the object & body

8/13/2019 The Object & Body

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The Object &

The BodyUnit:RPHC4001

Nicola Thompson


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Concept for the ObjectMy Concept of The Object photograph, is to demonstrate the

isolation that body image can cause on many people. Personally this

has affected me since I started school, and it has stayed with mewhilst growing up. The only 2 things that can be judgmental on the

way we look are, other people and ourselves. However we can only

judge ourselves by seeing our own reflection or looking in a mirror. A

mirror is a powerful object, as it is the ultimate thing we use to

analyze ourselves. In this project I will create a photograph portrayingan object, that I feel demonstrates the idea of body image.


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I looked into expressionism first of all as I want my photograph to be

emotional. I looked at the work by Edvard Munch and Arnulf Rainer.

This painting demonstrates

human despair, claustrophobia,

fear, love, jealousy and death.

With the use of harsh brush

strokes the motive of expression

is heightened, with help from thecolours and forms.

Rainer investigated the potential of

dreams, madness and the subconscious of

the human mind. Rainer used oil stick

scribbles and smudges to create this self-

portrait photograph

The images by Rainer

highlights the various

emotions the artist

wants to portray. Just

like Edvard munch's

'The Scream' this

could illustrate the

different feelings

people get whilst

looking in a mirror.

The Scream, 1893 Face Farces, 1969-74'


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I looked at the work by David Bate

Hephotographed a series of objects in 2008 named

'Bungled Memories',these images portray domestic

accidents that have occurred in the kitchen.

These photographs

have given me an

idea, to break upobjects, or to be

careless with them

as a sense of

frustration anddefeat on looking

perfect i.e. make-

up.


5/51

Using inspiration from David Bates work, my first idea for The Object project,

was to take photographs of make up being left carelessly to portray someone

being defeated from trying to look perfect.

I liked this idea, but I felt that the message I wanted toportray would not be easy to understand. I think the

make up should be a product of something more

intense. I would like to incorporate the idea of using

make-up in my final photograph.


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I asked 19 people 10 different questions about how they feel personally about

their appearance and if media effects this.

Are you male of female?

What is your age?

Are you conscious with the way you look?

Do you think the media affects your

confidence?

Do you always feel pressured to look good?

What do you think causes people to have

body image issues?

Do you analyse yourself whilst looking in

the mirror?

Do you think airbrushing is a good thing?

Why do you think this? Is the media to blame for eating disorders?
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After analysing my results I have discovered

that many people suffer from body issues, and

they believe that at some extent airbrushing in

the media is to do with this. People feel that

airbrushing is misleading and makes people

feel that they have to look a certain way.
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Over the last few hundred years, women have tended to be under pressure

to look immaculate, and have a tiny waistlines. Being curvaceous was

often, known as being unnatural. During some periods, they had to endure

much more pain such as, broken ribs to "look good" than they do today.

The obsession to

look a certain way

has always been a

pressure in society.


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Nowadays there is a concern that the overall impact of the media has

become so powerful, that people, especially young girls and women, are

progressively comparing themselves to clinically underweight professional

models, and setting themselves unrealistic and unnatural targets.

overly scrutinised and judged on their appearance,

This was a headline of an article from 'The

Telegraph demonstrating that children as youngas 7 are on a diet due to body issues. Children

think that they should be perceived in a certain

way.

9 in 10 children think women are judged more

for their looks than their ability.


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Airbrushing and Magazines

Magazines are everywhere, and if the front cover consists of a celebrity or model 9

times out of 10 they have been airbrushed. Airbrushing is a technique created byediting programs such as Photoshop. In the ideal world people that have their faces

on front covers, would like to think that they are perceived as 'good looking' the way

they are. Yet society is always looking for perfection and will edit anything to try and

achieve that, even if its a tiny mole or wrinkle.


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This photograph on the left would represent a real average woman, demonstrating her

natural lumps and bumps. Instead the photograph has been airbrushed to give a slimmer

and toned version of the model. These photographs would manifest that the image on the

right is the body type that is portrayed as 'perfect'.

An article from ' topnews.net.nz' has posted that a petition has been signed by 20,000 girl

guides to David Cameron wanting his intervention and force magazines to indicate when the

pictures of models and other celebrities have been airbrushed. This has been done with the

aim of preventing young people from feeling the pressure to have a perfect figure.


