For my photoshoots, my inspirations are going to be photographers who explore the themes of identity, and the binary opposite of femininity and masculinity. Another binary opposite I want to incorporate in my work is empowered vs victim because I feel like this is relative to the stereotypes associated with femininity or masculinity and want to show both sides of it.

Francesca Woodman:

Am I in the picture? Am I getting in or out of it? I could be a ghost, an animal or a dead body, not just this girl standing on the corner?

Francesca Woodman created over 800 self-portraits before her untimely death in 1981, just 22 years old. She was a body-orientated feminist who emerged in the art movement during the 1970s. She first documented these images when she was thirteen in 1972, where she is sat on the end of a sofa in an un-identified place wearing an oversized jumper and jeans. Her arm is loosely hanging from the armrest, with her face concealed by her hair and the foreground with a blur to it. I think the oversized jumper is a large part of this image because the body is completely misshaped and unidentifiable, beginning to show how the focus of her images is linked to the body and the obscuring of her own identity by hiding her face.

Public opinion has generally been favourable towards Woodman’s work and continues to be the subject of much positive critical attention, years after her death at the age of 22, in 1981. For example, at the 1998 exhibition in Paris, many people had “strong reactions” to her “interesting” photographs. A number of people have found Woodman’s individual photos (for example “Self-portrait at 13”) or her photography as inspirational. Many critics and historians have commented on how Francesca Woodman’s work was influenced by myths, artistic movements and other photographers. One comment is that her work is inspired by gothic fiction – identifying with gothic heroines of stories where a female figure is made to be in solitude turning her mad, full of angels, mirrors, demons and tombs. However this is just an inference because she studied Surrealism immensely alongside the work of Duane Michals. She did this by following this movement’s tradition of not explaining her work and demonstrated a “desire to crack the code of appearances.” This is why I find her work so intriguing because it’s open to interpretation and can become unique to the viewer as it has the possibility of being more personal.

Her work gives the viewer a feel of displacement, set in rooms that are broken down, old and being wasted away where she tends to blend in with the surroundings. These rooms are typically very sparse with furniture, characterised with old furniture, peeling wallpaper, smashes mirrors or glass and rough surfaces such as lifted tiles off of the floor. In these images, parts of her body are often blurred which causes her to disappear into the background, giving a lack of distinction between self vs world, another binary opposition. Her photographs are often thought-provoking and emotionally powerful, demonstrating the power of photography to capture the essence of a moment and the intangible.

Image Analysis:

Things looked funny because my pictures depend on an emotional state… I know this is true and I thought about this for a long time. Somehow it made me feel very, very good.

Francesca Woodman created a series of images similar to this one where she conceals parts of the body and face, hiding her identity. In these photographs, she reveals the body simultaneously as being there, whilst somehow being absent. By doing this, she dissects the human body by emphasizing isolated parts, hiding and revealing certain sections in each image. This gives a tone of presence and absence all in one image.

The image has been taken at a wide angle to capture the background surrounding her. Towards the left side of the image the wall in the background appears blurred and out of focus as she, being the subject, is the focal point of the image. The image looks slightly under-exposed as it is really dark however there has still been a lot of detail captured sharply such as the pillar in front of her. Using a slow shutter speed to create a motion blur on the upper portion of her body specifically her head symbolises confusion and almost as if she is attempting to get out of her mind.

These images represent her state of mind before she ended her life so the abandoned and run down atmosphere and environment may symbolise how in her mind she felt lost and empty just like these rooms in a sort of slow decaying way. The wallpaper looks incredibly old and we can see as it peels away there is another floral piece behind it. I think this may represent how she felt as if her mind was break down and almost rotting, as she suffered from suicidal thoughts. By putting her images into black and white, I feel that making her work monotone may also symbolize the absence of light/happiness and colour in her life, so by making the image so colourless she accurately shows how empty her life is, especially from the sparse rooms too. This makes a strong contrast. She tends to appear off centre in different creative positions, in this image speeding under a table in a manic way. Wearing a long floral dress alongside some flat black shoes, her hair down and behind her causes her to appear feminine, however the concealing of her face hides her identity which can be interpreted as if she is attempting to blend into the background too to get away from standing out and becoming noticed.

