that the detail of the blazer and the material over the face gives the ability to focus on the textures more. The most appealing part of this image for me is the face in this headshot. The greyscale linen looking material draped over the face seems to be pulled back and behind the subjects head, covering the identity and ability to differentiate the gender of this person which highlights one of points of this series; the growing exploration of gender fluidity within society. However, as the material is sheer, the subjects pained expression through the pulling of the material describes the suppression and pressure that people struggling with their gender identity have to face. I also feel the panic in the subjects face shows how terrifying this must be in a society that has strong expectations and set propositions of gender. Alongside that, I feel the headshot represents this theme really well as the closeness of the camera to the subject makes a connection with the viewer which forces them to listen. The way that the subjects face is only partially visible through this material that almost blends into the wall in the background, means that we can infer that this makes people want to hide away their struggles with their gender and attempt to fit in. The focal point of the image is on the subjects face with the shoulders slightly blurred so that the raw emotion of the image really speaks to the viewer too, which means that it educates them on how difficult this matter is in a visual manner. I think the photographers intentions of displaying the claustrophobic pressures of gender identity has been represented really well in this image.

Marilyn Monroe Inspired

Marilyn Monroe was born June 1st 1926 in Los Angeles, California and died August 5th 1962. She was an American actress who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful films during the 1950s, and who is considered a pop culture icon. Monroe portrayed an early image as a “dumb and seductive blonde“, later implied that she was a sensitive and insecure woman unable to escape the pressures of the Hollywood society: a society where women were objectified and treated poorly compared to men. Her vulnerability combined with her needless death raised her to the status of being an American culture icon.

Monroe gained the most recognition from the movie “Gentlemen prefer blondes” in which she played a dumb blonde character that essentially men were attracted to, sadly she was never seen as anything more than a pretty woman.

Monroe was widely known throughout the 1940s and 1950s. She received several thousand fan letters a week, and was declared “Miss Cheesecake of 1951” by the army newspaper Stars and Stripes. She was mainly recognised for her blonde hair, wearing excessive amounts of pearls and red lipstick, and modelling.

My Plan:

My plan for my photoshoots is to produce a large selection of photos in the studio, enhancing Monroe’s iconic and eminent touches to her look. I plan to embody mine and the other model’s blonde hair in a variety of different ways, whilst also including pearls and making them the subject in some images. This way, we are able to tell a part of Monroe’s emotional story to people, signifying the importance of women’s rights and femininity.

Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, model and singer. Known for playing comic “blonde bombshell” characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as well as an emblem of the era’s sexual revolution.

Monroe portrayed an early image as a dumb and seductive blonde. Her early image as a dumb and seductive blonde gave way in later years to the tragic figure of a sensitive and insecure woman unable to escape the pressures of Hollywood. Her vulnerability and sensuousness combined with her needless death eventually raised her to the status of an American cultural icon.

The most famous movie where Marilyn portrayed a dumb blonde was ‘ Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ made in 1953 this was the film that Marilyn Monroe debuted the gold digging dumb blonde character that she would ascend to icon status with and, eventually, come to hate.

Unfortunately, the Hollywood professional and tragic personal struggles caused a ‘probable suicide’ at the age of 36 in 1962.

MOODBOARD

Monroe often wore pearls which ultimately became a part of her and would think of her with them. Marilyn and pearls associated together. Pearls are a very feminine piece of jewellery especially in the 50’s. This simple pearl necklace became her most famous piece of jewellery. Monroe wore them throughout her life as a reminder of ‘happier times’.

Marilyn also often wore red lipstick. This was probably too look like her role as a seductive blonde as the colour red symbolizes bold and confident and is an eye catching colour.

“It falls under the umbrella of power posing. The act of putting it on penetrates your sense of confidence and competence. It changes how you feel, which can change how people react to you and thus reaffirms your choice.” Throughout history, women have chosen red lipstick as a way to signal their power. Red lip colour gained popularity internationally as women’s rights movements spread worldwide. Red lipstick has been a symbol of feminism since the 19th century when it was popularized by the Suffragettes as a way to make a statement and express their desire for equal rights. The use of red lipstick was also seen during the Civil Rights Movement as a way of expressing solidarity with other feminists.

