Claude Cahun

Claude Cahun experimented with stereotypes and gender fluidity, so in my photoshoots, I decided to experiment with different male and female stereotypes, while also going against them, by getting a female to look more masculine and present a male stereotype (vise versa), just like Cahun did.

In this photo of Cahun she is a female, but she made herself look more masculine, by having her hair short and standing in a more masculine way. In my photo, I also made a female model look more masculine by having her wear a male coat with the hood up, so her long hair could not be seen. I also told her to stand more masculine and look tough. However, I also used coloured lighting to make her look more masculine, because the colour blue is stereotypically associated with males, even though Cahun didn’t.

I then attempted to create more photographs of my female models looking more masculine.

Cahun, a female, made herself look more masculine here by using a prop weight. This makes her look more masculine, because males are stereotypically seen as stronger. In my image on the right I didn’t go against the stereotype like Cahun did, because I used a male to represent the male stereotype that males are strong and tough. I did this, because I wanted to show that both men and women can be tough, when I placed them side by side.

However, Cahun did not have any male models represent female models to go against stereotypes, because she took images of herself (a female), so I decided to try and have a male model represent a female stereotype. I used lighting and my models facial expression to have him represent a female stereotype, which is that pink represents females. However, in this photo I also had the model going against a male stereotype, which is that men are aggressive. I used the pink/red lighting to help me do this, and his happy facial expression.

Cahun also experimented with gender fluidity a lot, so I decided to experiment with that aswell. I used blue and pink lighting to represent this in the studio, because the colours both represent either masculinity or femininity, so when I put them together they represent both.

Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman also experimented with different stereotypes, but she also dressed up as these different characters, so in my photoshoots I didn’t just experiment with stereotypes, I also dressed my models up in different outfits, so that I could recreate Cindy Sherman’s technique, but in a different way. She dressed up as different feminine stereotypes, but because I had already taken lots of stereotypical photos, I wanted to show how femininity changes and alters through time, by dressing models up in different decade themes outfits.

I chose to use the same technique as Cindy Sherman for this photoshoot, because I also decided to dress up my models as different characters, just as Sherman did. However, she did it to represent different female stereotypes, but I did it to show how femininity changed through time. I did this, because I already had lots of stereotype based photographs.

However, I did also explore some of the same stereotypes that Cindy Sherman did, like women are too emotional. I decided to recreate the same image of a female crying to show this. I also then made a black and white copy of this photo, because black and white can represent feelings of sadness. Cindy Sherman also created a black and white image.

I then also decided to present this stereotype in a different way. I had my model look into the mirror and act upset/ emotional.

Then, I experimented with another stereotype that Cindy Sherman experimented with, which was that women should be housewives. However, I experimented with this in a different way. I used a broom as a prop to show that women should clean the house, but Sherman used items that are found in the kitchen as props, as she was presenting the stereotype that women should cook. These are both stereotypical jobs of a housewife.

Cindy Sherman used nature (trees), to present femininity, so I took influence from her and her photographs and did the same thing. I had my model stand at the tree and hold onto it and Sherman sat on a tree and stood in front of it. Then, I experimented with other elements of nature (flowers) to present femininity.

Sherman also experimented with mirrors, when portraying femininity, so I took influence and decided to do the same.

In Sherman’s photo her model looks upset, so I recreated it with an image of my model looking in the mirror upset. However, I also think she looks insecure and that is why she has so much make up on. This presents two stereotypes of females, which is that they should wear makeup and that they are insecure. I decided to experiment with these two stereotypes using mirrors, just as Sherman has done.

These two images show my models looking insecure, just like Sherman’s photo does. I also experimented with my model looking in the mirror while applying makeup, because her model had lots of makeup on.

Cahun and Sherman

In this photo I experimented with ‘selfies’, because both Claude Cahun and Cindy Sherman took photos of themselves.

Conclusion

in conclusion, I think I’ve recreated or taken inspiration from these photos and it has come out well and presented the same idea. I also like how I haven’t directly copied my chosen artists, but I have taken ideas from them, but executed it in my own way.

Femininity and masculinity

In this photoshoot I experimented with different outfits/ costumes, so I could represent women through time. This links to the theme femininity, because it shows how feminine standards evolve and change through time. This photoshoot took place outside the studio, outside school. I experimented with different poses and angles, as well as props in this photoshoot, so I could really present the changes women have gone through.

I have chose to take photographs of my models in different outfits from the years below:

1920’s:

1930’s:

1960’s:

1970’s:

1990’s:

2000’s:

I chose these decades, because the 1930’s is very similar to the 1940’s and the 1950’s. I have chose the decades 1960-2000, because this is where I see the most change in the feminine standards through time.

I have chosen to do this photoshoot, because I have been influenced by Cindy Sherman as she also dressed up in different costumes/ characters to present the theme of femininity.

The images that I have highlighted green are the images I have chosen to edit, because they represent the different decades the best, and have the best focus and composition.

1920

These images represent femininity in the 1920’s, because women back then would wear unique headdresses or hair accessories, which I have tried to replicate, by having my model dress up in similar head accessories.

I edited these images by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows and vibrancy, while decreasing the highlights, whites, blacks and saturation. I did this, so the photo would have better lighting.

Then, I made virtual copies of these images and created black and white versions of each one, because I wanted my photos to be more authentic, as all photos were in black and white in that era.

