Identity is what makes us as a human. Everything we do leads to our identity which defines who we are. This could be a range from your finger print, hair colour and behavioural traits etc.

Femininity are qualities in which are ‘female’ or ‘girly’. The word is normally used against women as they are seen as more let loose and bubbly however there are other ways femininity can be seen as a bad way to describe how women act because males often see women in household settings like, cooking or cleaning because this is seen as a feminine thing to do as its almost a delicate way of living because they are home bound and not doing ‘masculine’ activities.

Masculinity are qualities in which are ‘male’ or ‘acting tough’. The word normally links to men as they are usually seen as having to be masculine. This means instead of doing household work they’re outside providing for the women showing that they are in charge of the house. However, the thought of having to be ‘masculine’ can effect boys’ mentality as they think they need to fit in a specific category causing them to think which side is wrong or right and which one they should fit in.

Identity, Femininity and Masculinity can be strongly influenced by where you’ve lived, who you surround yourself with and many other attributes. Cultural identity allows people to be closer to who their family are but can lead to aspects in which people might not want to participate in like having an arranged marriage set up for a woman who doesn’t want to but with her culture its allowed. Social identity is also a major problem as society is a big part of the world but this means it can lead people judging and giving their opinions on how someone should act, dress or look like. This can affect someone deeply if it’s coming from people you might know or just a group of people who have opposing views from you. This leads to stereotyping and prejudice against women and men having to act how the rest of the world wants them to act. Women stereotyping are seen as doing delicate jobs and only helping their higher male figure, while men are seen ass doing the hard stuff providing for their families, laying back, playing sports etc however when either gender steps out of that category society sees this as a personal attack as they ‘aren’t fitting in society’.

Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman was a key figure of the movement Pictures Generation. This movement was a transformation that reveals identity as role-play, where femininity appears as something that is shaped by male expectations. The pictures were profoundly intriguing to intellectuals of the time.

Before becoming a photographer, in 1972 Sherman enrolled in the visual arts department at Buffalo state University, where she majored in painting. However, when she finished school in 1977 she moved to New York where she would begin working on what would become the Untitled Film Stills.

Her main key goals were to explore with themes such as identity, gender, and the role of women in society. She achieved these goals by using herself (self-portraiture) to create fictional characters to explore such themes. A range of personas are created as she uses make up, costumes, lighting and settings to make each of them different like, Clowns (2003-2004) a series of colourful images where Sherman portrays herself as a variety of clowns, or Untitled Film Stills (1977-1980) a series of black-and-white photos in which she plays various female characters inspired by film noir.

Cindy Sherman Mood Board

More masculine photo references to try out in photoshoots.