Cindy Sherman Photogrpahy

Cindy Sherman’s photography focuses on stereotyping of women in films, television and magazines.  Cindy’s photographs are self portraits which she directs herself and photographs, even though she does not feel that they are.  She said this in an interview with The New York Times newspaper, ‘I feel I'm anonymous in my work. When I look at the pictures, I never see myself; they aren't self-portraits. Sometimes I disappear.’ (Sherman).  Cindy Sherman’s photographs focus on female identity, sexual politics and power.  She explores stereotypes of women shown in films.  The photograph above of the women who looks pregnant is from the series ‘Untitled (Cosmo Cover Girl)'.  The photograph has a strong impact on its audience because it can be said that it is an unconventional ‘cover girl’ cover, that one would not necessarily see these days in magazines and can be seen as a powerful statement.

Moving image: time, image, sequence - Lecture

After last week’s lecture on, moving image: time, image, sequence. It gave me an idea for next term, as it discussed images communicating and capturing time and how, ‘still images are not really motionless.’  This gave me an idea to make an image come to life and move.  I have been experimenting with this on my camera.  Thefore I will take loads of photographs and go through them fast enough like a flick book to make the image move.  I plan to do this around the theme of Puppets, to symbolise that as a women we could be pulled in each directions to conform to what we see in the media to become more beautiful, even though she may not want to.  I would maybe like to do all my images this way next year and I will explain in more detail next term after more research on this idea.

A photographer that was discussed was Eadweard Mybridge, who famously proved that when a horse gallops all four legs lift of the ground.  This was impossible to prove before because the human eye could not see this.  His photographs clearly show movement which I want to portray in my photographs next term.  Seth discussed how a photograph shows something that is in the past, but I want the image to be in the present because it is moving.  Below are some of Eadweard Mybridge photographs.

Dove Beauty Advert

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epOg1nWJ4T8

This advert by Dove really stood out to me because it shows a child at the beginning of the advert and the advert finishes with ‘Talk to your daughter before the beauty industry does.’  The advert shows beautiful women and a women trying to diet to change her appearance and women having plastic surgery.  After watching this advert I went onto their website ‘Campaign for Real Beauty.’ I found a really interesting section about the ‘impact of the media’ which relates to my project about the pressure the media can influence have on women and young girls:

‘Impact of the Media:

Many women and teenagers feel that media and culture show only the most attractive women and that it is time for a change:
- The average person sees between 400 and 600 advertisements per day.
- More than one out of four girls surveyed feel that the media pressure them to have a perfect body.
- Girls who watch TV commercials featuring underweight models lose self- confidence and became more dissatisfied with their own bodies.

Nearly half of women surveyed (47 percent) feel that only the most attractive women are portrayed in popular culture. Almost the same percentage (48 percent) of respondents wants to see women of different body shapes and weight portrayed in the media.

Growing up Beautiful: The existing narrow definition of beauty is not only unrealistic and unattainable but it also creates hang-ups that can lead girls to question their own beauty. Low self-esteem and a negative body image can start at a young age and dissatisfaction with body image increases as young women progress to adolescence.

- More than one in three girls age 6 to 12 (35 percent) have been on at least one diet.
- Only 56 percent of year 7 pupils like the way they look.
- 92% of girls worldwide want to change at least one aspect of their physical appearance.
- Between 50 and 70 percent of girls of normal weight believe they are overweight.
- Eight out of every 10 female students have disordered eating in some way, and are regularly dieting.’

This can be found at: http://www.dove.co.uk/cfrb/self-esteem-fund/about.html

This photograph by Dove is to advertise that all women are beautiful, no matter, colour, race, size or shape and portrays a convincing message that all women are 'beautiful'.
It made me think that as a child and when growing up all these influences are around them that could potentially influence children at such a young age.  ‘We become what we are only through the encounter, while growing up, with the multitude of representation of what we may become’ (Weekes, 1992, p.32).   It can be said that young girls look up to their idols and want to look the same, sometimes going as far as dieting and forming an eating disorder at such a young age.  I found an article on ‘The Daily Mail’ online about how girls as young as six can develop eating disorders because they look up to supposed ‘role models’ who are evidently very thin and can have an impact on the child's decision to lose weight.   Below is a small extract of the article:

‘Role models: Experts have in the past said pressure from the fashion industry and celebrities to be extremely thin have an impact on how the young view food and their body shape.’

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1372182/Children-young-SIX-eating-disorders-anorexia-bulimia.html

 

Weekes, Anne. (1992) Woman’s Art Journal. Student’s Self-Image: Representation of Women in “High” Art and Popular Culture, Vol. 13, no 2

Photographic Shoot 5 - Barcode

For this photographic shoot I got the idea from a quote I uploaded earlier in my blog. ‘Consumerism plays a great part in magazines. The reader is constantly being told to buy products which are supposed to make them look better. Products are no longer sold for their uses, for example it promises to make you beautiful (Anon, 2009).’  I decided to explore the idea of how women are conforming to become a ‘product’, because some are all looking for the same end result, ‘beauty’.  In the background of the photograph I made a collage of women in magazines that I had found to symbolise that she is trying to conform to what she sees. The barcode on the back of the girl’s neck symbolises that some women just want to look the same, in order to find what is seen as the ‘perfect’ appearance.  I decided to use a barcode on the back of her neck because every individual barcode relates to one product (the same product).  Is the media a way of manufacturing women into one 'beautiful' product? 


Julian Jan Photography

I like this photograph by Julijan Jan because the man or woman has no identity because of the paper bag on their face.  I think it relates to the photographic shoot I have done above because the women is losing her identity because she has become a ‘product’.  It can be said that one’s identity may be blurred or disappear because one may try to conform to what they see in the media as ‘beautiful’.  

Photographic Shoot 4 - 'Your Perfect'

At the moment I do not want to look at eating disorders and weight issues in too much depth, but as my project progresses I probably will.  This is because when I was looking through various magazines every magazine had an article about weight loss or dieting.  For example magazines such as ‘Closer’, ‘Now’, ‘Heat’, ‘Reveal’, ‘Cosmopolitan’, ‘Beauty’, ‘Bazaar’, ‘Tatler’ etcetera.   It can be said that weight issues in women in prominent and many women worry about their weight (not all).  Once again diet tips being so prominent in magazines can make women feel pressurized to lose weight in the hope of having the same results as women shown in the articles.  For example before and after photographs are shown of the women before the diet and after.  On ‘Closer’ online magazine there is a section called ‘Success Stories’ of women who have been on diets and have lost weight.   

http://www.closerdiets.com/news/supersuccesses.cfm?code=300901

For my photographic shoot I kept it simple using weighing scales, writing on them ‘Your Perfect’ trying to show that you should be happy with your appearance and not feel the need to lose weight because other people are or because of what magazine suggest is the ‘correct’ weight for women; and if you are over a certain weight you should lose weight.  Obviously if ones weight is a health problem then this is a different matter.

Photographic Shoot 3 - Mirror Reflection

For the photographic shoot I wanted to portray how the media’s representation of ‘idealised’ women constantly shown in the media can make certain women feel.  Therefore I asked various women if the media affected them by the way it portrays women, and if so, how did it make them feel?

For my photographic shoot I used some of the words used by the women about how they feel when looking through magazines, and watching television programmes with ‘beautiful women’ in. I was quite surprised by the responses, because it seemed that even women who looked comfortable in their own skin actually were a lot more self-conscious that I had imagined. I wrote different words on a mirror with a girl sitting in front of it to portray how she emotionally feels when she looks in the mirror because of what she sees in the media, almost ‘perfect’ women.
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Barbara Kruger Photography

This photograph by Barbara Kruger was made to support the right of women during the 1989 March in Washington (America).  It was aimed at women and the choice whether to have an abortion or not and the birth control rights.  ‘The words “Your Body is a Battleground,” reference this constant fight in which women take part. The fight over a woman’s right to choose what happens with her own body is one that intensely revolves around power’ (Calak: 155).

I like this photograph because it made me think how this is what some woman may feel about their image and physical appearance.  For example a ‘battleground’ because it can be said that women are constantly fighting with their image.  Some women may feel the need to change because of the media pressure that may put on women through magazines and television. 

Barbara Kruger said:

"I work with pictures and words because they have the ability to determine who we are and who we aren't"

- Barbara Kruger

This quote gave me inspiration from my next photographic shoot. This is because I feel that words are very powerful and can portray how someone may be feeling but not necessarily saying. I also believe that words can make a strong connection with its audience’s and portray certain emotions and I hope to show this in my photographic shoot.

Jeffery Wang Photography

 

I like this photograph by Jeffery Wang because he discusses how the photograph is about the woman’s struggle for individuality, which I feel relates to my project. This is because my project focus on how the media can make a woman feel the need to change and not have much freedom  for individuality; almost ‘conforming’ to what they see in magazines, television e.t.c.  The photograph has a strong impact because the whole image is white and the woman at the front is being altered and held together by an almost invisible person behind her.  Which if I relate to my project the figure is a symbolic image like the media having control of the woman.

Body Image and Beauty
The Media's Negative Influence on Self Esteem

Feb 11, 2009 by Jared Ploykin

In today's world, building and maintaining a healthy body image can be extremely difficult. Here are some tips as to why this is the case, and how to resist it.

The common perception of beauty is an artificially created impossible standard, driven by the so called "beauty industry," principally to sell products to women (and men) who feel insecure about their looks. This standard is extremely unhealthy and drives unhealthy behaviour, such as anorexia, bulimia, and just plain unhappiness. Here are tips to recognize resist this war on self-esteem and understand how it operates.

