eloisevisualculture - Tumblr blog

eloisevisualculture · 3 years

Text

Zoom interview with Valerie Moore.

What first drew you towards illustration?

My mum was always an artist, so it was always in my family and in my house. So paints, materials surrounded me a lot. But i never got into it until university and the foundation year, i was never an illustrator (in my opinion) before then.

I would say what drew me into it was seeing my mum do it, but it took a while.

So you grew up in quite an artistic background then?

Yeah, i would say that. My mum, she started painting later in her life as well, so she very much took everything she could, used all sorts of random stuff, She didn’t really establish a technique or anything, i would say. She would have a hot glue gun, or like gouache, and like glitter, So yes, that kind of thing drew me in.

So you only realised that you would be doing illustration in uni, is that correct? Or earlier on in college?

Yeah so i did a GCSE in Graphics and i failed it, because i didn’t take it seriously and viewed it as one free lesson. And because of that I couldn’t take it as an A level, so i did completely unrelated A levels. And decided a week before i was supposed to send my confirmation to go to Kings college for geography, i just went uh I’m not going, and i took a gap year. And i went from there.

Free spirit then!

Apparently i am, didn’t know i had it in me!

You grew up in an artistic background, and your mum inspired you, but you weren’t always sure you would be working in something art related?

Definitely yes, i didn’t really draw as a kid... Well i mean i did, but it was never “wow, look at that”. Still now i believe that drawing is not my thing. I can draw whatever i want but, it’s more a question of where i take that drawing...[...]

That’s really interesting! So what is illustration for you, what does it mean?

Illustration for me.. in foundation year when we did illustration i found out that it was basically following a brief, following a task essentially. I don’t know really ...Could you rephrase the question maybe?

Oh absolutely! What is illustration used for in your opinion, and how would you want to use it?

I think it could be described as filling out a brief, someone has a creative dilemma, they ask “i want this to look like this and this”.

Illustration is everywhere, art is everywhere. It’s necessary for the world to have, it’s not just a hobby, it’s a necessity.

Absolutely, art has always revealed problems in society or brought attention to issues and stuff. It’s always been an important force.

When you prepare for a project, and you’re given a brief. What are the first things that go through your head? Do you have a particular process, a way of planning things?

Every time, as soon as i get the brief i panic, i think “how am I suppose to do this” then i go “wait a minute, that’s what research is for”. I look up anything it’s about, google it, asking anyone about it. Then i take messy notes. I’ve never been one for organising cute notes, mine are all over the place. It’s very scattered for me, and i think it scared me every time that I’m all over the place. And i have to remind myself that I’m all over the place every time, it’s my process and i always manage to get the project done.

Yes, It’s your process. Do you come up with ideas easily, or do you have to look a bit harder for them. How’s the process of idea generating for you?

I think i.. And that’s why i like illustration, I can produce lots in one go, i can just spit out lots of stuff. The hardest part for me is narrowing down, why did i do that, why did i like that, why does it make sense, and just choosing a final idea.

Has this year been good for you, artistically. Have you developed your style, or your ideas?

This year has helped me progress in my art, yes finalising techniques. It’s just whenever i get a brief and panic a bit and don’t know what to do, i learn to think “ no, it’s okay, you have a process and you aren’t supposed to know, that why you have time”. I feel that the foundation year was my biggest year for progression .

I share that, definitely. Especially because his year hasn’t been the most... let’s say inspiring, not very motivating, for most people. That has a huge impact. Last year you were in campus surrounded by other students who were doing art as well.. a very different experience.

Definitely, being surrounded by other artists is almost half of the experience with uni, if not more. We aren’t just sitting quietly in the library writing essays. We are talking to each other, sharing ideas, talking about projects...

[...]

Let’s talk about your practice a little bit. What kind of medium do you gravitate towards?

I really jump between digital drawing (procreate) to collage, i would say. Collage is easy for me, because most of the work is already done for you, with cool patterns printed on the paper. You just have to pull it out, that’s how i see it. Digital i like as well because i can be lazy. I see how long something would take to clean up and i refuse. Do you remember that Lino projects? It took everything in me to cut up those little sheets, duct tape them on, squirt a little bit of paint, roll that on, that wash it all again... for me it’s either digital, or just sticking paper with glue, it’s just easy. I want to work smart not hard. (Laughs)

Have you tried anything new this year, anything you’ve discovered?

