Cindy Sherman is an American photographer, born 19th January 1954 in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, United States, whose work consists primarily of photos which depict herself in many different contexts and as various different imagined characters. Sherman usually inserts herself into a dialogue about stereotypical portrayals of women in her photographs, which resemble scenes from 1950s and 1960s films.

Sherman has played with the visual and cultural codes of gender and photography. Shortly after moving to New York, she produced her Untitled Film Stills (1977-1980) starting when she was 23, where she dressed up as imaginary characters and photographed herself in various settings. These around 70 Film Stills immediately became a point of discussion for feminism, postmodernism, and representation, and still remain Sherman’s best-known works.

The Untitled Film Stills she produced seem to deliberately rely on female characters and caricatures in movies, and she used cinematic conventions to stage these photographs. Sherman was always interested in experimenting with different identities, she explained, “I feel I’m anonymous in my work. When I look at the pictures, I never see myself; they aren’t self-portraits. Sometimes I disappear.”

Image Analysis

This is a film photo by the photographer Cindy Sherman. There is one subject in this photograph. The focal point is Cindy Sherman by herself in the foreground sitting outside in a light dress on a tree branch and slightly to the right of the middle, which shows me the composition follows the rule of thirds. In this image, the lighting appears to be natural daylight on a cloudy day. The midground and background features a barren desert-like landscape, with occasionally a large rocky structure, stretching far into the distance. No aspects of the photo are overexposed or underexposed, and the contrast appears to be not too strong. The depth of field is sharp so I believe the aperture is f/11, as the background and midground is clear and not blurry. The shutter speed appears to be 1/125, and the image is slightly grainy, so I believe the ISO is around 6400.

Justine Kurland

Justine Kurland was born in Warsaw, New York, in 1969, she holds a BFA from the School of Visual Arts and an MFA in photography from Yale University. She is best known for photographing subjects in American wilderness landscapes, ‘girlhood’ and her strongly narrative work is influenced by nineteenth-century English picturesque landscapes and the utopian ideal as well as genre paintings, the photographs of Julia Margaret Cameron and Mathew Brady, and illustrations from fairy tales. Kurland has used staged tableaux to explore the social landscape of girlhood, life on communes, and life in the wilderness. She collaborates with her subjects, who are real people rather than models, in selecting locations and then talks to them about the scenes and scenarios she would like them to respond to and interpret for the camera.
Kurland’s photographs are held in museums including the Museum of Contemporary Photography, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

In this image you can see a friend group of girls hanging out. This imagine represents femininity/girlhood by using the group of girls innocence as a reflection of themselves exploring places, with no worries in the world.

Kayla Varley is a fashion/editorial/advertising photographer working between London, NYC and LA. Having started her career by taking photos at 13 to tap into her emotions. Her work hasn’t strayed far from the captivating emotion filled shots, throughout her career. As she grew up using photography to document her life, it ended up becoming all she wanted to do, resulting in her attending in her moving to LA in 2010 to attend the Art Centre Collage of Design. Her more recent work focuses on fashion but she never strays too far from her roots of capturing the joy and kidlike playfulness of connecting with another person whether that be another person in the shot or the photographer, Varley, herself. I have done additional research on Varley as I love her work and my inspiration stems from a mix of her work and the absurdism movement as well of other photographers work and my own imagination.

Kayla Varley

Analysis of one of Varley’s Photos

This is the photo I picked as it is great example of Varley’s work (beauty) it also has elements within it that I love and want to include in my own work. The cropping of the image is rather unusual as it isn’t centred or following any of the typical rules like the rule of thirds instead it is close to the camera and is an angle that wold normally be considered bad or at the least conventual which it is, however this angle draws the focus to the model and nothing else. While this is a cool shot it is also an advertisement for the eyeshadow so the blank white background, well lit and the fact the only bit in full focus is the eyeshadow is a purposeful move from Varley. However I think it’s a great way of getting peoples attention and still being playful and creative while creating an advertisement. Varley has also made sure the photo is well lit which is how all of her work is, bright, airy and cheery, in fact she has been quoted to say ‘Your dream location to shoot?’ – ‘A giant empty space with tons of light and shadows. It could be anywhere.’ I think this shows in the photo above that unlike many photographers she actually draws complete inspiration and results for the photo from the model in front of her and wants to show the model as a happy character and a person as themselves and not what is around them, influencing them. I love the idea of drawing from a person themselves to portray an idea or a situation from daily life and Varley does this incredibly well in all of her work not just the photo above.

I would love to mix this style of playfulness and unique angles with the style of absurdism . I think they would complement each other very well and will create some strong images for femininity and how different it can look.