1930’s

This images represent 1930’s femininity, because the standards then were long clothing that covered the body. This image represents that, because my model has on a long fur coat, which covers her up.

I edited these images by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the highlights and blacks. I did this to improve the lighting.

I also made virtual copies of my photos, so I could create a black and white version, so they would be more authentic, because all photos were still in black and white at this time.

1960’s

these images represent 1960’s femininity, because they wore jeans and tops that were long enough to cover their stomach. The feminine standard was still very respectful, but much more casual.

I edited this image by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the highlights and blacks. I did this to improve the lighting.

1970’s

My model is now dressed up in an outfit that represents femininity in the 70’s. The feminine standards had changed and females would now wear more colourful clothing and they did not have to cover up as much.

I edited this photo by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, whites and vibrancy, while decreasing the highlights and blacks. I did this so the brightly coloured accessories would stand out more and be more vibrant and also to make the lighting better.

1990’s

The feminine standards had now changed a lot and females could now wear more revealing clothing, like crop tops.

I edited this photo by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, whites and vibrancy, while decreasing the highlights, blacks and saturation, so that the lighting would be better.

2000’s

The feminine standards were now much different from the 1920’s. Women could now wear more revealing clothing, like low rise trousers, with smaller crop tops.

I edited this photo by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows and whites, while decreasing the highlights, blacks and vibrancy. I did this to improve the lighting.

These images relate to the theme of femininity, because they show a timeline from 1920-2000 of how femininity has altered through time. It also shows that their is not just one definition of femininity, because it is constantly changing, and societies demands are also constantly changing.

Photoshoot Conclusion

In conclusion, I think the outfits in this photoshoot was a good idea, because I can now compare this photoshoot to Cindy Sherman’s photos of her as different characters. I also think I portrayed femininity throughout time well, because the outfits were realistic compared to the actually outfits they wore. However, next time I would find a better place to take the photos, so the lighting was the better and so the background of the images were better. I would also experiment with the camera settings, so all the images were more in focus.

Femininity and Masculinity

In this photoshoot I have chosen to experiment with different male and female stereotypes in the studio, including different lighting, poses and props. I have decided to do stereotypes, so I can compare my stereotype images to my chosen artists photographs, which are Cindy Sherman and Claude Cahun. I have used the chosen stereotypes below to really look into:

• Males are aggresive

• Females are too emotional

• Females should be housewives

• Makeup is feminine

• The colours pink and blue to show masculinity and femininity

I have chosen these stereotypes to look at, because Cahun and Sherman have used some of these stereotypes, so it makes it easier for me to compare and analyse my images against theirs.

The images which I have highlighted green are the images I have chosen to edit, because they present the stereotypes the best, and have the best composure, focus and lighting techniques. I went down to the studio three times for this photoshoot, because in the first photoshoot there were shadows behind my models, from the lighting used, because they were stood too far back. In the second attempt I made sure to move the models more forward, to help prevent the shadows behind them. In my third photoshoot I experimented with different props, such as lip gloss, hair brush, perfume, mirrors, phones and other make up products.

Firstly in the studio I experimented with different coloured lighting e.g. pink and blue, because they are stereotypically colours that represent femininity and masculinity.

masculine

Firstly, I used a male as my model and experimented with blue lighting, because stereotypically blue is associated with males.

I edited this image by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, whites and vibrancy, while decreasing the highlights and blacks. I did this to make the lighting more vibrant.

Then, I decided to take inspiration from Claude Cahun, because she experimented with gender fluidity and went against stereotypes, so I decided to use female models, but also use the blue lighting.

I also has my model try look more masculine while stood in this light, by giving her a male jacket and asking her to put her hood up and look tough.

I edited these photos by increasing the contrast, shadows, whites and vibrancy, while decreasing the exposure, highlights, blacks and saturation. I did this to make the blue lighting more vibrant, and to make the model stand out more.

Femininity and masculinity

I had used both pink and blue lights here and positioned the male and female next to each other in the photograph, so the comparison between femininity and masculinity could be seen.

I had the female model sit in the pink light and the male model sit in the blue light, because they are their stereotypical colours. However, I was influenced by Cahun and how she went against stereotypes, so I also switched their positioning around, so they went against their stereotypes.

I edited these photos by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the highlights, whites and blacks. I did this so the coloured lighting would be more vibrant. I also used the prop of a bow in the hair to represent femininity, because bows are seen as a very feminine accessory.

Femininity

I also used a female model in both pink and blue lighting to represent gender fluidity and to go against stereotypes, just like Cahun did.

I edited this image by increasing the contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy, saturation, while decreasing the exposure, highlights and blacks. I did this to make the lighting more vibrant.

Next, I experimented with different masculine and female stereotypes.

Masculine

The first masculine stereotype I experimented with was that men are aggressive. I used different poses to show this. I also used red coloured lighting, because the colour red signifies anger.

I had my model put his hands up in fists to signify that he was angry and being aggressive. However, I then decided to go against the stereotype, like Cahun, and have him pose smiling, while in the red light. I did this to show that even if angry, like the red light portrays, not all men are aggressive all the time and that it’s just a stereotype.

I edited these images by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the highlights, whites and blacks. I did this so the model would stand out more and the lighting would be more vibrant.

I then experimented with the stereotype that males are strong and tough.

I had my male model pose flexing/ showing his muscles, so that he would look big and strong.

I edited this photo, by increasing the contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the exposure, highlights and blacks. I did this, so the model would stand out more.