I hadn’t used photoshop before this year, or after effects, illustrator. I’d never done bookbinding... I had done quite a lot of printing during my graphics GCSE, but i found out about a few new ones. I like the crazy one one with the foil and the Coca Cola, i haven’t tried that one yet. Like COVID printing techniques.

[...]

Do you have any artwork you can show me?

I have this piece close at hand, that i quite like, from lifedrawing that i quite like.

Thank you for showing me!

I feel really weird showing my artwork, like “look at this!”

I understand. I was surprised to see how many of us in the class, including myself sometimes, have that problem and don’t like to show their work. It’s kind of an oxymoron for art students isn’t it? I don’t usually mind showing people, but when I think a work is bad, which is most of the time, i tend to warn them in advance and say “ Okay, this one is awful” Like a disclosure, a warning that it’s not great.

I agree with you, i love seeing other people’s work so i say “go on everyone, show us” (on social media) and they reply “oh Valerie you should show too!”, and i just think “no way”! So no one ends up sharing any work. We just have to embrace that everyone feels the same way, and none of us are looking at each other’s work with judgment.

[...] Okay, I’m think this will be my final question. Where do you want to take this? What do you want to do in the future with illustration or even without?

You know for the first ever, i was thinking maybe i don’t want to do illustration for my whole life. I was just doing an animation, and drawing little bunnies on photoshop for it. And i was... well not miserable, that’s a strong word, but i was just thinking i can’t wait for this to be done. Then i thought “stop wait, why do i feel like this?”. Do i just not like what I’m doing? No, i like the drawings... Do i not like the project? No it’s fun enough... So i really ask myself what’s my beef, what’s the problem? I need to kind of reevaluate. I love drawing, i love art, creating. But i feel like I’m on a very dangerous territory where it’s becoming a chore. and anything for me that’s a chore is just...game over. I’m very stubborn in that, i just think "I don’t want to do it. There’s nothing on this good green earth that will make me do it”.

I think that’s all i have for today. Thank you for answering my questions Valerie! It was a delight.

0 notes

eloisevisualculture · 3 years

Text

the hypersexualisation of young girls in the media

The abuse and use of children for an adult’s personal gain is an issue that has always existed, regardless of the existence of the internet and the media. But the propagation of this platform (social media, entertainment or fashion magazines) has lead to a whole new sets of problems like the hyper-sexualisation of children, particularly young girls. The dictionary Larousse defines “hyper-sexualisation as “in society, the fact of giving an increasingly important place to sexuality, by multiplying references to it in the public space (media, advertising)”. In some cases this has been so normalised that criticism of these portrayals can be described as purist and excessive. What is the consequence of hyper-sexualisation of children in social media? The purpose of this essay will be to discuss the way the different ways children are sexualised in media and advertising and the effects it can have on their lives. It is not uncommon to hear the phrase “they grow up to fast nowadays” when referring to the youngest generations, as a result of their exposure to the media. Of course if the only thing young girls had to fear from acting like ‘grownups” was wearing makeup earlier in life, then there would be less cause for concern. Unfortunately, the dangers always revolves back to struggle of the ill- intentioned praying on the weak and easily influenced, and the continued danger of a patriarchal mentality passed down through generations. In the highly publicised fashion industry for instance, that holds a great influence on our society, there have been many instances of very young girls chosen as models, and put into adult life contexts. A notorious example is the 2011 edition of Vogue Paris, who published photographs of Thylane Lourby-blondeau, a 10 year old model who was pictures, in revealing clothes, makeup and jewellery, lying on a bed and looking at the camera with a sultry air.

