Monday 2 March 2009
notions of beauty
Our idea of beauty initially came from the greeks - who developed the principles of the golden section. The face is sectioned with a specific amount of space between the eyes, the area between the nose and mouth etc. are indicators of a perfect symmetry of the face. The golden section is also used in landscapes and other representations in art, sculpture and photography.
Later on David Hume, philosophised that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This theory has stuck and most of us view asymmetrical faces as more interesting. Thank you david hume. Interestingly, even tho the asymmetry of face is widely accepted many seek to 'symetricise' the face and/or body. Millions of pounds are spent every year in our pursuit of beauty. Many botch ops are made when people seek cheeper ways to be 'beautiful'.
Perhaps we judge ourselves and others on the basis of the greeks concept of beauty, still; and nothing else will do. Looking at celebrity culture most possess this type of 'beauty'. We aspire to looking good and our role models are spread across mags, papers, tv, billboards.
If we change the way we look - does this make us a different person?
The film 'face off' with John Travolta and Nick Cage is interesting because Nick takes John's face and takes over his whole life. ie his job, marriage etc. Anyway it's to this extreme extent we could reach in plastic surgery. If you could afford it would you go for complete reconstruction or just tweeked here and there.
Ageing is a factor that makes women think about botox and other stuff. If we choose not to opt for surgery nowadays does this mean we will age disgracefully?
Later on David Hume, philosophised that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This theory has stuck and most of us view asymmetrical faces as more interesting. Thank you david hume. Interestingly, even tho the asymmetry of face is widely accepted many seek to 'symetricise' the face and/or body. Millions of pounds are spent every year in our pursuit of beauty. Many botch ops are made when people seek cheeper ways to be 'beautiful'.
Perhaps we judge ourselves and others on the basis of the greeks concept of beauty, still; and nothing else will do. Looking at celebrity culture most possess this type of 'beauty'. We aspire to looking good and our role models are spread across mags, papers, tv, billboards.
If we change the way we look - does this make us a different person?
The film 'face off' with John Travolta and Nick Cage is interesting because Nick takes John's face and takes over his whole life. ie his job, marriage etc. Anyway it's to this extreme extent we could reach in plastic surgery. If you could afford it would you go for complete reconstruction or just tweeked here and there.
Ageing is a factor that makes women think about botox and other stuff. If we choose not to opt for surgery nowadays does this mean we will age disgracefully?
Tuesday 24 February 2009
Off Centre
The clock is ticking...off centre.Using Western medias' idea of what beauty is as a template. non symetrical faces are considered off centre. Eg. if you have a big chin, large nose, small eyes, minimal cheek bones, well you've had it, your just plain ugly!...only joking. Alas this is the message we are bombarded with thousands of times a day every day of our lives. I,m focusing on the female form for now.
Monday 23 February 2009
What are we trying to achieve?
plastic surgery the new black
Everyone seems to be getting some level of plastic surgery or another. Its accessable, more affordable perhaps. Why do women feel the need or desire to alter their bodies and faces? Sometimes having devastating consequences. Is it really worth it whatever the intent?
above Venus ressurected.
The venus of vilandorf - 25,000 year old figurine. 4" carved of limestone. No face, exagerated genitalia. Dr Nigel Pively argues that our brains are pre programmed to create unrealistic images of human beings and weve been predisposed this way for at least 25,000 years.
The above is an ad for plastic surgery.
Is it really a rational choice? Do we care if it is or not? Should we care? Is it self esteem? Or is it deep rooted values that have been passed thru generations that make us believe we should look and be a certain way?
Yeah that looks much better - just a wee nip here and a tuck there - and you'll be perfect. trust me im a doctor!
Hello Georgeous!
Are we moving towards a world where it will be unacceptable not to look "perfect"?
above Venus ressurected.
The venus of vilandorf - 25,000 year old figurine. 4" carved of limestone. No face, exagerated genitalia. Dr Nigel Pively argues that our brains are pre programmed to create unrealistic images of human beings and weve been predisposed this way for at least 25,000 years.
The above is an ad for plastic surgery.
Is it really a rational choice? Do we care if it is or not? Should we care? Is it self esteem? Or is it deep rooted values that have been passed thru generations that make us believe we should look and be a certain way?
Yeah that looks much better - just a wee nip here and a tuck there - and you'll be perfect. trust me im a doctor!
Hello Georgeous!
Are we moving towards a world where it will be unacceptable not to look "perfect"?
Sunday 22 February 2009
Methods of research
1. Galleries
2. DVD/vidoe
3. Books
4. Journals
5. Newspapers/magazines
6. Sketching/making
7. asking people questions
8. talking with other students
9. Referring back to brief regularly
10. Lecture on the unconscious, lecture "Blame it on Lorna Simpson"
11. Developing ideas from the above mentioned
2. DVD/vidoe
3. Books
4. Journals
5. Newspapers/magazines
6. Sketching/making
7. asking people questions
8. talking with other students
9. Referring back to brief regularly
10. Lecture on the unconscious, lecture "Blame it on Lorna Simpson"
11. Developing ideas from the above mentioned
Rebellious Women
Does a woman cutting her hair constitute rebellion? In some cultures it does.
What describes a rebellious woman?
What would she be rebelling against?
Is it worse if she is a mother?
Sane/insane mad, crazy etc...