I then made a virtual copy of the edited photo, so I could create a black and white copy.

Conclusion of shoot

The photos represented femininity and masculinity well, as they showed the different female and male stereotypes well. However, there were too many shadows in the images. Therefore, I went down again for another shoot and made sure my models were stood further forward, away from the backdrop, so that those shadows were not created. However, I do like the shadows in the final black and white image, because it make my model look even more touch as he has two large shadows behind him also flexing his muscles.

Femininity

In this shoot I experimented with different female stereotypes and different props. Firstly, I experimented with the stereotype that women are too emotional.

In this photo I was crying, so that I could represent the stereotype that women are too emotional and cry a lot.

In this photo I also experimented with ‘selfies’, the photo was of myself. I did this, because Cahun and Sherman both took photos of themselves.

I edited this image by increasing the contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the exposure, highlights and blacks. I did this, so the tears would be more visible.

Before:

After:

Then, I made a virtual copy of thee edited image, so that I could create a black and white version. I created a black and white version, so that the tears would be even more visible in the photo.

I then took photos of my model sad in the mirror to show that she is too emotional. She also looks insecure in some of these images in the mirror.

I edited these photos by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the highlights and blacks.

Next, I experimented with different props, that would represent different stereotypes of women.

Lip stick/gloss

I used make up to represent femininity, because a stereotype of women is that they should be beautiful and wear make up. Make up is more related to females, rather than males.

I edited this photo by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the highlights, whites and blacks. I did this to make the lighting more pink and so the background was not see in the mirror reflection.

I edited the white lighting and background photos by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the highlights and blacks. I did this, so the props would be more vibrant and so the model would stand out more.

I edited this image by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the highlights and blacks. Then, I made a virtual copy of my edited photo and created a black and white version and then edited it slightly more.

Perfume

I used perfume as a prop, because there are different sprays for men and women, and perfume represents females more than males, whereas aftershave represents males.

I edited these images by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the highlights and blacks. I did this to make the prop more vibrant and to make the model stand out more.

Phone

I used a phone, because another stereotype of females is that they gossip a lot, so I asked my models to pull either shocked, sad or happy expressions, so it seems like they are gossiping on the phone.

I edited these images by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the highlights and blacks. I did this, so the model and her facial expression would stand out more.

Broom

I used a broom as a prop in these photos, because a stereotype of women is that they should be housewives and stay at home so they can cook and clean. I was influenced by Cindy Sherman for this photo, because she created a photo of her as a housewife, but she was in the kitchen cooking.

I edited this image by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, whites and vibrancy, while decreasing the highlights. I did this, because the image was too dark, so I had to make the model and prop stand out more.

Mirrors

I used mirrors as a prop, because stereotypically make is related to females and females should wear it, so they look beautiful. Therefore, females are always looking in the mirror doing their make up. Females are also seen as insecure so they are often looking in the mirror because of that.

I also had my models pull different faces in the mirrors, so they also correlated to other stereotypes, such as women are too emotional.

I edited this image by increasing the contrast, shadows, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the highlights, whites and blacks. Then, I made a virtual copy, so I could create a black and white version. I made a black and white version, because in the mirror I am upset. Black and white can correlate with feelings of sadness.

Photoshoot Conclusion

In conclusion, I think this photoshoot went really well, because I used lots of different props to represent both feminine and masculine stereotypes. I also think that even though my first few photos had too many shadows behind the models, I think I corrected this very well when I went down the studio again. However, next time I would like to get more photos to support the masculinity theme.

Femininity and Masculinity

In this photoshoot I have decided to use the element of nature to experiment with the themes of femininity and masculinity. I chose a snowy setting, because I think the beauty of snow represents femininity, while I also used flowers and trees and other nature as props in my photoshoot. I also attempted to make the snow masculine, by using props such as snowballs, which are more aggressive, just like the masculine stereotype. The images which I have highlighted green are the images I have chosen to edit, because they have the best focus, lighting and composition.

The images which I have highlighted green are the images I have chosen to use and edit, because they are my best photos, because they have the best props and composition. They also represent the themes femininity and masculinity the best.

I first attempted to take a photograph capturing both masculinity and femininity, by positioning both a male and female next tot each other. However, the images were not in focus, as the camera was not on the correct settings to start. I did however try and edit the image, but could not get it into focus.

I edited this image, by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the highlights, whites and blacks. I did this, so there would be more colour in both the models faces, and so the image would be brighter.

Masculinity Theme

I attempted to use snowballs, so it would correlate with the masculine theme, as snowball fights can be quite aggressive and the stereotype of males is that males are aggressive. However, the photos did not come out how I had wanted, because it was hard to capture the action shot as the camera was not on the correct settings.

I edited all these images in the same way, by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while also decreasing the highlights and blacks. I did this, so the images would be brighter and more vibrant, so they attracted the viewers eye more.

However, this image is extremely blurry, so I tried to edit it to make it less blurry, but couldn’t as the camera was not steady as the photograph was being taken.

However, the idea behind this photo was that the model was flexing or showing his muscles to make him look big and strong, because a stereotype of masculinity is that men are tough and strong. However, this photo was executed poorly.

In these images the snowballs were used as props to show masculinity, because snowball fights can be aggressive, which correlates with the stereotype that males were aggressive. In the first image I tried to get an action shot of the snowballs being thrown at the model, but this did not come out how i expected it to, as it caused the model to pull a face. In the second image I got a shot of the model about to throw the snowball, to show that he was in the middle of a snowball fight. In the last two images the models were collecting snowballs, so they could get ready for their fight.