Femininity

In general, being “feminine” often encompasses qualities and behaviours that are traditionally associated with women, such as nurturing, empathy, grace, and gentleness. However, it’s important to remember that these traits are not inherently tied to gender, and people of any gender can express these qualities.

Masculinity

Masculinity involves displaying attitudes and behaviours that signify and validate maleness, and involves being recognised in particular ways by other men and women. Masculinity is constructed and defined socially, historically and politically, rather than being biologically driven.

Masculinities and femininities refer to the social roles, behaviours, and meanings prescribed for men and women in any society at any time. Such normative gender ideologies must be distinguished from biological ‘sex’, and must be understood to be plural as there is no single definition for all men and all women. Masculinities and femininities are structured and expressed through other axes of identity such as class, race, ethnicity, age, and sexuality. Thus some definitions are held up as the hegemonic versions, against which others are measured. Gender ideologies are more than properties of individuals; masculinities and femininities are also institutionally organised and elaborated and experienced through interactions.

Identity?

Identity refers to the qualities, characteristics, beliefs and values that define an individual or a group. it is a multidimensional and complex concept that encompasses various aspects of a persons life, such as heir race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, nationality, religion, social class, and personal experiences. identity can also be influenced by external factors such as culture, society and interactions with other individuals. It plays a significant role in shaping an individuals sense of self and how they relate to others.

Some factors that influence identity are external, such as socioeconomic status, ethnicity, or culture. These are classified as core elements. Identity is also influenced by internal factors, such as political, religious, and spiritual beliefs, morals, attitudes, thoughts, and lived experiences.

What can influence identities?

Identity formation and evolution are impacted by a variety of internal and external factors like society, family, loved ones, ethnicity, race, culture, location, opportunities, media, interests, appearance, self-expression and life experiences. The development of individual identities is influenced by societal forces. Therefore, you cannot understand yourself or others without understanding how society constructs or defines characteristics such as gender, sexuality, race, religion, social class, and nationality.

The themes of ‘Femininity and masculinity’ are a binary opposite, which is a pair of related terms or concepts that are opposite in meaning.

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 (fashion etc). this can give people an insight on who you are.

Claude Cahun was a spirit of rebellion and defiance. She was a defying conventional ideals of beauty and femininity with a shaven head and male attire, to her direct resistance of German occupying forces.

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.

In this photo, Cahun deceives the audience because they dress up to look like a masculine man with a heavy weight in their hand, short hair, and male clothes like shorts with shirt. But in reality, the weight is fake, the hair is tied up behind so you can’t see it, so the overall photo deceives us, the audience.

mood board –

Femininity and Masculinity are very stereotypically concreate definitions but the idea of them over the years have morphed into varieties of both together.

Now a ‘days, everyone has different ideas of what those words mean to them. Whether its the stereotypical idea or the mixed idea of be who you want to be, everyone’s view is different.

Themes:

Femininity: Femininity is a set of attributes, behaviours, and roles generally associated with women and girls. Femininity are socially constructed gender profiles, like masculinity is, and there is also some evidence that some behaviours can be influenced by both cultural factors and biological factors. Femininity is usually associated with characteristics such as empathy, nurturing, gracefulness and kindness, often including qualities like emotional intelligence, supportive, communication and collaborativeness. Women were often valued for their looks and not their actions, for example, having soft, clear facial features, curvy figures and bright eyes. Historically, the only things women were supposed to be were housewives and mothers to their children, and women that were forced into working environments outside of their household were viewed negatively by society.

Masculinity: Masculinity is typically the social expectations of being a man. It is a set of attributes, roles or behaviours which are associated with males, such as physical strength, authority, power and independence. Regardless of biological sex, anyone may exhibit masculine traits. Masculinity can be influenced through other people and socially constructed, but there is also evidence that some behaviours considered masculine are influenced by both cultural factors and biological factors. In the early 1900s, men were usually relate to politics or working jobs outside of the household. At the beginning of the 20th century, average families had only one income-earner, the male. Men were the leader and dominant spouse in the household. In addition, the government entirely consisted of men; they ran the entire country because they had the power to.

Binary Opposition: The themes of ‘Femininity and masculinity’ are a binary opposite, which is a pair of related terms or concepts that are opposite in meaning.

Common stereotypes of men:

1. Self Sufficiency: Men should be independent and figure things out on their own without help from someone else.
    
2. Physical Attractiveness: Male characters are likely to be shown as unusually muscular or good looking in the media.
    
3. Heterosexuality and Homophobia: “…men should avoid being gay or perceived as being gay.”
    
4. Acting Tough: Men on television are less likely to show emotions compared to the female characters, including empathy.
    