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Airbrushed make-up ads banned for 'misleading'

An article from the 'BBC News' stated that the adverts for L'Oreal's Lancome and

Maybelline brands have been banned from television, because the manipulationwas so intense, that the product being advertised did not represent the true

results.


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The media has had so much of an impact on our society that plastic surgery is no longer

a rare and obscure condition. Our culture obsesses over the idea of a perfect bodyimage and many men and women feel alone in their battle in becoming synthetically

beautiful.

Plastic Surgery

The low self-esteem has now caused men and

woman to take extreme measures in order to

resemble the perfect body image. Plasticsurgery is ultimately the last result for many

people, yet the extreme procedures that are

taking place is shocking, for a person to hate

something so much, that they will physically

change it.

h l h l i f diff i h b i


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There are many people that want plastic surgery for different reasons, with many being

personal with no media influence. However even celebrities seem to get plastic surgery,

whether it being breast implants or nose jobs etc. This may be because of the pressure the

limelight has on people, obsessing that they have to look good all the time.

Heidi Montag

However, some celebrities become obsessed with

perfection and have several procedures, which

completely transforms them.

Jocelyn Wildenstein

Michael Jackson


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Irving Penn was an American photographer known for his fashion photography,

portraits, and still life's.

This front cover on Vogue Magazine was produced in 1947. It

portrays a beautiful woman reflecting in a mirror, that is

placed next to a vase full of flowers and a bottle of perfume.Flowers and perfume both are nice smelling, which creates a

beautiful fragrance that is stereotypical on what females

should smell like. The single segment of food on the plate,

could signify that the lady in the photograph does not eat a

lot, which keeps her slim and pretty.

Irvin Penn photographed 'Nicole Kidman' for the

front cover of Vogue in 2004. This photograph is very

similar to the previous as the dip of the backless

dress recalls the oval mirror . The hair is similar, and

Nicole Kidmans silhouette could symbolize the bottleon the dresser in the 1947 cover.

Even these front covers, demonstrate to the reader,

how a female should present herself without

initiating the obvious.


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Mascara Wars, 2001

The one eye in Mascara Wars is ableto reveal the anguish of human minds,

as we are in a culture where many try

to be perfect and use make-up as a

medium.

This photograph shows the shockingreality on the extent people go through,

to be beautiful in society. Instead

people should dictate on their own

interpretation of what is attractive, and

follow their own views.


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The Beauty Myth' Book

A book named 'The Beauty Myth' by Naomi

Wolf is written to make women aware on the

pressures society brings, on the subject of

beauty.

J dd h h h i bl Zi id S b k lf t it h


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Ben Juddsphotograph The Dressing Table,

1997 portrays a partially nude woman leaning

on her dressing table putting on her lipstick. Her

face can be seen in two reflections, which makes

it easier to analyse her appearance.

These images inspired me to use a 3 mirrored dressing

table mirror in my photograph as this is one of the crucial

times people judge themselves. will be intimidating and

emotional if people are uncomfortable with the way theylook.

Zinaida Serebryakovasself portrait shows

her grooming herself at a dressing table.

The background illuminates the beauty

products on the dressing table.


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This photograph demonstrates the power

of the mirror, and that all different

emotions are produced whilst looking at it. I

really liked the blank face of this

photograph, it gives a sense that the mirrorhas sucked all the emotion out of the

person. Or perhaps it has done this as there

is no definition of perfection.

Duan Michals experimented with multiple exposures and sequences. His work accepts that

capturing the "soul" of a subject is impossible.


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These images show that Hans Bellmer had an erotic obsession with dolls. With the use of

manipulation and defragmentation he explores an expressive, sadistic impulse that is also

self-destructive.

This gave me inspiration to use a doll in my photograph. The doll would need to be

emotionless so that, it gives the impression it has given up.


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Willem Kalf created art from still life objects. The choice of objects contained were painted

with specific symbolic significance.

Still Life with a Chinese Porcelain Jar', 1669

His work presents a collection of rare or

expensive objects, usually combined with

exotic foods and arranged on a tabletop

against a very dark background.