The genre of Surrealism is clear especially in this image because there is no clear story to explain the intentions behind the image, causing the viewer to question the strangeness she has created and add personal narratives to it.

I really like this meaning behind her work because it tells the viewer about herself and evokes emotion in them.

In my work, I am going to attempt to use motion blur on the face whilst the body being in focus because it gives a tone of mystery and disclosed identity which I find really enticing and interesting.

Cole Ndelu is an awarded conceptual portrait and fashion photographer who is based in Johannesburg, South Africa. She graduated during 2016 from the Stellenbosch Academy of design and photography with a degree in visual communication and a major in photography. Ndelu works mainly with photography however she also works with mediums such as text, sound, collage, and motion.

A study on femininity

The series ‘a study on femininity’ is a collection of images by Cole Ndelu which shows her beliefs towards going against the stereotypical associations of femininity. With this work she aims to disturb the norm and display the models, who are both male and female, as beautiful, resilient, and powerful.

“My series is aligned with what I consider to be the purpose of my work as an artist – which is to create work that celebrates and honours the marginalised.”

Analysis

In the photo there is a male with a yellow flower coming from his mouth. This challenges stereotypical masculinity as males are not often associated with things such as brightly coloured flowers, he is also wearing an earring which is often seen as a feminine piece of jewellery. The composition of the photo causes the model to be the main focus as he is in the centre of it. However, there is also some empty space surrounding him which contrasts with the shape of the model in various areas, especially the back. This photo clearly shows Cole Ndelu’s aim of her project ‘a study on femininity’ as it shows that a male can be just as beautiful as a female can.

Planning a response

In order to create a response to Cole Ndelu’s work I will need props such as flowers and leaves to recreate some of her photos from her project ‘A study on femininity’. I will take these photos outside of school using a camera. I am aiming to do two photoshoots based on Ndelu’s work with two different models and flowers.

Claude Cahun

‘Claude Cahun’ or originally ‘Lucy Renee Mathilde Schwob’ was a photographer, however she was also a French surrealist, a sculptor and a writer. The reason she decided to change her name is that the name ‘Claude’ can be used by either a woman or a man, which makes it gender-neutral and therefore inclusive to all. She died in 1954 however she was previously arrested and sentenced to death in 1944 along with her partner due to Jersey becoming liberated by the Germans in 1945. Claude was known to have suffered from anorexia and suicidal thoughts and a similar form of debilitating depression as her mother. Claude Cahun then met her lifelong partner Suzanne Malherbe, however, Cahun’s father ended up marrying Suzanne’s mother, which made the women step-sisters. However, this did not top them both and they moved to Paris in 1919. Due to the fact same-sex couples and gender neutrality was uncommon and frowned upon, Claude Cahun and Suzanne Malherbe joined with a small group of members of the avant-garde in Paris, this consisted of people who were also experimenting with gender in this period.

Cahun and Gender, Sexuality and Power

Cahun’s work is now seen in the modern day as truly inspirational due to her diverse lifestyle and slightly unusual personal life. These factors convey a figure of interest and fascination for many later artists. s. The gender-shifting self-presentation, and non-heterosexual relationship make Cahun important to homosexual activists and feminism lovers alike. 

For example, one person who has truly been honored and fascinated by Claude Cahuns work is Gillian Wearing. Wearing and Claude Cahun were born many years apart and showed no relation or similar lifestyle. However the topic of photography, to explore themes around identity and gender through masquerade and performance links these two people together.

Gillian Wearing has done many projects in tribute to Claud, however the most popular and by far my favourite is her work on  Me as Cahun Holding a Mask of My Face in 2012.

In this photographic self-portrait, Gillian recreates Cahun’s self-portrait from the I Am In Training Don’t Kiss Me series which Claude made in 1927. She did this by photographing her creation a mask that looks like Claude Cahun’s face in the series and then holding another mask to her right which is a replica of her own face.