Femininity Theme

In this photo I decided to use nature, such as trees and flowers of props, because I think the beauty of nature represents femininity, because nature is beautiful and gentle, which femininity and women are often seen as. I also used a pink scarf as a prop/ outfit in the snow, because the colour pink also suggests femininity, due to the stereotype that women like/ wear pink.

I edited these three images the same way, by increasing contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while also decreasing the exposure, highlights and blacks. I did this, so the focus of the image would be the model and so the pink would be more vibrant and stand out more, so it would attract the viewers attention.

Before:

After:

You can see the difference in the two images and that the pink scarf stands out much more in the second image, so that the viewers eye is drawn to the pink more. This exaggerates the theme of femininity in the photograph.

In these images I used the prop of flowers, because they relate to the theme of femininity, because flowers as stereotypically seen as a feminine thing, because it is always the male buying ang gifting the females flowers. Flowers are also very delicate and beautiful, which women are also often seen as. The flowers in this image are also a purple/ pink colour, which is also stereotypically related to women. The pink scarf was also used in some of these images.

I edited these photos, by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the highlights and blacks. I did this, so the flowers in the background would stand out more, and so the image would also be brighter.

I also attempted to use another element of nature (a snowy tree) as a prop. The snowy tree also represents femininity, because of its beauty. However, trees are big, tough, strong and stand tall, which also relates to the theme of masculinity, because these are some of the stereotypes of males.

I edited these images by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the blacks and highlights, so that the snow would come out more white and less grey, compared to the original photo. I also did this, so the image would be brighter and more vibrant.

Before:

This image is dull and not vibrant enough, which is giving the snow a light grey colour.

After:

The photo is now more vibrant, therefore making the snow look whiter.

Then, I experimented with different feminine like poses, by asking my model to use her hands, by positioning them on her face.

I edited these two photos by increasing the contrast, shadows, whites and vibrancy, while decreasing the exposure, highlights and blacks. I edited the photo this way, so that it would be more vibrant and so the model would stand out more.

Next, I experimented with headshots in the snow.

I edited these two images by increasing the contrast and vibrancy, while decreasing the exposure, highlights, shadows, whites and blacks. I also used a correction tool, so I could get rid of any blemishes on the models skin.

Conclusion of shoot

I think this shoot went well, because I captured both the themes of masculinity and femininity by using both female and male models. I also liked how I used different props such as flowers and snowballs to capture different stereotypes of femininity and masculinity. However, next time I would like to get more photos that represent masculinity and make sure all my images are in focus.

Women through Time

1920’s:

1930’s:

1940’s:

1950’s:

1960’s:

1970’s:

1980’s:

1990’s:

2000’s:

Women have altered and changed as time has, so for one of my photo shoots I want to show how they have changed through time and show them changing. I want to do this by having a women model dress up in these different outfits, so I can show each decade. This fits into the theme of femininity, because it shows how ideas and stereotypes of femininity and how femininity should look also change through time. This suggests that femininity isn’t just one defined thing, and can be seen and presented in many different ways, as it changes constantly.

Stereotypes

Stereotypes is also going to be another photo shoot I am going to attempt for males and females, because I can use different emotions, colours and careers in this photo shoot. For example, women are too emotional and should be mothers, or men are aggressive and should be strong and tough. This fits into the theme of femininity and masculinity, because it suggests to people how men and females should be, or how they are. It also tells people what is feminine and masculine.

Nature

For my final photo shoot I am going to use different nature elements to portray femininity and masculinity. For example, flowers could be associated with females and femininity, so they could be a prop I could use to show femininity. Another way I can use nature to look into the themes of masculinity and femininity is by choosing a setting that matches masculine and feminine stereotypes.

Mind Map

Femininity Mood Board

This mood board shows general things that are related to women and that I could use as ‘props’ or ‘tools’ in my photoshoot. These include different hairstyles, which are more feminine, such as long hair, rather than shorter hair. It also includes things such as makeup, jewellery, clothing and nails. However, this mood board also includes stereotypes of women that I could also showcase in my photoshoot. These stereotypes include women being too emotional, or that women must be housewives and mothers. The colour pink is also stereotypically correlated with women. This mood board also includes places that typically suit a women or could be used as a background to make my photographs more feminine, such as meadows, or fields, as well as snowy fields, sunsets and flowery fields.

Masculinity Mood Board

This mood board includes ‘props’ or ‘tools’, which can be used for my photoshoot, to achieve a more masculine variety of photographs, such as weights, footballs, or the colour blue. This is because these are typically associated with males. There are also different outfits, such as suits and ties, or army camo clothes. Stubble could also be used to make the photoshoot more masculine. This mood board also includes stereotypes of men, such as they are fathers, aggressive and restrain their emotions. These stereotypes could be used to help position and pose my model, so they look more masculine.

Femininity:

The social expectations of being a women. It refers to the roles, behaviours and attributes that are considered appropriate for girls and women in a given society.

Masculinity:

The social expectations of being a man. It refers to the roles, behaviours and attributes that are considered appropriate for boys and men in a given society.