The dark background isolates each object

which is something, I liked to illustrate in my

photograph.


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Final Idea


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Setting up the shoot was quite difficult, as with photographing a mirror the lighting used

bounces, producing reflective light. I found that I spend 5 hours setting up the photo shoot

and only 1 hour taking the photographs. I decided to scrap the messy table effect, as it

would not have shown up in the photograph very well. I carefully placed the make up in

the composition I desired, so that each object would be reflected in the mirror.

I used one main light, so that shadow would be created by the objects, and I also used 4

reflector boards, 2 flags, 1 black back drop and 6 C stands. Every time I thought I was ready

to shoot, I looked in the camera and saw a tiny bit of light, that had to be erased.


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The picture gives a gloomy unsettling feel, with

the use of darkness and shadowing. I have

used a black backdrop for the mirror to

illuminate the model and products.

Willem kalf gave me the vision to use this in my

photograph. I wanted to focus on the objects in

the mirror, to demonstrate the power it holds,and so that the viewer will instantly look

through the mirror.

The mannequin in the center of the

composition portrays a human being. I have

used the blank faced model to symbolize the

'drain of emotion' that goes through peoplesminds trying too look 'perfect.' which is

unreachable. It almost looks as though the

mirror has sucked out all the expression and

emotion.

From the book' The symbolism of mirrors in Art

from Ancient times to the present' by Hope B

Werness, A mirror is thought to be capable of

catching and holding the human sole. I

wanted to illustrate that the mirror is a

powerful object that, dictates to us

whether we are good enough or not.

The red lipstick and nail varnish symbolizes sex,

vanity and death. The bottle is knocked over, to

demonstrate frustration. The foundation bottle symbolizes obsession, and

that this is what people use to disguise

themselves.

pencil and blusher are all items of make up that

women are in possession of, and are some of the

crucial items they use to transform themselves.

Digital Print Analogue Print


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At the start I was managing to create a yellow cloth, but it was too dark. After using the lasso and brush tool, I

managed to make the colour lighter, but I still feel it does not completely match. The lipstick and nail varnish were

difficult to match, as I couldn't figure out what variation I needed, it was either too red, too dark or too pink.

Overall I feel that my Analogue and Digital print is very similar, and the digital print also gives an unnerving effect

that I aimed for. Also the colours were the best I could get them myself, without having much training on editing

software's. However I do feel that the colouring on the lipstick and cloth could be better.

Digital Print Analogue Print


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By exploring the contextual research that is based on body 'image' it has made me realise that it is a major

issue around the world. The power of the mirror is underestimated yet this is the only way we can criticize

and judge ourselves. As soon as people see a reflection of themselves, for that split second they are analysing

their appearance. To think that children criticise the way they look is astonishing and this built up a range of

emotion inside me. I discovered that media is not the main cause, but it is a major part of it. Magazines that

portray 'perfect' airbrushed people on the front covers are ruining people self-esteem, and this is unfair on

society. People have been obsessed with their appearance for over 100 years, and have undergone dramatic

procedures to get the 'perfect' look.

Whilst researching many artists, the ones who inspired me to produce my final photograph were: Edvard

Munch, Arnulf Rainer, Willem Kalf, Duane Michals, Hans Bellmer, Ben Judd and Irving Penn. All of these artists

gave me inspiration in many parts of my photograph, from the black background, to the model in the

centre. The objects I have used on the table are ones that people use every day to transform themselves,

almost like a disguise. The symbols I have used translate to the emotions people gain from trying to look

perfect. I think the lighting could have been more intense, so that the shadows would produce a

psychological feel.

I found that trying to achieve an exact match to the analogue print, really helped with my editing skills. I thinkmy two prints are very similar; the only things I would change would be the colours of the lipstick and cloth.

I enjoyed producing this project and I felt connected with it, as the issue that I have based this project upon

has and still is affecting me greatly. This has inspired me to photograph more issues that are affecting the

world.

EVALUATION


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Concept for The Body

My concept for The Body photographs, is to demonstrate the

movement and emotion in dancing. From research I willunderstand what dance will portray this the best. From reading

books and articles, I will be able to illustrate why emotion exists

in certain dances and I will discover various techniques by

different artists to use as inspiration for my photographs.


