What is identity?
Identity is the term used that, in short, makes a person who they are. Your identity can be influenced in many different ways by many different factors, such as – your environment or upbringing with reference to gender identity, cultural identity, social identity, geographical identity, political identity, lack of, loss of identity, stereotypes and prejudices. All of these create and mould the kind of person that you are today and will be in the feature. This in simple terms as the dictionary puts it ‘the distinguishing character or personality of an individual‘.
Masculinity vs Femininity
explain how identity can be influenced?
Identity is shaped by “place” in many ways, as our environment influences how we see ourselves and how others perceive us. Gender, cultural, social, geographical, and political identities are often formed by the norms, values, and expectations of the places we belong to. For example, a particular culture or community may define gender roles, while a specific geographic or political context can impact one’s sense of belonging or alienation. Stereotypes and prejudices based on place can further affect how we express our identity, sometimes leading to a loss of self or a struggle to fit in. Thus, our identity is not just personal but shaped by the places and societies we interact with.
Case study – Claude Cahun
Who were they ?
Claude Cahun, (born October 25, 1894, Nantes, France—died December 8, 1954, St. Helier, Jersey), was a French surrealist photographer, sculptor, and writer in which she is best known for her self portraits in which she explored many different personas, but overall using the same style, while spreading the same message with each one. In 1937 she moved to Jersey with her step sister and lover, Marcel Moore and because of this she ended up being captured by the Nazis in the German occupation of Jersey, because of this she died in German captivity in 1954 through illness and from the harsh living conditions she most likely had to go through. Because of the difficult times caused by the struggles and prejudice from this time in history that she had to endure, most likely influenced the ideas and point she was trying to make within her work. As said by Cahun “Masculine? Feminine? It depends on the situation. Neuter is the only gender that always suits me.”, through this she is trying to convey an idea that was not only uncommon in those times, but also unpopular in which she created an idea much more ahead of its time which inevitably, coinciding with her Jewish heritage, resulted in her capture and demise. Cahun’s not so much sacrifice but identity which was abnormal to the world she lived in has helped to shape the way people are treated and the way identity is viewed within the world of photography. Cahun’s lover and step sister, Moore killed herself in 1972. They are both buried together in St Brelade’s churchyard as lasting memories of what they fought for.
Moodboard
Image analysis –
In the image you can see above we can get a broad yet good idea of how Cahun created her images and the idea she was trying to convey to the viewer of the image. As you can see the image is taken in black and white, which was likely to do with the time period it was taken in, the image is well lighted, it is sharp most likely using a 50 mm lens, she likely used a fast shutter speed in this image and ISO was probably relatively low due to good lighting. I plan to try to incorporate these features throughout my work while also using similar framing, form and other visual features. In the image we can see Cahun is created a more masculine look which is seen throughout her work in which she blurs the lines between masculinity and femininity. Within the image we can see that she has used a mirror, in the use of this simple object, she has created a deeper meaning and shown two sides to the story, in my work I plan to use this in an abstract way that can be interpreted but also has a clear meaning to it.
Quote –
“Masculine? Feminine? It depends on the situation. Neuter is the only gender that always suits me.”
Second artist reference – Clare rae
Who is she ?
Clare Rae, an artist from Melbourne, Australia who produces photographs and moving image works that interrogate representations of the female body via an exploration of the physical environment. Rae visited Jersey as part of the Archisle international artist-in-residence programme in 2017. She was researching the Claude Cahun archive, shooting new photography and film in Jersey, as well as running workshops.
Image analysis –
In the image you can see above Clare Rae has used Cahun as an artist reference trying to convey the same ideas that she did. As you can see the image is taken in black and white, which was likely to do with the artist reference she used, the image is well lighted in an outdoor environment, it is sharp most likely using a 50 mm lens, she likely used a fast shutter speed in this image and ISO was probably relatively low due to good lighting. I plan to try to incorporate these features throughout my work while also using similar framing, form and other visual features. In the image we can see Rae is hiding her face to create a mysterious atmosphere with abstract yet clear ideas. Within the image we can see that she has used rock which fits in with how she creates her work by embodying the natural environment within the image, I plan to take this idea within my work to further convey this idea.
Quote –
“I am the (sublime) space where I am, that surrounds me with countless presences.”
Photoshoot plan –
I plan to go down to the sand dunes and use the surroundings as props in my images much like both my artist references did and attempt to use similar visual and contextual elements while it still having a focus on the story I am trying to create. I plan to get the subjects in my image to hide their faces which will create a mysterious and deep image. Much like Clare Rae, I will interrogate representations of the body via an exploration of the physical environment.
Contact sheet
Image selection
as you can see above I used P and X to flag my images to filter out the bad ones from the ok and good ones, next I rated these images 4 or 5 stars as 4 being ok ones and 5 being good ones, finally I gave them the colour yellow or green, green being the best and yellow being good. I will now edit these images that I selected and present them bellow.
Experimentation
Photoshop –
As you can see in the image above I used the spot healing brush tool in photoshop to remove the cars and people in the background of the image.
I then used the cropping tool to centre the subject of the image a bit more so the wall more creates line that leads up them.
Lightroom –
I then went into light room and had a look at some black and white filters that were available just to see if anything worked and found this one (B&W Red Filter V2), if I didn’t find one I liked I would have done this myself.
Outcome –
I then repeated this process throughout my selected images.
Final images
Evaluation
As you can see in the images above I have selected, edited and presented six final images for my identity project, I decided to make some of my images in black and white to reflect Cahun’s work, I also took the idea of masculinity and femininity and the blurred line that she created between them. I did this through also taking ideas from Rae’s work in which she covered her face and used the environment around her as an extension of the idea.
With these images I tried to create a story with a mysterious atmosphere by using Cahun’s ideas, but also present day struggles of men and women in every day life, they represent struggle and deep thinking about sad and happy thoughts. The images can be interpreted by the viewer depending on how they view the world and can be used as reference to their own work.
From my artist references I took the ideas of their struggles and modern struggles and combined them, I also used the idea of framing and the idea of using the natural environment around them.
Virtual gallery