Summary

Femininity and masculinity are a binary opposite, which means they are relative terms, which mean the opposite. Examples of binary opposites:

• Good vs Evil

• Light vs Dark

• Young vs Old

• Peace vs War

Binary opposition originated in Saussurean structuralist theory in Linquistics (scientific study of language). According to Ferdinand de Saussure, binary opposition is the system by which, in language and thought, two theoretical opposites are strictly defined and set off against one another. Using binary opposites can often be very helpful in generating ideas for a photographic project as it provides a framework, which provides a set of boundaries to work within.

Influences on Gender

Someone’s femininity or masculinity may be influenced by the place they live, or the upbringing they have. This can be due to different cultures, society, workplace etc. Culture can influence gender identity (femininity and masculinity), because it can either maximise (women should be a mother and housewife), minimise (men and women are seen as equals in most things, but not all, so there are still some set rules for each gender) or eliminate gender completely (men and women are totally equal and have no set roles). This shows that femininity and masculinity is just a made up construct and stereotypes are not always correct, but can also sometimes be more pushed depending on culture, upbringing, place or origin etc. Some examples of stereotypes that push the idea of femininity and masculinity are:

• Women are supposed to be housewives and mothers

• Men are supposed to be tough and strong

• Men are supposed to singularly provide

• Women are not supposed to be business women

Stereotypes are societies way of influencing gender (femininity and masculinity), because it promotes a certain standard that ‘everyone should follow by.’ Society causes some people to follow these stereotypes, because it makes them seem more socially desirable. This means that society can cause women to be more feminine, or men to be more masculine, even if that is not what they want or how they feel.

However, there are many groups in society, which do the opposite, such as pride. Pride promotes that you can be yourself, so if a man feels more feminine he can be, or if a women feels more masculine she can be.

Even workplaces can sometimes promote or not promote femininity and masculinity. Some workplaces may believe that business women do not have time for kids, family or a relationship at the moment, as they are so business orientated. This goes against the female stereotype that women should not work, because they should be a housewife and raise their children. Stereotypically they are now seen as less feminine and more masculine, because the men are stereotypically seen as the workers and providers.

Claude Cahun

Claude Cahun, born Lucy Schwob was a French photographer, sculptor, and writer. Cahun changed her name from Lucy to Claude, because Claude is a gender neutral name, meaning it can be used for a women or a man. She did this to experiment with gender fluidity. She is best known for her self-portraits in which she assumes a variety of personas, including dandy, weight lifter, aviator, and doll. The Jersey Heritage Trust collection represents the largest repository of the artistic work of Cahun who moved to the Jersey in 1937 with her stepsister and lover Marcel Moore. She was imprisoned and sentenced to death in 1944 for activities in the resistance during the Occupation. However, Cahun survived and she was almost forgotten until the late 1980s, and much of her and Moore’s work was destroyed by the Nazis, who requisitioned their home. Cahun died in 1954 of ill health (some contribute this to her time in German captivity) and Moore killed herself in 1972. They  are both buried together in St Brelade’s churchyard.

In this image, Cahun has shaved her head and is dressed in men’s clothing. She did this to defy conventional ideals of beauty and femininity, so she could show society that she didn’t have to be extremely feminine to still be beautiful. She once explained: “Under this mask, another mask; I will never finish removing all these faces.” This can be interpreted as that there are so many different levels to her all hidden beyond the surface and that just because of how she looked it does not have an impact on her personality or beauty.

Cahun was friends with many Surrealist artists and writers; André Breton once called her “one of the most curious spirits of our time.”

While many male Surrealists depicted women as objects of male desire, Cahun staged images of herself that challenged the idea of the politics of gender. Cahun was championing the idea of gender fluidity.  She was exploring her identity, not defining it. Her self-portraits often interrogates space, such as domestic interiors  and Jersey landscapes using rock crevasses and granite gate.

In 2017 the National Portrait Gallery in London staged a major exhibition Gillian Wearing and Claude Cahun: Behind the Mask, Another Mask showing their work together for the first time. Slipping between genders and personae in their photographic self-images, Wearing and Cahun become others while inventing themselves. “We were born in different times, we have different concerns, and we come from different backgrounds. She didn’t know me, yet I know her,” Wearing says, paying homage to Cahun and acknowledging her presence. The bigger question the exhibition might ask is less how we construct identities for ourselves than what is this thing called presence?

In the image on the left it is Cahun is the model and the photographer. In the image on the right the model and photographer is Gillian Wearing, who was inspired by Cahun and her experimenting with gender fluidity when it was dangerous and not accepted in her time. 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.

‘We are only just catching up to her’

Gillian Wearing said this about Claude Cahun, which suggests how Cahun was so ahead of her time, while she was experimenting with gender and gender fluidity. She is now a huge inspiration to modern day people, like the LGBTQ community.

I agree with Wearing’s statement here, because society were only just starting to accept people who had the same beliefs as Cahun, and it is now much more normal and accepted, whereas in Cahun’s time it was dangerous to experiment with gender fluidity and to have her belief’s. However, Cahun still did this and presented it to the world.

Cahun represents the idea that masculinity and femininity do not have to be defined and that anyone can be either feminine or masculine, no matter their gender. She shows this by looking and creating more masculine artwork of herself, a women, to really push the idea that femininity or masculinity are not a main factor in beauty and anyone can beautiful either way. She pushes the idea of gender fluidity, which means she can either be masculine or feminine depending on what she wants and finds beautiful at the time. This supports her analogy of her endless masks, because it shows that she will forever keep changing and will never stay the same, especially not just for social approval.

