In what way does Sian Davey and Nick Haymes explore teenage stereotypes through their work?
Introduction
I am studying teenage stereotypes. I chose to study this topic as challenging teenage stereotypes is key as it promotes individuality and expressing yourself, reduces harmful representations, and encourages personal development. When these stereotypes are challenged, teenagers are given the freedom to express themselves without being restricted by unrealistic expectations, allowing them to explore themselves without judgement. These stereotypes often portray teens as rebellious, lazy, or overly dramatic. This can negatively affect their self-esteem and mental health if overthought.
By shutting down these negative concepts, society creates an environment that recognises the abilities of young people, encouraging them to develop in a responsible and confident way. Additionally, challenging stereotypes helps build more respectful relationships between generations, as adults are encouraged and known to see teenagers as complicated but however, are very capable individuals. Inclusivity is shown by acknowledging the diversity of teen experiences. This may vary based on culture and background. It ensures that all teens are given equal opportunities to succeed.
To support my findings in this topic, I researched and looked in to the artists Nick Haymes and Sian Davey. Nick Haymes is a visual artist and photographer born in Stratford Upon Avon (UK), living and working in Los Angeles. Haymes studied fine art, but dropped out in his second year. When using a fake ID under a friend’s name, he in due course studied photography at SVA and ICP. In 2010 Haymes started Little Big Man books and gallery. Davey is a photographer with a background in fine art and social policy, who worked for fifteen years as a humanist Buddhist psychotherapist. She was born in Brighton, United Kingdom, 1964. She is based in Devon, United Kingdom. I will be responding to their work through a photobook. I’ll use these artists as references; explore and recreate their ideas and themes in my own way. I’ll use them as inspiration, analyse their images and find relationships between teenage stereotypes and their work.
Both artists use photography to explore identity, emotion, and the lives of teenagers, challenging stereotypical representations often found in media and culture. Their work draws on themes of emotional depth and personal growth, moving beyond the typical portrayal of teenagers as rebellious.
I intend to respond to Nick Haymes and Sian Daveys work by exploring the styles of their pictures and focus on subjects they focus on. To respond to teenage stereotypes, I want to focus on both sides of these stereotypes. I want to capture moments where teens are fitting these stereotypes, and also rejecting them by showing teens don’t have to fit these stereotypes. I am aware there are many teenagers who are do fit the accusations made, however, many teenagers are different, and don’t fit these stereotypes but are still put in a class where people think we are all the same.
Youth Subcultures
The cultural studies approach, particularly through theorists like Stuart Hall and Dick Hebdige, examines youth subcultures as expressions of resistance. These subcultures, from punk to hip-hop to goth, offer a critique of mainstream society. Teenage subcultures are often stereotyped in the media as rebellious or deviant, yet they also represent forms of resistance to cultural norms, through music, fashion, and language. These representations in photography and art show teenagers navigating tensions between individuality and conformity.
Resistance and Identity Formation: The idea of resistance is central to understanding teenage stereotypes in visual culture. Teens are often depicted as resisting adult authority, whether through the rebellious “bad boy” stereotype or the angsty, misunderstood “teenager” trope. Visual culture often frames them in opposition to adult norms, whether through their style (e.g., punk fashion, goth makeup) or their behaviour (e.g., defiance or disengagement).
‘Identity is never singular but is multiply constructed across intersecting and antagonistic discourses, practices and positions.’ – Stuart Hall
I agree with this statement made by Stuart Hall, as your identity is built with not only yourself, but your surroundings too. I do believe that negative, as well as positive, experiences create what kind of person you become. The people you surround yourself with play a major role in who you are today.
Hegemony: The theory of cultural hegemony, as developed by Antonio Gramsci, is helpful in understanding how dominant ideologies shape and control the representation of teenagers. Stereotypical depictions of teens in visual culture often reflect the values and interests of the adult-dominated culture, reinforcing ideas about how teenagers should behave, what they should desire, and who they are supposed to be.