Here Gillian Wearings interpretation is shown above, and Claude Cahun’s original is displayed below.

I particularly like this modern day interpretation as it pays attention to a talented human who thrived during difficult and dangerous times where expressing your true self and sharing your inner passions was seen as ‘different’ and ‘unusual’. Gillian’s recognition of Claude’s talent relights something of a poster girl for feminist art critics, who now praise Claude Cahun for blurring of gender and identity in such treacherous times.

“We’re only just catching up to her” 

I really empathise and admire this quote from Gillian Wearing which explains how Claude Cahun was so ahead of her time. This is due to the fact so many contemporary artists are so influenced by her work. Claude has a dedicated following among artists and art historians when it comes to feminism and gender stereotypes.

Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman is an independent photographer who took photographs in the 70’s. Something I find particularly admiring, is how she she took her camera and pointed it at HERSELF, instead of photographing someone else. I find this very unique and actually brings more meaning and creativity to the photos she created. This gesture then became her signature thing and showed her strong views on gender and the construction of identity through key times when opinions and personalities where particularly changing in history. She also mad many different character that she would pretend to being her photos and experiment with makeup, hairstyles and costume to demonstrate these characters.

A QUOTE THAT I REALLY LIKE IS:

“None of the characters are me. They’re everything but me”.

I like this quote because It explains how she created over 70 of these images of herself, but not HERSELF, as she was acting and posing as other character using only her body but not her true inner self.

Cindy Sherman created around 70 Untitled Film Stills which consist of black and white images made between 1977 and 1980. I truly think Cindy Sherman’s work conveys a message of mystery and struggle with being a women. Her images inspire me to attempt to take photos like this in my next photoshoot.

Image Analysis

What did I notice first?

I noticed at first the negative expression on her face, she almost looks worried or scared about where she is or who she is with. This creates an element of mystery in the photograph as the person viewing it wants to know why she looks so troubled and scared about where she is.

What’s Happening in the Image?

The woman seems to be looking over her left shoulder towards behind where she is standing. She is also holding her stomach which may mean she is either shocked or worried about something that has just happened. She may also be holding her stomach with her right hand and arm wrapped around it. This may be to create a maternal approach which implies a sense of security and protection over something.

What people and objects are shown? How are they arranged?

In the image, there is a woman standing with an apron on and she is standing in front of a sink where there lies a bottle of dish soap and what seems to be a spice rack. I can also see a bottle of dish soap, a salt container and a pan or stovetop – like pot where the handle is facing towards her. All these things apply that she was possibly mid- washing up when she was disturbed by a possibly domestic figure.

What is the physical setting? Is place important? Are there details that suggest the time period this image relates to?

I think the place Is very important because It could possibly portray a ‘woman’s place’ in society at the time. Stood in the kitchen washing dishes is the idealistic place for a wife to be. This shows that the misogynistic and stereotypical traits of patriarchal views are shown throughout this photo. The photo was also taken in 1977, during this time women around the world were not given the chance to decide life for their own, this is shown through the clear differences between gender roes between women and men. Women in this period were viewed as inferior, weak, and dependant. They were expected to be responsible for the family and maintenance of the house.

What other details can you see?

I also think that the fact this photo is nameless also shows a factor of which stereotype this photo fits into. I think these photos are made to show movie industry lending a voyeuristic quality to this glimpse into the private life of a women in a potentially dangerous household, left alone with multiple responsibilities. The photo is names ‘Untitled Film Still’ This perfectly relates to my idea of the view of women in the society at this time and how Cindy Sherman was attempting to portray this. The fact the photo is nameless and therefore is ‘Untitled‘ shows the fact that women were, in fact, nameless and were seen as much less valued than men.

Cindy Sherman and Claude Cahun

While many male Surrealists saw women as objects and uses of pleasure and desire. Claude Cahun opposed these views and explored her identity instead of defining it. Her photos challenged the idea of gender and women as objects of male desire. This relates to Cindy Sherman because she also played a role in helping us question visual culture. She portrayed a multitude of characters which created provocative views on photography during this time period.

“I wish I could treat everyday as Halloween, and get dressed up and go out into the world as some eccentric character.”