Image Analysis

This photograph was taken by Claude Cahun and is of Claude Cahun. However, she is dressed up and becoming another ‘character’, or ‘version of herself’, as she is ‘removing another mask.’ This image really looks into the topic of femininity and masculinity, because Cahun (a women), who should be seen as more feminine according to society standards, actually looks much more masculine. She looks much more masculine, because she has short hair, a suit and even the pose she is in is making her look more masculine. The mirror being used as a prop also enhances Cahun’s masculinity in this photograph, because it shows Cahuns facial structure very well in the pose that she is in, and the pose makes her facial and bone structure look more masculine here. This suggests that stereotypes are not always correct for everyone and that gender fluidity is important to Cahun. This also suggests that individually Cahun is not like stereotypes either and that she is gender fluid, because she is more masculine, even though she is actually a female.

This photograph of Cahun’s also looks into the themes of masculinity, as Cahun (a women), who should stereotypically look more feminine, actually looks more masculine, because of the stereotype that men should be tough and strong, and should protect the female. Cahun relates to this stereotype, because of the prop she is using. She is using a prop weight in this photograph, which suggests she is strong and tough, which is more of a masculine trait in society. Cahun has dressed up as a more masculine ‘character,’ or another version of herself,’ so she can show society that gender fluidity is a real thing and that stereotypes are not correct most of time and that females can be masculine (vies versa). However, Cahun’s makeup also suggests that she is quite feminine, as women were the only gender that wore make up back in this day as this was what society deemed correct. Cahun wearing feminine make up, while using a more masculine prop really enhances her gender fluidity, as she can be feminine and masculine at the same time. This is proves the stereotype that men are strong and tough and that females are weak and emotional, because her being feminine while carrying the weight, suggests that women can also be just as strong and tough as men can.

Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman experiments with different female stereotypes, such as a housewife etc, by masquerading as a myriad of characters. Cindy Sherman (American, born 1954) invents personas and tableaus that examine the construction of identity, the nature of representation, and the artifice of photography. To create her images, she assumes the multiple roles of photographer, model, makeup artist, hairdresser, and stylist. Whether portraying a career girl, a blond bombshell, a fashion victim, a clown, or a society lady of a certain age, for over thirty-five years this relentlessly adventurous artist has created an eloquent and provocative body of work that resonates deeply in our visual culture.

Sherman works in series, and each of her bodies of work is self-contained and internally coherent; yet there are themes that have recurred throughout her career. The exhibition showcases the artist’s individual series and also presents works grouped thematically around such common threads as cinema and performance; horror and the grotesque; myth, carnival, and fairy tales; and gender and class identity.

Cindy Sherman experiments with gender identity and femininity, by show casing the socially desirable female and how different ways culture defines a women.  Her art plays on the feminist idea that gender arises exclusively within culture and deconstructs dominant gender ideologies, representing the underside of popular culture’s definition of “woman.” She exposes the arbitrariness of performativity and presents a variety of female identities that are found within popular culture, and reveals that these are nothing more than constructions. Behind each character there is no central identity. Each is a series of manipulations according to cultural conventions. There is no essential femininity, instead that the whole self is an imaginary construct that can be changed through performativity.

Image Analysis

This photograph of Cindy Sherman, that she also took using equipment such as a timer, looks into the topic of femininity and masculinity, as she is producing many different female stereotypes. Sherman dresses up as many different common stereotypes, like she has in this photo. She has dressed up as a housewife, because a common stereotype is that women should be mothers and housewives. This photo also suggests the idea that she is a mother, because she is looking over her shoulder into the distance, which could suggests she is watching a child, while trying to cook dinner or lunch. We are given the impression she is cooking, from the props, which include salt, dish soap, the handle of a cooking pan etc. This suggests that she is in the kitchen, because this is where all these props are commonly found. Sherman also looks more feminine in this photo, because another stereotype of women is that they should look more feminine, because this is what society deems correct. Sherman presents all these different stereotypes to show that she can be anyone, as she has dressed up and been all of these ‘characters’ and stereotypes. This shows that no one knows the real Cindy Sherman, just like no one knows people beneath their stereotypes.

This image is of Cindy Sherman and also taken by her. This image looks into the theme femininity and masculinity, because it shows a stereotype of women. The stereotype that Sherman is presenting in this image is that women are weak and too emotional. She presents this, by having her crying in this image, with mascara and tears dripping down her face, leaving streaks in her makeup. She also uses props in this photo, which includes a cocktail glass, which suggests she is drinking alcohol, while crying, which suggests that she is having a big meltdown. Another prop is her cigarette in her hand and the lighter on the table, showing that she is very stressed and upset and that she is smoking a cigarette, to try and help her calm down. The mess on the table is also used as a prop to show how distraught and emotional she is, as it looks like tobacco all over the table. This suggests that she was so distraught and crying so much, that she couldn’t really see what she was doing while rolling her cigarette and was spilling it everywhere. She also looks more feminine with makeup and having mascara and makeup streaks while she is crying, because it shows that she is more feminine, as makeup was only worn by women at this time, as that what was deemed correct by society. She is looking more feminine, because another stereotype of women is that they should wear makeup and look more feminine, because that is what society deems expectable. Sherman is becoming this stereotype, as well as all the other stereotypes or ‘characters’ she has become, so she can show everyone that a women could be anyone and so could Cindy Sherman, as no one knows who the real Cindy Sherman is, they just know all the different stereotypes that surround her, which is the same as every women or man, who has been stereotyped.

All the photographs of Cindy Sherman, where she is dressed up as a ‘character’, to present different stereotypes are called Film Still #… This is because each of her photographs were taken from a scene from different movies. This shows how stereotypes were widely spread by the media and society and that this was how women were represented and how stereotypes were massively used and portrayed.

Cindy Sherman and Claude Cahun

Cindy Sherman and Claude Cahun both presented similar work, and did it in a similar way. Both presented different stereotypes in their work, and wanted to fight societies ideas of women and stereotypes. They both did this by becoming the different stereotypes and dressing up as different ‘characters’ to show that they could be anyone and that no one knew the real them. However, they also had differences in their work, as Sherman only portrayed the more feminine stereotypes, whereas Cahun presented both feminine and masculine stereotypes, as she was really pushing the idea of gender fluidity. Sherman also took her stereotypes from stereotypes in different movies or in the media to really present how wide spread these stereotypes are. Whereas, Cahun took her stereotypes from society and challenged society with the different stereotypes, and with gender fluidity, as she became more masculine, when she was a women.

Femininity: The social expectations of being a women. It refers to the qualities or attributes regarded as characteristics of women or girls in a given society.

Masculinity: The social expectations of being a man. It refers to the roles, behaviours and attributes that are considered appropriate for boys and men in a given society.

Summary

Femininity and masculinity are a binary opposite, which means they are relative terms, which mean the opposite. Another example of binary opposites are good vs evil. Binary opposition originated in Saussurean structuralist theory in Linquistics (scientific study of language). According to Ferdinand de Saussure, binary opposition is the system by which, in language and thought, two theoretical opposites are strictly defined and set off against one another. Using binary opposites can often be very helpful in generating ideas for a photographic project as it provides a framework, which provides a set of boundaries to work within.

Identity Politics

Identity politics is a term used to describe people of a particular race, religion, gender, social background, class or another identifying factor and how they are more or less venerable to oppression. Some social groups are more likely to be oppressed, such as women, ethnic minorities or sexual minorities, because they are seen to have less power or privilege. However, some people are less likely to be oppressed and are more favoured are mainly whites, or men, because they are seen to have more power or privilege.

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, eg. Black Lives Matter movement.

Culture Wars

Culture wars are cultural conflicts between social groups and the struggle for dominance of their values, beliefs, and practices. It commonly refers to topics on which there is general societal disagreement and polarization in societal values is seen.

The term is commonly used to describe contemporary politics in western democracies  with issues such as abortion, homosexuality, transgender rights, pornography, multiculturalism, racial viewpoints and other cultural conflicts based on values, morality, and lifestyle being described as the major political cleavage.

In the photograph above it is Grayson Perry, who goes on a Big American Road Trip, where he travels across the US, exploring its biggest fault lines, from race to class and identity, making art as he goes along. He travels to the Midwest to find folks bitterly divided over identity politics and hot issues like abortion and vaccination.

Gender Identity

Gender identity is how a person describes there gender. This is your deeply-held inner feelings as to whether you are a female, male, both or neither.

Cultural Identity

Cultural identity is a part of a person’s identity, or their self-conception and self-perception, and is related to nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class, generation, locality or any kind of social group that has its own distinct culture.

Social Identity

Social identity refers to people’s self-categorizations in relation to their group memberships (the ‘we’). These categorizations are often assigned to us or something we are born into.

Geographical Identity

An individual or group’s sense of attachment to the country, region, city, or village in which they live. It is also the key characteristics with which a particular country, region, city, or village is associated.

Political Identity

Political identity is a form of social identity marking membership of certain groups that share a common struggle for a certain form of power. This can include identification with a political party, but also positions on specific political issues, nationalism, inter-ethnic relations or more abstract ideological themes.

Lack of/ Loss of identity

The loss of identity can refer to a range of experiences in which an individual feels disconnected from their sense of self, purpose, or values. This can occur due to various factors such as major life changes, trauma, mental health issues, or societal pressures. This can also cause mental health issues for some individuals.

Stereotypes

A stereotype is a widely held, but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. There are many different gender stereotypes that influence femininity and masculinity. Examples:

 • Women should be housewives and mothers

 • Men should be tough and strong

 • Women are too emotional

 • Men should souly provide for the women

Prejudice

Prejudice is a favouring or dislike of something without good reason. It is having unfriendly feelings directed against an individual, a group, or a race.

Photoshoot- Edits

The photographs that are highlighted green are the photos I have chosen to edit, because they use a variety of lighting, positioning and poses.

Set Up

There were multiple different set ups for the different types of lighting used. However, the same two studio lights were used. One light was a honey comb light, while the other had a snout. The snout directs the light to a specific place, whereas the honey comb light creates a strong spot light effect. I also used coloured disks and sheets to create different coloured lighting.

Split lighting-

For the split coloured lighting the light with the snout was on the right side of the model with a coloured disk inside it and the honeycomb light was on the left of the model with a coloured sheet help over it. Both lights were to the side of the camera at a 45 degree angle, but the snout light was slightly closer the the model, as it is a less powerful and bright light.

Spotlight behind-

To create the coloured spot light behind the model. while the model is a different colour, the snout light needs to be behind the model on her left pointing at a 45 degree angle onto the background wall. Whereas, the honeycomb light needs to be on the right of the model in line with the camera on a 45 degree angle directly onto the model. The snout light has a coloured disk inside and the honey comb light has a coloured sheet held in front of it.