The impact was in her achievement to keep together things that are often thought to be incompatible: her ambition, her idealism, her femininity, and her striving for independence. She inspired, from both men and women, a lot of strong personal feelings, a lot of love.

My Plan

Our plan to successfully achieve Marilyn’s Monroe aesthetic is to associate little details to try create a similar vibe for the 50’s. This may be a bit difficult as we are living in the modern day however we could attempt to edit them to make them look more nostalgic and vintage. We will be including Marilyn’s large factors such as red lipstick and a pearl necklace too symbolize that sense of ‘dumb blonde’ and the femininity characteristics as Marilyn was in fact a role model and was a feminist but sadly passed before the women’s right movement. Lastly, we will be attempting to pose how Marilyn did but still using day to day outfits as the most eye catching subjects was the seductive look of red lip stick and pearls rather than her outfits. We also will be using a mirror to contrast to Cahun’s and Sherman’s work to focus on emotions and vulnerability.

Marilyn Monroe Inspiration

My photoshoot will be based on Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, model and singer. Known for playing comic “blonde bombshell” characters. I have worked with two other students to make this photoshoot work well. All of us are blonde so we were inspired by Marilyn Monroe and how she was associated with femininity in the 50s for this photoshoot.

What was so special about Marilyn Monroe?

Her early image as a dumb and seductive blonde gave way in later years to the tragic figure of a sensitive and insecure woman unable to escape the pressures of Hollywood. Her vulnerability and sensuousness combined with her needless death eventually raised her to the status of an American cultural icon.

Inspiration Mood Board

The Plan

For the photoshoot we will try and use a similar approach to her pictures. Lots of her outfits are very glam, but lots are also quite casual and we will try and resemble these in a modern way. We plan to wear pearls and lipstick as it was a signature look for Marilyn. We will go for casual clothes with glamourous jewellery and make-up as that is a main part of why she is so iconic.

Cynthia Morris Sherman (better known as Cindy Sherman) is an American artist born on January 19th 1954, whose work consists primarily of photographic self-portraits, depicting herself in many different contexts and as various imagined characters. For 40 years, Sherman has probed the construction of identity, playing with the visual and cultural aspects of art, celebrity, gender and photography. She is among the most significant artists of the Pictures Generation. Sherman has continued to transform herself, displaying the diversity of human types and stereotypes in her images. She often works in series, improvising on themes such as centrefolds (1981) and society portraits (2008). Her history portraits (1981), portray her use of theatrical effects to embody different roles and her lack of attempt to disguise her efforts: often her wigs are slipping off, her prosthetics are peeling away, and her makeup is poorly blended. She highlights the artificiality of these fabrications, a metaphor for the artificiality of all identity construction.

For four decades, Cindy Sherman has probed the construction of identity, playing with the visual and cultural codes of art, celebrity, gender, and photography. Sherman was always interested in experimenting with different identities. As she has explained, “I wish I could treat every day as Halloween, and get dressed up and go out into the world as some eccentric character.” Sherman has continued to transform herself, displaying the diversity of human types and stereotypes in her images.

Image analysis:

All of Sherman’s images incorporate a lack of femininity throughout them, as shown. One of the main aspects I noticed first was the deep contrast between the dull and dark colours surrounding the subject in the image. The background is black, allowing the face to stand out, along with the clothing she is wearing. These are effective because they do not allow the viewers eye to wonder throughout the image, rather we stay focused on the subject. Sherman regularly alters her appearance to the extreme, which makes her almost unrecognisable. For example, in this photo she has exaggerated her lips to the maximum, which I find interesting because I believe it symbolises femininity. She has also altered her eyes and eyebrows, making them very thin to the point they look fake. The use of this portrays a confused expression on her face. This is important because it gives the idea that perhaps Sherman is confused within her own identity, which leaves the viewer also questioning.

More of Sherman’s work:

Some of Sherman’s most famous artwork:

I have ideas to take action shots of models engaging with items, for example a dancer doing a pose and a girl doing her makeup, my ideas for my action shots is to take photos of boyd skating, i have many different ideas from my inspiration’s which include this moodboard, Francesca Woodman ,Clare Rae and Claude Cahun.