Media and Body Image

The media is currently at war with women's body image. This war generally takes on two fronts. The first is the media's portrayal of only one type of woman in magazines, leading film roles, modelling circuits, and television. Often, these women are airbrushed, digitally altered, surgically altered, or suffering from eating disorders. Through this constant portrayal of only one kind of woman as the way women ought to look if they want to be beautiful, a powerful concept is burned into the minds of impressionable men and women. The second front is the constant encouragement for women to lose weight if they wish to be seen as beautiful, coupled with the media and society in general's general disdain for any women who is even a few pounds "overweight."

Plotkin, Jared. (2009) Body Image and Beauty: The Media’s Negative Influence on Self Esteem [online]. Available from http://www.suite101.com/content/body-image-and-beauty-a95673 [Accessed 11 November 2011]

I found this article interesting because it discusses how the media can influence a woman and man to feel a certain way about their image and self esteem.  This is because in the article it describes how the media portrays ‘only one type of women in magazines’ (Plotkin).  This relates to what I am trying to show in my project, that women may be strongly influences by what they read and see in magazines and may feel the need to change or alter themselves (appearance).

Photogaphic Shoot 2 - Changing Appearance

For my second photographic shoot I asked the model that if she could change any facial features what would it be and to find images of what she considered to be 'perfect' features from any website. ‘Magazines portray women being PERFCT and the reality is most women look nothing like the cover girls and the advice that’s given in the magazines encouraging but not all woman can get as far as looking perfect’ (Anon, 2009).

In the first photograph I cropped these images and placed them onto her face using Photoshop and for the second photograph I used Photoshop again but this time I aimed for the photographs to merge in more.  I did this so that the audience have a clearer view of what she could look like if she had those facial features. This was done to show that women may give the impression that they are comfortable in their own skin, yet if the chance arose they may consider changing these features, for example plastic surgery. This idea of drastic measures such as plastic surgery I will later discuss in my project or next term.

Anon. (2009) Women and The Fashion Magazine [online]. Available from: http://www.nowpublic.com/style/women-and-fashion-magazine [Accessed 10 November 2011]

Experimenting with Photographs

For these photographs I decided to change them to black and white whilst keeping the magazine collage of women in colour.  This was in order to portray that some women may feel like they blend into the background as they do not feel as ‘beautiful’ as the women they see in magazines.  One may feel imperfect and unconfident because of the images seen in magazines resulting in them doubting their own personal beauty and appearance.   

Photographic Shoot - Magazines

 
For my photographic shoot I wanted to portray how woman may feel overwhelmed by the media’s representation of women in magazines. For example the way magazines depict ‘beautiful’ women and tell its audiences how to achieve this and what techniques to use. For example magazine’s give make up tips, fashion advice, beauty tips e.t.c. It can be said that women may feel pressurized to conform to what they see if magazines thefore hiding their true identity and who they really are with the need to fit in. ‘People have trouble defining beauty, but they know it when they see it.  And, they actively look for it.  Consumers are constantly on the prowl to acquire the latest products and services that will help them to attain this elusive quality (Englis, 1994, p. 49).’ 

For my photographic shoot I made a collage of magazine cuttings of women and stuck it onto the models face. I did not make the divide of magazine cuttings down her face even, because I wanted to show how she feels engulfed by what she sees in magazines; and how it is obstructing her identity of whom she really is. It can be said that women regularly see photographs of models or celebrities whom they believe are beautiful in magazines and feel insecure about their personal appearance. Thefore one may want to change their appearance to achieve this ideal look they see in front of them.  In the bottom photograph I wanted to portray how the girl feels smothered by representation of women in magazines.

Englis, Basil., Solomo, R. And Ashmore, R. (1994) The Journal of Advertising. Beauty before the Eyes of Beholder: The Cultural Encoding of Beauty types in Magazine Advertising and Music television, Vol. 23 no 2.

Before my photographic shoot I looked at many different magazines and analysed how they portray women in them. In the majority of magazines all the women are very ‘pretty’, almost ‘perfect’ and idealised. The magazines give a lot of advice on how to ‘look your best’ and improve your appearances. As a reader I can see where all this pressure comes from to ‘conform’ to what we see in magazines or why we may want to buy certain products that are being advertised to achieve a certain level of ‘beauty’. ‘Consumerism plays a great part in magazines. The reader is constantly being told to buy products which are supposed to make them look better. Products are no longer sold for their uses, for example it promises to make you beautiful (Anon).’

Above are a couple magazine covers to show the type of women that are on the covers to attract their audiences. Also on the front of the magazines it tells their audiences what type of material is in them, for example 'Best beauty buys', 'Smart beauty tips', 'Little ways to your best body.'


Anon. Beauty and Body Image in the Media [online]. Available from: http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/stereotyping/women_and_girls/women_beauty.cfm [Accessed 25 October 2011].