Editing- Diamond Cameo

I chose to edit these 4 photos, so I would be able to create a Diamond Cameo with them, as they include all the positions/ angles needed for it.

I edited this first photograph to increase the exposure, so the image would be less dark. I did this by increasing the exposure, contrast, highlights, whites, blacks and vibrancy, while decreasing the shadows.

I also created a black and white version of the edited photograph, by creating a virtual copy of the edited photo. I also used a spot removal tool to get rid of any blemishes.

I edited this photo to also increase the exposure, so the image would be lighter. I did this by increasing the exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, texture, clarity and vibrancy, while decreasing the blacks and whites.

I also made a virtual copy of the edited photograph and made a black and white version.

I edited this photo to make it brighter, so the model is more visible. I did this by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the whites and highlights.

I also made a virtual copy of the edited photograph, so I could create a black and white version.

I edited this photo to increase the exposure and to make it brighter. I did this by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the highlights and whites. I also used an eye brightening tool, so the eyes stand out more.

I also made a black and white version of the edited photograph by making a virtual copy. I also used a spot correction tool to get rid of any blemishes.

Final 4 Coloured Images for Diamond Cameo

Final 4 B&W Images for Diamond Cameo

Photoshop- Diamond Cameo

This is my first attempt of creating a diamond cameo on photoshop. Firstly, I imported my four photos which I wanted to use for my diamond cameo onto a background on photoshop. I then selected them all together to resize them to fit the background perfectly. Then, I positioned my four layers where I want them.

Then I select a layer and select the elliptical marque tool and select the feather at 15, so the edges of my ovals fade in and aren’t sharp ovals. Then, I cut out my desired size and shape oval on the selected layer and right click in the oval click layer via copy to create a copy of the oval cut out.

Next, I delete the selected layer without the cut out oval and then repeat this for all the four layers.

Next, I experimented with my diamond cameo, by changing the background to black by using the gradient tool to fill in the background with black paint. I also experimented with giving my diamond cameo an older look, so I could try and replicate a Henry Mullins diamond cameo.

I made an older looking diamond cameo like Henry Mullins by using the filters on the top right of my screen and changing how harsh or light I want them.

Double Multi-Exposure

These are the two images I am going to be using for my Multi-exposure photographs, because they are similar, but also have a very obvious difference, which is how the model is using her hands to pose.

I edited this photos to make them brighter and have a greater exposure. I did this by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, vibrancy, texture, clarity and saturation, while decreasing the whites and highlights.

This is my first attempt of a double multi- exposure photograph. I created this on photoshop, by firstly layering my two chosen images on a plain background. I select one of my layers then adjust the opacity of the one layer, so it is more transparent. Then I position the more transparent layer on top of my opaque layer where I want it.

Juxtaposition

This is the photo I have chosen to edit for my juxtaposition photos, because it has a good composition and is a close up head shot.

I edited this photo to make it brighter and have a higher exposure, so the model would be more visible and so the image would be less dark. I did this by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, whites, blacks, texture, clarity and vibrancy, while decreasing the highlights and saturation.

I then made a virtual copy of the edited photograph and created a black and white version for my juxtaposition.

Sequence/ Grid

These are the images I have chosen to edit, because they are my top 9 photographs. This is because they have the best compositions, poses, lighting and editing skills.

I edited this image to make the models face brighter and for the image to have more exposure, so the model was more visible. I did this by increasing the exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, texture, clarity, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the blacks.

I edited all these images to make them brighter, so the colours used to photograph with pop more and are more vibrant and colourful. I did this by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation on them all, while also decreasing the highlights and blacks. I also used the brightening tool on the models eyes in all of these images, so the eyes would pop and stand out more.

Montage

These are the two images I have chosen to edit and use to create my montage, because they have the best composition, poses and lighting.

I edited these photographs to make them more vibrant, so the colours pop more. I did this by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, vibrancy and saturation on both, while decreasing the whites and blacks. I also used the brightening tool to brighten the eyes of the model, so they stand out more.

Headshots

Diamond Cameo-

In my photoshoot I am going to produce some Diamond Cameo photographs of my models. I will do this by taking four separate portraits of my models and editing them onto the same document in photoshop.

Double/ Multi-exposure-

Double or multiple exposures are an illusion created by layering images over the top of each other. This can be achieved in the camera settings, or on Adobe Photoshop by creating LAYERS and then using BLENDING OPTIONS and OPACITY CONTROL. Artist have used these techniques to explore surrealist Ideas and evoke dream-like imagery, or imagery that explores time / time lapse.

Juxtaposition-

Juxtaposition is placing two images together to show contrast or similarities. For example, portraits of Henry Mullins and Michelle Sank are juxtaposed to show comparison/ similarities/ differences between different social and professional classes in Jersey mid-19th century and early 21st century.

Juxtapose images can be according to shapes, colours, repetition, object vs portrait.

Sequence/ Grid-

Henry Mullins make sequences/ grids, which are pages and re- constructed contact-sheets from his portrait albums.

Montage-

Photomontage is the process and the result of making a composite photograph by cutting, gluing, rearranging and overlapping two or more photographs into a new image. 

I am going to attempt to create each one of these techniques with my headshots. I will achieve this by taking multiple photos in the studio and editing them in Lightroom. Finally, I will do each technique in photoshop.