Cindy Sherman

Over four decades Cindy Sherman experimented with identity as she explained in the quote above. She explores the theme of ‘femininity’ in an interesting and engaging way, as she alters her appearance experimenting with costumes, makeup, and prosthetics. She then started to produce untitled film stills, where she photographed herself in various settings, selecting props and creating scenes that resemble those in the mid-20th-century B movies, which are movies showing the unknown future.

Her portraits show very stereotypical feminine activities, where she dresses up as people from different ages. Her work is about surrealism as we can see from her self-portraits.

Cindy Sherman was influenced by performance artists, which is a kind of artwork or exhibition that is shown through actions which then lead to her fascination of disguising herself, dressing up as characters which are then photographed by herself.

Cindy Sherman started taking photos in her apartment, using her own interiors as inspiration. Then she began to take her photos in more rural, and urban environments, so she moved her camera and props outside, while also having a second person to assist her, while she takes the photos.

Untitled Film Stills 1977-1980

During 1977, Cindy Sherman moved to New York City where she created a series of imaginary film stills inspired by an actress’s career. This started off as an experiment, created this narrative

https://www.hauserwirth.com/hauser-wirth-exhibitions/44432-cindy-sherman-1977-1982-los-angeles/

This photo really interests me as I like how the photo is captured in the moment as it sets this interesting and engaging mood. Cindy Sherman experiments and communicates her work using very stereotypical poses from the 1950s/ 1960s which is what I think makes the portrait very interesting and unique. In her work she dresses up as different characters, as we can see from this portrait. I think Cindy Sherman does this as she wants to connect you to the portrait. There is a darker lighting used in this portrait, creating an overall cooler tone, while enhancing the shadows and the subject itself. This creates depth to the photo, dramatising the shadows and tones that is created by using a darker light. Cindy Sherman’s work depicts how women were and still are viewed in society.

Born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, in 1954, Sherman graduated from the state university of New York buffalo and very quickly rose to fame with her work in art.

Cindy Sherman’s photography is very clearly focussed on the topic of female stereotypes. She regularly alters her appearance beyond recognition through makeup, prosthetics, and costumes. To create her images, she assumes the multiple roles of photographer, model, makeup artist, hairdresser, and stylist. She becomes the character in the story she is attempting to portray through her images.

Many people have perceived Sherman’s photography to be uncomfortable creepy, or even terrifying since we see the depicted woman in a vulnerable position. a few of her photos show herself with her back to the camera which can also be an example of vulnerability as it could be seen as someone watching her and she doesn’t know.

What impact did she cause to photography or society?

Cindy Sherman’s photography is important because of the way it depicted how women are viewed in society. The exploration of identity, gender, and representation have inspired countless artists and photographers to up level and push boundaries when nit came to their own artwork.

In this particular photo, we can see a woman stood alone on the roadside with her luggage beside her. It was usual for Sherman to create black and white photos since that was the option for her to start her photography with. in this photo, the black and white gives an extra ominous feeling to the image. Sherman often created photos that focussed on vulnerability and in this photo it can be seen. the use of her showing her back to the camera could make the viewer feel uncomfortable as if she doesn’t know someone is watching her.

The lighting/exposure of the camera and the use of her brighter clothes has made her stand out to the rest of the image and contrast with the darkness of the sky. I think this is very effective as it makes her the obvious main focus of the image. This idea can also be taken from the use of space in the image. She is not in a crowed small area, she is in an open space alone which would create more tension for the viewer.

In this photo, I could be interpreted by the viewer that Sherman is impersonating a house wife. This can be clear by the objects she adds to the image to subtly create this thought. the use of the pan and soap bottle suggest to the viewer that she could be pictured in a kitchen. as well as this, she is also wearing an apron.

As well as the last image, the black and white can also cause an ominous feeling or sense of tension and the tone of the image makes it feels like a dark and scary moment for the woman. she can be seen to be looking over her shoulder and the viewer can interpret that to what they like but it was usually be a negative thing she may be looking at. Sherman is also seen holding her stomach which could be a usual comfort for a woman so this could further suggest something to make her uncomfortable is going on and further shows how she depicts the theme of vulnerability in her photos.

