QUESTION IDEA- How are women portrayed in art by the work of Helmut Newton in comparison to the work of Cindy Sherman’s untitled film stills?
DEADLINE: Essay Introduction Draft MUST be handed in Thursday 18 Dec 2024
DEADLINE: Final Essay MUST be handed in Fri 31 Jan 2025
Literary sources: Go to this blog post here: Theory: Literary Sources and copy relevant key texts relating to the subject of your essay and list in alphabetical order in your bibliography. In addition, find your own key texts in relation to artists selected for in-depth analysis in your essay and list these too. These texts could be interviews with the artist, or reviews/ critique’s written by others. See useful online sites/ sources here .
- Research and identify 3-5 literary sources from a variety of media such as books, journal/magazines, internet, Youtube/video that relates to your personal study and artists references .
- Begin to read essay, texts and interviews with your chosen artists as well as commentary from critics, historians and others.
- It’s important that you show evidence of reading and draw upon different pints of view – not only your own.
- Take notes when you’re reading…key words, concepts, passages, page number to be used for in-text referencing etc.
Essay Question Ideas
possible-essay-questions-to-investigate
Essay Plan
Make a plan that lists what you are going to write about in each paragraph – essay structure
- Introduction (250-500 words): What is your area study? Which artists will you be analysing and why? How will you be responding to their work and essay question?
- Pg 1 (500 words): Historical/ theoretical context within art, photography and visual culture relevant to your area of study. Make links to art movements/ isms and some of the methods employed by critics and historian.
- Pg 2 (500 words): Analyse first artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.
- Pg 3 (500 words): Analyse second artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.
- Conclusion (250-500 words): Draw parallels, explore differences/ similarities between artists/photographers and that of your own work that you have PRODUCED.
‘To photograph is to appropriate the thing photographed.’ (Sontag 1977:4)
Photographs alter and enlarge our notions of what is worth looking at and what we have the right to observe.
Bibliography: List all relevant sources used:
Sontag,S. (1977) ‘In Plato’s Cave’ in On Photography. London: Penguin Books.
Mulvey, L. (1973) ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’ in Screen (1975)
Avgikos, J (2002) ‘Cindy Sherman: Burning Down the House’ in Well, L. The Photography Reader. London: Routledge.
Judith Butler is an academic and writer who is an authority on feminism and gender studies, incl queer theory. Her seminal book is: Gender Trouble which we do have a copy of in the Library LRC and in Media. Here is a good overview of her work – make sure you read it all and watch video as well.
Butler, J. (2019). ‘Gender as Performance: Judith Butler’ in Dixon, M. Media Theory for A-Level Students. London: Routledge.
- How is the work of Claude Cahun and Cindy Sherman questioning the politics of gender and female stereotypes?
2. Compare how Cindy Sherman and Phoebe Jane Barrett challenge gender stereotypes in their work.
3. How are woman portrayed in art by the work of Helmut Newton and Edouard Manet with reference to Berger’s book, ‘Ways of seeing.’
QUESTION IDEAS: