Here’s my virtual gallery for femininity vs masculinity

These are the pictures closer up

Environmental portraits virtual gallery

Different lighting virtual gallery

Justine Kurland Photos.

Before

I have picked these two photos as I believe they are the best out of all the ones I took. I believe that these pictures best represent Justine Kurland as they are adventurous and represent ‘girlhood’.

After

To edit these pictures, I used Adobe Lightroom and adjusted the different settings to get my pictures looking more colourful.

Cindy Sherman

before

I have chosen these two photos because I believe they show femininity through more of a girly way. I think they best represent Cindy Sherman as she was all about taking pictures of women to represent femininity, and these show girly traits, e.g in the first picture, the models hair tells a story in itself about loving and embracing hair when your a girl, and in the second picture, i focused on trends these days, for e.g always being on a phone, fashion etc.

After

I chose to edit these photos in photoshop. I wanted to show different angles in the pictures to emphasise what message I’m getting across. They both represent femininity in similar but different ways.

Justine Kurland – her photos

Analysis – In this photo you can see two girls play fighting. This image shows femininity/girlhood by feeling free outside in the wilderness.

Analysis – In this picture, you can see two girls, one sat on a wall and one holding her other shoe. This represents femininity as the girl on the right is being supportive and helpful of her friend.

Justine Kurland – my photos

Analysis – Similarly to the first picture I put for Justine Kurland’s, my picture also has two girls having a friendly snowball fight. This represents ‘girlhood’/femininity just like Kurland’s as it shows how teenage girls have fun. I edited this photo changing different settings to make outside look like a brighter place to be as Kurland’s photos represent the wilderness.

Analysis – Similarly to the second picture I put for Justine Kurland, this image shows one friend helping the other out. Brushing hair is a girly act, so therefore also represents femininity in that way. I also used a filter to make the photo look a little more wild.

Cindy Sherman – her photos

Analysis – These pictures show femininity by the basics of the clothes, colours, and style.

Analysis – This photo represents femininity through the story its telling. Cindy Sherman used her photos as a way to show stereotypes. This shows a young lady waiting to pick up the phone, this is feminine again because of the use of colours, but also the stereotype that women need men.

Cindy Sherman – my photos

Analysis – This picture was inspired my Sherman. I used the models hair and posture to show femininity. This is similar to Sherman’s pictures as the main focus was showing femininity through the hair.

Analysis – In this image, I used the use of the models phone to represent femininity. As you can see in one of Cindy Sherman’s photos, you can see the model waiting to answer the phone, I went for the same idea to show how many women rely on their phones for validation.

Contact Sheet

Here I rated my picture selection with colours, yellow being okay, green being great.

Star Rating

1 star being the worst, 2 stars still nit good, 3 stars getting better, 4 stars I like it, 5 stars its great.

I like all my pictures as they are all showing femininity, however I have narrowed it down to 6 main pictures that I like the most.

Selected images

I have selected these images as my best. They all represent what I’m trying to show, femininity. They are all clear and in focus. They are my favourite as I feel like I can be more creative with these photos.

These are my photos for femininity:

Photoshoot 1

What?

These are ‘Girl Pictures’. Altogether, Kurland published 69 pictures of girls in a series called Girl Pictures.

Who?

For my first photoshoot, I was inspired by the photographer Justine Kurland. Her work is very adventurous and displays femininity in interesting ways. Me and two of my classmates took these pictures.

When?

I took these photos during one of my photography lessons.

Where&why?

The pictures got taken outside as all her pictures are based outside too.

These are some pictures before being edited we took inspired by her:

For these two photos, we went outside and took pictures playing in the snow. This was inspires by Justine Kurland as its outside and adventurous, it explores the fun in the natural environment.

In this photo, I focussed on portraying a friendship through ‘girly’ activities.

Photoshoot 2

What?

Sherman used cinematic conventions to structure these photographs.

Who?

The next artist I was inspired by was Cindy Sherman. I also used two of my classmates for this shoot.

When?

I also did this shoot in a photography lesson.

Where&why?

For this photoshoot I focused less on ‘girlhood’ and more on beauty as that’s Sherman’s style. I did this photoshoot in the studio.

These are some pictures before being edited we took inspired by her:

For these pictures, I focused on femininity through the phrase ‘free will’, by doing normal day to day things (makeup, phones). In these pictures, you can see girly traits through, hair, style, clothes, makeup etc.

Masculinity

Mind map:

Mood Board through years:

Femininity

Mind map:

Mood board through years:

Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman is an American photographer, born 19th January 1954, New Jersey, United States. Her 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.

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.”

Sherman has received numerous awards, including the Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography in 1999 and a MacArthur Foundation fellowship in 1995. She lives and works in New York.

Here, in this photo, feminism is shown as it shows a woman in the kitchen. Its stereotypically known that a woman is ‘meant to be’ in the kitchen.

This picture shows femininity as it shows a woman in front of the mirror dressed all nicely and girly. It is expected for women to dress in a specific way. She is also posing in an innocent, nurturing, and accommodating way.

Sherman’s photographs visually describe the feminist social constructionist argument that there is no natural identity behind the mask of gender. Women affirm their gender identity through performative behaviour.

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.

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.

In American usage, “culture war” may imply a conflict between those values considered traditionalist or conservative and those considered progressive or liberal. This usage originated in the 1920s when urban and rural American values came into closer conflict.

What is the argument against identity politics?

Many socialists have deeply criticized identity politics for its divisive nature, claiming that it forms identities that can undermine proletariat unity and the class struggle as a whole.

Eight major social identities are:

ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status.

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.

Positive aspect

Specifically, social identify can enrich and make people stronger and healthier because it provides them with self-esteem, a sense of belonging, existential sense and a feeling of control.

What are the examples of political identities?

This can include identification with a political party, but also positions on specific political issues, nationalism, inter-ethnic relations or more abstract ideological themes. Political identities develop in individuals and evolve over time.

How does your identity impact your perspective?

Key facets of identity (like gender, social class, age, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, religion, age and disability) play significant roles in determining how we understand and experience the world, as well as shaping the types of opportunities and challenges we face.

Tribalism
A tribe is defined as a social division in a traditional society consisting of families or communities linked by social, economic, religious, or blood ties, with a common culture and dialect, typically having a recognised leader. When we hear the word tribe, we may think of Native Americans, but in modern usage the term can also refer to people who share common ideas and allegiances. Tribalism is defined as behaviour and attitudes that stem from strong loyalty to one’s own tribe or social group. Tribalism has societal and individual benefits as well as costs.

In terms of benefits, tribalism gives us a sense of
belonging and trust.

We needed communities we could completely rely on in order to survive. Group affiliation can bring cohesion to communities and inspire individuals to act on behalf of others. Psychologically, humans find comfort and security from feeling that we are part of something bigger than ourselves.

Tribalism can have very negative consequences when it is used to exclude individuals or groups or to take away their rights, status, and independence. These negative aspects of tribalism are often fuelled by competition and the perception of a common threat. They promote fear, anxiety, and prejudice, all of which make us more aware of fake news, propaganda, and conflict.

What are the dangers of tribalism?

These negative aspects of tribalism are often fueled by competition and the perception of a common threat. They promote fear, anxiety, and prejudice, all of which make us more susceptible to fake news, propaganda, and conflict. Tribalism can take many forms in our modern society. Social pressure created cultural norms and collective tribal life might cause tribe members to fulfill their cultural obligations through corrupt actions such as favoritism and nepotism.