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"A portrait! What could be more simple and more complex, more obvious and more

profound." -

Charles Baudelaire- 1859

At first I looked at different ways I could produce movement in my images.

Eadweard Muybridgeinvented the zoopraxiscope which was a method of projecting animatedversions of his photographs as short moving sequences.

This image, demonstrated a way movement can be portrayed in photography, and this

is what I wanted to produce.


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I looked into the history of ballet and discovered it originated in the

Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th Century.

Classical ballet is a style that focuses on the female dancers.

It features pointe work and flowing precise movement. The

classical clothing on the dancer is usually a leotard and a

white french tutu.

In the 1800s Jean Georges Noverre (a dance teacher)

complained that the dancers cared too much about showing

their technical skills and too little about the true purpose of

ballet, which was to represent characters and express their

feelings."At last we have limbs, and an execution

such as our predecessors never had."-

Jean-Georges Noverre


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Contemporary DanceContemporary danceis a popular form of dance which developed during the twentieth

century and has since grown to become one of the dominating performance genres for

formally trained dancers throughout the world. The dance holds the poiseand strength of ballet, yet the freedom of expressive dance. The dance holds

unpredictable changes of rhythm, speed, and direction.

Isadora Duncan (Born in 1877)

Was an American dancer whose philosophy

of dance moved away from ballet

technique, and towards what she perceived

as natural movement. She wanted to restore

dance to a art form instead of

entertainment, so she looked at the

connection between emotions and

movement.


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I looked at Ed flores who is inspired by Caravaggio. He learned how to use

shadow and light as a tool to add depth, emotion and drama to his work.

I was really interested in the way how an

object such as a piece of material, can portray

movement and emotion. An involved this

technique in my practice images.


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Caravaggiowas an Italian artist in the 17th Century.The technique he uses is chiaroscuro to add tone and

depth in the images, as it creates a atmospheric realistic

piece of art.

Dramatic tone and shadowing, is what I wanted in my photographs, to

give an emotional feel.


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Rick Guest is a photographer that experiments with light and movement

His series "Now Is All There Isexplores the beauty and power of ballet,

and captures the emotion and movement of the principal dancers for the Royal Ballet

I was inspired by the

different shapes, the

dancers could move in.


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For my first photo shoot I used a contemporary dancer. I decided this best

portrayed movement and expression.

After using the inspiration of Ed Flores, Rick Guest and Isadora Duncan I had a

good idea on what I wanted my photos to look like.

I gave the dancer instructions on how I

wanted her to pose, so that movement andemotion could be seen. I wanted to

illustrate in the images were; Love, Loss

and Anger.

I included a scarf to enhance the

movement in the images. The black andwhite images, helps define the muscles the

dancer is using which gives a strong,

powerful posture.


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The way the dancers hair hides her face, gives the viewer a sense of wonder. I really liked

the scarf used in the shoot, and felt that this helped portray movement. However, I felt

that the background was too visible on many shots, and this distracted the eye from the

main subject. I wanted to re shoot my subject again on a plain background.

After shooting these images I decided that I wanted to incorporate Ballet in my

photographs as it was the root of when dance got technical.


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Ballet and eating disorders: 'Unspoken competitiveness'

adds pressure to be thin

This was the headline from an article on the BBC News website. This article

demonstrates what some young girls go through whilst ballet dancing. The

competitive pressures to be thin and to look a certain way can ruin peoples self

esteem, which will result to eating disorders or self harm.

Victoria Ferguson age 22 states- "I started getting preoccupied with my weight and

then wanting to be healthy and it triggered my obsession with food and being a

certain shape."

Ballet dancers: under pressure, and underweight

A top Italian ballet dancer has been fired by

her company after highlighting the dangers of

anorexia - as young dancers are pressured to

strive for the perfect body.

Articles on Ballet


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The link between dancing and eating disorders has been researched by many health

professionals and psychiatrists. Professor Jon Arcelus from the Leicestershire Partnership

NHS Trust Adult Eating Disorders Service, has looked at how personalities and the

psychologically and physically pressured environment of the ballet world are linked with

developing an eating disorder.

