This series of images explores the idea of gender as a performance – as discussed by Mirzoeff. Ulay has created a new self, one consisting of both genders, and turned himself into a living artwork. By doing so he delves into the conflict between biological sex, and conventions of gender depicted by his society. These conventions help to show how his society depicted the role, and identity, of males and females in his society.
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This piece relates to identity in terms of the growing modern consumerist society and feminism, as well as what determines one’s identity. Kruger is criticising how society’s materialistic and consumer driven nature – greed, consumption had taken over her society. People were determining their value and their meaning from objects – not who they were, or what they achieved. She is also exploring the pressure media had created women felt to wear the right things and look the right way. In order to be seen as ‘valuable’ women needed to wear and have things of value.
This piece of work delves into the complexities of Middle Eastern women’s identities. It looks at their role in society from both an Eastern and a Western view, and looks into the stereotypes the Western world have created around the topic. Conflicts such as East versus West, tradition versus modernity, beauty versus violence, and submission versus defiance are all explored. This image relates to the topic by looking at a marginalised identity in a changing world, as well as Western cliches surrounding this identity.
This image relates to Mirzoeff’s section discussing selfies, our generations self portrait. It is an example of unconventional selfie – something which is trending. Generally the person taking the selfie wants to look the best they can, and makeup, lighting, angles, filters and sometimes photoshop all contribute to creating the ‘perfect’ selfie regardless of how ‘real’ it is. Jennifer Lopez has kept her image real and emphasised that we don’t need makeup to be beautiful. This selfie also relates to Mirzoeff’s idea of a digital conversation as it received almost seven thousand comments from people responding to her image.
I find this a very powerful visual text. This was found in a seven year old’s bedroom amongst her toys and games. This image shows the effect media has had on girl’s and women’s body image and self confidence. For such a young child to already be feeling pressure to reach her society’s beauty standards is very concerning. The juvenile handwriting, terrible spelling and ‘girly’ writing paper emphasizes the child’s young age, and makes us wonder why on earth someone who can’t even spell the word diet feels the need to be on one. This relates to Mirzoeff’s text in relation to the identity of women and the pressure to be beautiful.
Works Cited
Ulay. S’he . 1973. Polaroid Type 107. Ulay | Polaroids. Nederlands Foto Musuem, n.d. Web. 13 April. 2016.
Kruger, Barbara. I shop Therefore I am. 1987. Silkscreen Print. Barbara Kruger. Mary Boone Gallery, n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.
Lopez, Jennifer. No Makeup Day! #real face #trueselfie #Iwokeuplikethis”. 2014. Photograph. Jennifer Lopez goes without makeup. US Magazine, Jun. 26 2015. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.
Neshat, Shirin. Rebellious Silence. 1994. Photograph. Shirin Neshat Artist Statement. Signs Journal, n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.
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