Victorian times women who did not conform to the social norms were labelled "insane" and placed in asylums. Has much changed since then? in as much as why someone would
be seen as rebelling...and the reactions of society towards that person.
I suppose there are lots of instances that may be regarded as rebellion and justified in the name of religion or social acceptability.
Wednesday 18 February 2009
The Conscious/ Unconscious
"every human mind...is a product not just of natural selection but of cultural redesign of enormous proportions". daniel.c.dennett "kinds of minds" p203
location of the unconscious....
Mapping the mind and how we manifest whats going on inside the mind.
location of the unconscious....
Mapping the mind and how we manifest whats going on inside the mind.
Friday 13 February 2009
Diary for project
22/2/09
Reasearch, collecting images of female form in media. Newspaper articles, reading. Sorting out primary/secondary research.
21/2/09
Sketchbook work - thoughts on project. Shredded and bagged an oil painting, party popper, tea light, pencil and bank card relating to my dust but this got me thinking about labels. How people label others by the way they look or behave. The Greeks connected physical fitness and good looks with godliness. therefor if you look good you are good!
20/2/09
Library, studio to clean up. Watched videos Nancy Spiro and Kiki smith got me thinking about the female form. The Day Pictures were born. How human features were exageratted since the beginning of time. Sketchbook work
19/02/09
Edinburgh - fruit market, claire Barkley. City arts Centre and Ingleby Gallery Loved "SOMETIMES MAKING SOMETHING LEADS TO NOTHING" fRANCIS aLYS. A short film of him pushing a block of ice thru the streets of Mexico city until it melted. All that effort for it to melt. The experience of doing this can be frustrating. It was frustrating to watch. This happens a lot in life.
17/2/09
Reading Women Art and /society Whitney Chadwick
16/2/09
Library, Thinking about pregnancy + the female body. Reading daniel c dennett "kinds of minds".
13/2/09
Drawing, automatic writing, reading, blogging,
12/2/09
International festival of live art, Scotland at the Arches - New Territories. Weird, interesting, disturbing, dissappointing....disorienting....
11/2/09
Reading, surfing net, blogging, thinking,
10/2/09
re-write self evaluation after meet with tutor.
9/2/09
Interim assessment.
Reasearch, collecting images of female form in media. Newspaper articles, reading. Sorting out primary/secondary research.
21/2/09
Sketchbook work - thoughts on project. Shredded and bagged an oil painting, party popper, tea light, pencil and bank card relating to my dust but this got me thinking about labels. How people label others by the way they look or behave. The Greeks connected physical fitness and good looks with godliness. therefor if you look good you are good!
20/2/09
Library, studio to clean up. Watched videos Nancy Spiro and Kiki smith got me thinking about the female form. The Day Pictures were born. How human features were exageratted since the beginning of time. Sketchbook work
19/02/09
Edinburgh - fruit market, claire Barkley. City arts Centre and Ingleby Gallery Loved "SOMETIMES MAKING SOMETHING LEADS TO NOTHING" fRANCIS aLYS. A short film of him pushing a block of ice thru the streets of Mexico city until it melted. All that effort for it to melt. The experience of doing this can be frustrating. It was frustrating to watch. This happens a lot in life.
17/2/09
Reading Women Art and /society Whitney Chadwick
16/2/09
Library, Thinking about pregnancy + the female body. Reading daniel c dennett "kinds of minds".
13/2/09
Drawing, automatic writing, reading, blogging,
12/2/09
International festival of live art, Scotland at the Arches - New Territories. Weird, interesting, disturbing, dissappointing....disorienting....
11/2/09
Reading, surfing net, blogging, thinking,
10/2/09
re-write self evaluation after meet with tutor.
9/2/09
Interim assessment.
women, art and society
"Jennifer bartlet, Cindy Sherman and Susan Rothenberg tended to do work in which gender was not an issue".
I will approach my research from this pouint of view.
I will approach my research from this pouint of view.
Thursday 12 February 2009
Women's role in society
Martha Rosler
Michelle Browne
The Bearer - Questions Western society where women have a do it all mentality.
This performance made me question the role of women in our society and how much can one woman actually do? What are the expectations of women today? Something that interests me is the pressures placed on woman to behave in certain ways - a sort of reality versus non-reality. Not only are women balancing many things in the physical sence; also is there an unconscious balancing act taking place? Wherein outdated notions of women are embedded in the psyche and have been passed down thru generations by both sexes.
I think "Hunter gatherer" things have changed since cavemen times, roles have reversed in many instances. Life seems much more complex these days...
religion, culture, can play a big part on the role of women in society.
Michelle Browne
The Bearer - Questions Western society where women have a do it all mentality.
This performance made me question the role of women in our society and how much can one woman actually do? What are the expectations of women today? Something that interests me is the pressures placed on woman to behave in certain ways - a sort of reality versus non-reality. Not only are women balancing many things in the physical sence; also is there an unconscious balancing act taking place? Wherein outdated notions of women are embedded in the psyche and have been passed down thru generations by both sexes.
I think "Hunter gatherer" things have changed since cavemen times, roles have reversed in many instances. Life seems much more complex these days...
religion, culture, can play a big part on the role of women in society.
Wednesday 11 February 2009
Monday 9 February 2009
unmediated response
This project is about people, tribes, races, cultures, gender. Things that may interest me is Mauri people, tatoos, post feminist views on...? Why people dress in certain ways. Why they pierce or scar their bodies in different cultures. Body art?
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