(According to these articles Ballet is a really dangerous sport to take

up, if the dancer is not mentally or physically ready for the pressure

demanded onto them. The talk of body image and self criticism is

present in many professional dancing schools throughout the

world.)


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I attended a Pole fitness class, to capture the different movements that the

body can produce, to give me more creativity in my photograph .

I also looked at different films that incorporated ballet dance

The Black SwanBenjamin Button Billy Elliot

The book tutu by Greg Barrett inspired me to use certain lighting
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The book tutu by Greg Barrett, inspired me to use certain lighting.

The lighting reflected the strength, vulnerability, grace, and beauty that dancers

achieve, seemingly without effort.

By researching more into modern day dance I

came across Contemporary ballet which

incorporates elements of classical

ballet and modern dance, this dance evenemploys the original ballet technique pointe. I

believed that by using a contemporary ballet

dancer, the photographs will give the classical

dance a modern day twist.


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I was overly impressed with the photographs that

were developed as I believe the emotion and

movement I wanted to create exists. I instructed my

subject to pose in a contemporary way, that only

subtly introduced the classical pointe movement.

Many obscure shapes were made, to demonstratethe intense movements the body can make. I

decided to have the models hair down, as this

created the movement instead of the scarf used

previously. From researching the context of Ballet, I

feel that these images show the suffering of what

the dancers go through, by the striking and strong

poise to the vulnerable facial expressions.

. The model identifies a classical ballet pose with the

position of the legs and the feet. However the arms

are in more of a contemporary position which

creates a different look. The tones on the face,

makes a Rembrandt styled image, which portrays thehard and intense judgments ballet dancers have to

go though.


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This is my final result for Studio Print for The Body


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For my Environment photograph, I looked at Charles Freger and August

Sander. These artists took photographs of people in their different

environments and captures the essence of uniform.


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I looked at the work by Edgar Degas

He represents movement which is portrayed in his renditions of dancers.

'Dance Class at the Opera, 1872 'Two Ballet Dancers, 1879'

Degas influenced me on creating a photograph with the subject getting ready

For my portrait photograph in the environment
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For my portrait photograph in the environment,

I took photographs of a young girl in her ballet

outfit. Ideally I wanted to photograph at a

dancing studio, but with the strict time

schedule of the dance lessons this was difficult.

A lady approached me at the dance studio,

asking for her daughter to be photographed

after a lesson. As the dance studio could not be

the location to photograph, I was allowed

inside the family home.


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My print is of the model putting on her

shoes, and getting ready to dance. Edgar

Degas inspired me to take photographslike this by using her uniform. I like the

contrast of the purple leotard and her

dark hair against the light wooden tiles.

The tones used are defined on the skirt

and textures surrounding the model. The

context is different to my previous image,

as when looking at this photograph I

instantly feel uplifted because the girl is

oblivious of the pressure that is inflicted

in ballet, and just wants to dance and

have fun, like children should.


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EvaluationAfter reading into the contexts of ballet dancing, I was shocked to discover the intense pressure ballet

dancers go through to be the best, or to even be accepted. Even though ballet dancing is considered tobe an elegant dance, there is a concern with the psychological and physical health of the dancers. There

were various artists that related to dance, and I was inspired by many of them. I believe the artists that

helped produce my photographs, were the strongest ones to demonstrate what I wanted to portray.

I am really pleased with my two portrait photographs as they display the emotion and movement I was

aiming to create. From the experience of trying to photograph my first image, I now know how

important it is to get the composition right. I didnt plan it very well in my first practice shoot, whichresulted into ruining some really good pictures of my subject. I am not overly confident using a film

camera, so whilst producing the images, I had difficulty making sure that the settings were correct. Also

it was my first time using the Metz flash for the environment image, which I found challenging. The flash

didnt go off when I took the photographs, so when I processed my films the lighting was too dark and

nothing showed up of the negatives. I would have liked my environment photographs to have been in a

dancing studio, to portray a dancers environment. However, I like how the vulnerability is shown in the

young girls face, not knowing about the pressures that awaits her.

I really enjoyed producing this project on dance, as I also have danced most of my life. I particularly liked

creating the photo shoot in the studio, as this was the second time I have done this. I am constantly

learning new skills, by photographing people using various techniques.

the object & body

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