Femininity-

The definition of femininity is the qualities or attributes regarded as characteristic of women or girls.

What does it mean to be Female?

Many people how different perspectives on what it means to be female. for example someone has said:

“To me, being a woman means overcoming adversity. It is strength and empowerment. It is black and white, cis and trans, straight and queer, native and immigrant, disabled and poor and Jewish and Muslim and fat and all-inclusive. What I’m trying to say is being a woman is whatever you want it to be.” -Sarah Emily Baum

Many people share that being a woman does not have a definition since it can be perceived in many different ways for many different people.

What themes do you associate with Femininity, Feminine or female?

What would you say are the assumed norms of Femininity today?

The assumed norms of a female are usually the opposites of what the norms of male is. for example, Females are seen to be accommodating and emotional, while men are usually expected to be self-confident and aggressive. As well as this, occupation also plays a large role. Women are more expected to take part in jobs such as teachers or nurses and not jobs that would suit men Physical appearance is also important, Men and women are also expected to dress and groom in ways that are stereotypical to their gender so women are stereotypically associated with make up and dresses and not, for example, muscular

Nowadays, the stereotypes are more flexible and there isn’t any set rules for what a woman can be. Since extreme gender stereotypes are harmful as they don’t allow people to fully express themselves and their emotions, it is now encouraged for people to just be themselves and not expected to follow the stereotypes.

Compare expectations and perceptions of Femininity through time, society and place

Have we reached a point where the public thinks that men and women should have equal roles in the workplace and at home? Or is there still a perception that there should be a gender divide?

In the past, it was usual for gender roles to say that a man’s job is to earn money and a woman’s job is to look after the home and family. Many people accepted the gender role divide and it was a social norm for them. In 1987, a third (36 per cent) of the public thought that most women would prioritise their caring role over having a job. Though this percentage belief hasn’t changed a drastic amount, since many woman still has the expectation of having a family one day, it has still changed enough to show that Women have gained more rights when it comes to working

Femininity in Photography
Many female photographers use it to capture women’s unique beauty. Female photographers also use their work to write and highlight the female experience. These photographers create a photographic record of women’s struggles, triumphs, and everyday adventures.

Masculinity–

The definition of masculinity is the qualities or attributes regarded as characteristic of men or boys.

What does it mean to be Male?

Being male can have as many struggles as it can to be female. men have also shared their own takes on the gender.

“Being a man to me means being unapologetically you. It means not being afraid to show the world who you are, exactly as you are. Being a man is never being afraid to show your emotions” Stevie, 26

“For me, being a man is about self-discovery, building self-awareness, emotional intelligence and most importantly, my legacy.” Jack, 22

What themes do you associate with the words masculine, masculinities or male? 

What would you say are the assumed norms of Masculinity today?

Masculine norms are mostly opposite to the feminine norms. Current Dominant Masculine Norms include providing for others, physical strength, emotional toughness, self-reliance, competitiveness, risk taking, protector, toughness and aggression, competitiveness, winning, dominance (including sexual), virility, control, power, heroism, honour and courage.

It is also a general norm for males to take more important jobs such as a doctor, pilot or engineer.

Recently, the stereotypes are more flexible and there isn’t any set rules for what a male can be.

Masculinity in Photography

What is Masculinity?

Masculinity is common traits, attributes and characteristics of men and boys for example the most prominent ones would be things like the colour blue or even jobs such as mechanic.

what is Femininity?

just like masculinity femininity is attributes and characteristics that are more common throughout women that you would really see men do examples of this could be using make up or working as a nurse.

what is the definition of identity?

identity is the qualities, beliefs, personality traits, appearance, and/or expressions that characterize a person or a group. Identity emerges during childhood as children start to comprehend their self-concept, and it remains a consistent aspect throughout different stages of life.

someone’s identity can link to many different things but peoples culture is a big thing when talking about who you identify as and who you are. things like religion and race is what I would consider as one of the main things when talking about your cultural identity but things such as gender age and other things are obviously your identity.

for example one of the biggest cultural identity’s in the world is Christianity as its the most followed religions in the world with 2.4 billion followers.