Before puberty the child’s personality has not yet formed and it is easier to guide its life and make it acquire specific habits of order, discipline, and work. – Antonio Gramsci
I agree with this statement Antonio Gramsci has made as, when you are young, decisions are made for you, there is no feeling of self inflicted power. Adults are more able to control the youths life when young and not as capable.
Sian Davey
Sian Davey’s intimate, quiet portraits emphasise vulnerability and the complexity of teenage identity. This approach can be seen as a response to movements in art like Feminism and Humanism which have encouraged a more significant view of personal and social identity, rejecting simplified views of gender, age, and social roles. Davey’s work challenges the stereotypical representation of teens in what adults would call a ‘crisis’, instead focusing on their inner worlds and the importance of growing up. This reflects an understanding of identity that rejects ‘one-size-fits-all’ narratives. Sian Davey had spent years developing a project called ‘Looking For Alice’. This was a documentary photo project about her youngest daughter, who was born with Down’s Syndrome. It won many awards, bringing issues of social policy into the spotlight. She presumed her other children were relieved not to have the camera always on them. In reality, her 16-year-old daughter Martha felt a little left out. That opened the door to another project; one where Davey shifted from parent to photographer. She got to experience what most teenagers keep secret.
My own images:
Nick Haymes
My inspiration for using Nick Haymes as my artist reference was his project “The Last Survivor is the First Suspect”. It is a project captured between 2005 and 2009 by photographer Nick Haymes. It is a record of a drifting community of young friends based mainly between two geographic points; Southern California and Tulsa, Oklahoma. The book’s narrative merges a sense of joy in documenting friendships and bonds, and also a sense of dread that would ultimately peak in a series of tragedies. Living in New York since 2000, Haymes has worked over the last 7 years with some of the most important magazines worldwide: i-D, Dazed And Confused, Index, The Face, Vogue, TeenVogue, Another Magazine, Arena, Capricious and the Journal to name a few. Through these networks he has gained access to a whole scene of diverse worlds and tribes, which then brought Nick’s personal work closer to a particular atmosphere, made of family members, friends, and their inner sceneries. His work captured my eye and I wanted to create work that was similar to his. I like the way he presents his images and captures all the aspects of teenage life.
Conclusion
Similarities: Both artists show the depths of teenage stereotypes. Both Davey and Haymes focus their photography on personal subjects that are close to them, whether that’s family, relationships, or their own worlds. Davey’s work explores themes of motherhood and looking at identity, while Haymes has been known to document the intimacy and complications of his own life. They both present raw, unfiltered emotions and connections that are portrayed through their subjects expressions and in the environments they use. They look and focus on real life settings, so making sure nothing is staged and presenting their work to reflect their topic on teenagers. In relation to my own work, I also took pictures of people who are close to me, my friends. I didn’t use any strangers in my photoshoots. I also used raw, unfiltered images so nothing was set up in my photos. I wanted my project to be natural and not set up, just like most of their photos were.
Differences: Sian Davey’s work is often looking at themes of motherhood, family, and identity. She particularly explores the emotional and psychological experiences of raising children. Nick Haymes’ on the other hand, is often looking at the complications of relationships and youth. His work tends to often convey a sense of emotional uncertainty and the search for feeling like you belong. Their differences are in the tone, style, and range of their projects, with Davey focusing on intimate portraiture, and Haymes exploring emotional landscapes with a more conceptual and environmental lens. In relation to my own work, I feel like I relate to Nick Haymes more. I explored the themes of emotional uncertainty and wanted my photos to create a story of what teenagers are made out to be and look like. I wanted to capture these complications.
Bibliography
teenlife.ngohttps://teenlife.ngo › challenging-teenage-stereotypes
https://www.shashasha.co/en/book/the-last-survivor-is-the-first-suspect
https://photoworks.org.uk/ideas-series-interview-sian-davey
https://www.huckmag.com/article/teenage-life-sian-davey-martha-photography
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