5. Aggression and control: Men should use violence and the power they hold to gain respect and should always have the final say about decisions in a relationship.

Common stereotypes of women:

For women, there are usually only four basic kinds of gender stereotypes.

1. Personality traits: Women are often expected to be accommodating and emotional, while men are usually expected to be self-confident and aggressive.
2. Domestic behaviours: Some people expect that women will take care of the children, cook, and clean the home, while men take care of finances, work on the car, and do the home repairs.
3. Occupations: Some people are quick to assume that teachers and nurses are women, and that pilots, doctors, and engineers are men.
4. Physical appearance: For example, women are expected to be thin and graceful, while men are expected to be tall and muscular. Men and women are also expected to dress and groom in ways that are stereotypical to their gender (men wearing pants and short hairstyles, women wearing dresses and make-up.

Nowadays in the 20th century, women finally feel accepted and equal in society and can be whoever they want. Lots of women feel as if they don’t fit into the ‘feminine’ category for them, so they now have the freedom and opportunity to be comfortable as a transgender male.

Photoshoot 1 Plan

For this first photoshoot I am going to focus on masculinity. I plan to explore the connection between fitness and the image of the male body in my first photoshoot. I will do this by showing men engaging in physical activities and just showing off their body physique. This photoshoot will show things like discipline and dedication to physical fitness which is stereotypically thought to be masculine. This first photoshoot is inspired by Sam Contis.

Sam contis

Sam contis is a American photographer.Sam Contis is well-known for her work that frequently examines issues of identity, geography, and connecting between humans and the natural world. However this photoshoot is influenced by the identity work and here are the images of hers i am inspired by:

photoshoot 2 plan

For photoshoot 2 I will be focusing on femininity. In this photoshoot I will aim to focus on the features of the feminine face for example a female’s eye, lips, hair and their full face. I will be focusing on these certain aspects of the face because they are aspects of the face which are different to the male’s face. I will also use props like flowers so that the model can hold or put in her hair because flowers are associated with femininity. I will also use different coloured gels like pink and blue to really highlight the model and the theme of femininity.

Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman explores femininity by dressing up in many different costumes and wigs and then did many different makeup looks to create these different feminine characters to show the vulnerability of women.

In this image Cindy Sherman is seen posing in front of her mirror with her jacket over her shoulder, this pose shows her being vulnerable as her back is shown through the reflection of the mirror. The colour in this image is in black and white and her black dress is showing her femininity.

The meaning behind Cindy Sherman’s photography is to emphasise the many roles women have and that they have to cook and clean and be a housewife but then women have to be this desirable person for there husbands as well and her photography expresses these many roles that women should have. Cindy Sherman has said herself ‘When I’m shooting, I’m trying to get to a point where I’m basically not recognising myself. That’s often what it’s about.’ The quote suggests that the whole point of her photography was to create these stereotypes that didn’t look like Cindy Sherman at all and looked like a completely different women.

Barbara Kruger

Barbara Kruger does lots of poster type images with slogans and quotes that represent her ideas. Barbara’s images look at femininity and masculinity.

The contrast between the black and white image and the red and white writing makes the slogans stand out on the image so that the writing is clearly presented to the person viewing her work.

The meaning behind Barbara Kruger’s photography was to express the many stereotypes of women and her photography and slogans often exposed women for things that they might of been insecure or conscious of.

Claude Cahun

Claude Cahun’s photography was very surreal and was about very realistic, raw pictures. Claude Cahun’s photos only had her in the images and a lot like Cindy Sherman she dressed up in different clothes that were seen as neither feminine or masculine and did many different makeup looks to create these stereotypes.

The shape of the chair in Claude Cahun’s photo almost makes her look royal and important. The contrast between the shadows and the white top she is wearing makes the stereotype of the woman she is trying to be stand out and become more visible to the person viewing her image.

The meaning behind Claude Cahun’s photography was to explore gender identity and the subconscious mind. The outfits that she took her photos in were designed to be neither feminine nor masculine which made her photography so unique and different because she was exploring being neither gender. Claude Cahun was not originally called Claude Cahun, she used to be called Lucy Schwob this shows that she changed her name to be Claude which can be either a women’s name or a mans name. Claude Cahun’s hair also got shaved off from her being captured by German’s and being put into a concentration camp which makes her not look feminine and explores the idea of her not being feminine or masculine. The quote from Claude Cahuns book from The Gardian says “No, I will follow the wake in the air, the trail on the water, the mirage in the pupil … I wish to hunt myself down, to struggle with myself.” This quote suggests that she wants to go through all the struggles of her career and learn and fail and try again to get to be successful.