(common Christian church)

social identity is a concept of who you are in public, work or even with your friends. this can be influenced by things people do or say that people see online or even when they are out in public. a popular/trendy identity that has grown in the UK is roadmen. stereotypically roadmen are usually dressed in all black, they are also known for having a postcode war which is a where a group of people feel like they need to defend there area from the other people around them.

social identity can also be shown through what you wear (streetwear, fashion etc). this can give people an insight on who you are.

a good example would be bloke core which has really been popularised in the UK over the years

geographical identity, is when someone has an attachment to their country region or city. this is shown in jersey through the jersey post with its dedicated pages to sporting events throughout the island. and through social media from pages such as sports cast jersey

peoples identity’s can be formed through their upbringing with parents and siblings. as they are constantly around family so they pick up on personality traits and the way people speak or look. so people essentially become mini versions of there parents

Cindy Sherman

The art historical canon was heavily criticized for its lack of female artists and widespread use of stereotypical images of women. Some female artists began to use their work as a means of re-representing female identity and deconstructing prevailing cultural expectations of femininity. One of these was contemporary artists Cindy Sherman who, in her photographs, takes on the role of many female identities found throughout Western culture. These photographs portray struggles over women’s identity and the way we come to know and understand ourselves through culture, and can be critically analysed using feminist social constructionist theories that challenge the idea of a fixed femininity.

In Sherman’s Hollywood-like stills, she alters her identity using filmmaking tools such as costume, lighting, setting and composition

Sherman deliberately gave up the conventions of fashion photography, causing French vogue to ultimately reject the works for their magazine. However, other fashion editors and designers received her works enthusiastically.

In this photo it shows a woman in the kitchen, this is stereotyped as femininity as women were stereotyped to cook and care for themselves and the family etc. This would show challenging femininity in the 20th century because of how the woman is photographed. The shopping bag is ripped on the floor and the woman is picking it up.

Claude Cahun

Claude Cahun, born Lucy Schwob was a French surrealist photographer, sculptor, and writer. Lucy took to the name, Claude Cahun in 1914. Cahun is best known as a writer and self-portraitist, who assumed a variety of performative personae

Cahun’s connection with Jersey began early, with childhood holidays spent in Jersey and Brittany. She was born Lucy Schwob in Nantes, France to a wealthy Jewish family. But in her late teens and early twenties Cahun had been looking for a new, gender-neutral name for a while. She fixed on the name Claude Cahun in 1918. At that time she was in a same-sex relationship with Suzanne Malherbe, who used the name Marcel Moore. They had become step sisters in their mid-teens and at some point a closer relationship developed.

 Initially they found life in Jersey to be a ‘holiday without end.’ But with the prospect of a Nazi invasion of Jersey looking very likely in 1940, they refused to be evacuated back to England. Instead the women decided to mount an underground resistance campaign following the Nazi’s occupation of the Island in June 1940. Their campaign largely took the form of propaganda in the form of fake news sheets, authored by listening to the BBC on an illegal radio and then translated into German by Moore. These were left in places German soldiers might find them.

Cahun and Moore ended up in prison in St Helier and narrowly avoided a sentence of death. They remained in jail until 9 May 1945, the day Jersey was liberated. in late 1954, Cahun was taken into hospital and died on 8 December, aged 60. Moore lived on in Jersey until 1972, when she ended her own life.

This photograph to me, represents the challenge of normality of identity in the 20th century. I find this photo the most intriguing, as Claude Cahun shaved her head to challenge the gender roles and show her own way of self expression. In this photo Claude Cahun is presented in a very masculine way, the way she had positioned herself is very a very masculine pose but the patterned clothes and mirror add a feminine vibe to a masculine photo. The way she has positioned herself next to the mirror looking into the camera with the mirror reflecting her eyes to look away could add to the stereotype that men are confident and will look straight into your eyes and that women are more shy, timid and less confident than men.