It sparked a controversy and brought up the issue of the hyper-sexualisation children. Many people and parents stated that it was inappropriate and dangerous to picture a young child in an undeniably sensual light, and that directing a shoot to appeal to post-pubescent men, while the child was too young to understand the implications. Thylane Loubry-Blondeau, on the cover of Vogue Paris, 2011, January edition Others defended it simply as ‘art’, the portrayal of a girl playing dress up, which ultimately does little to justify morals. Art was also the excuse Irina UNESCO gave after photographing and publishing albums of her daughter in sexual, pornographic scene, also nude, from the age of 4 to 11. In an interview with the purple magazine, Ionesco reflects on how her mother used her for years for her own personal gain and career, her works being widely known because they were so scandalous; “She would put make-up on me when I was a child. I slept very little, didn’t go to school. She took erotic photographs of me and made me act in erotic films, of which I was the subject. It wasn’t just about the photos — her entire approach was abusive. Sometimes she would send me to other photographers. She’d say: “You’re going to see such and such a photographer. It’s not great, but you’re going anyway.” It was becoming very dangerous.”(Ionesco). One of the disturbing things about the work Irina published about her daughter is that it is still available to purchase today, and even praised for it’s artistic value.

Eva Ionesco in her adult years has described in detail the “loss of childhood” and the life long effects she had to deal with from being sexualised and abused from such a young age “You were thrown into a world of adults, of nightlife, sex, and art very young — from the age of 12 or 13. And in one of the most liberal periods we’ve seen so far in terms of morals.” She went on to write a film inspired by her childhood and relationship with her mother. As with everything, it is important to avoid blind censure, and condemn anything without a deeper understanding. It is very easy to doggedly pursue a cause and become set in our opinions, and not allow freedom of expression to well meaning individuals, if their children are understanding and willing participants. The artist Sally Man was criticised for publishing nude pictures of her children. They were done as a celebration and a chronicle of her children’s evolution, childhood and slow progression to adulthood, and were done with the children’s understanding and consent, as was made clear in an article in the New York Times “The collaboration of the children in their mother’s work is apparent to anyone who spends time in their company. They are impish, argumentative participants, not robots. (When a photographer asked them what kind of portrait of their mother should accompany this article, they shouted, “Shoot her naked, shoot her naked.” She did.)”(2015).

Sally Mann put the safety and wellbeing of her children above personal gain, choosing to publish her photo album ‘Immediate Family”, when the children would fully be aware of their choice. “I thought the book could wait 10 years, when the kids won’t be living in the same bodies. They’ll have matured and they’ll understand the implications of the pictures. I unilaterally decided.” (2015). One of the effects of the explosion of social media, and their ease of access, is that young children know have the ability to not only watch content that might not be suitable for age but to create content themselves. On Tiktok for instance, there is a lot of content based on visual, and sensual appeal, like women doing suggestive dances in revealing clothing. Women who are old enough have the experience and sense to be fully aware, and take distance themselves from the comments, they are doing it for their own enjoyment. Young girls watch these videos and see the adulation and attention these influencers get, and want to try it out for themselves. Dr Elaine Kasket explains this system on TikTok is artificially amplifying a natural phenomenon. Unfortunately, the same ease of access that allowed the children to post these videos also means that the people who want to abuse them can see them too. Not only do they write inappropriate sexual comment in the comments, or encourage more extreme behaviour for their own benefit, they also get in touch with the minors, and message them privately. Dr Kasket explanation is well illustrated by the 2020 film Cuties shows the traumas and effects of young girls lives governed by social media. This film portrays the journey of a young eleven year old Amy, as she joins a self organised preeteen dance group and is confronted with a whole new world of social media, pressures to be sexual and grown up.

"Teenagers are naturally interested in taking risks and they’re naturally interested in finding out about sex and The sexualisation of young girls is an issue which can be confused, but is also linked to their natural desire to imitate their mother, or older siblings. Every single child has tried at some point to act like their parents. But with the rise and ease of access of social media (instagram, TikTok), children have access to whole new world, and many try to imitate what they see on these platforms. discovering themselves as sexual beings and exploring that. "They are open to flattery, they are open to seduction, they are open to the verification they get from the hearts they get and the likes they get”. (2020, The Sun)Unfortunately, the same ease of access that allowed the children to post these videos also means that the people who want to abuse them can see them too. Not only do they write inappropriate sexual comment in the comments, or encourage more extreme behaviour for their own benefit, they also get in touch with the minors, and message them privately. Dr Kasket explanation is well illustrated by the 2020 film Cuties shows the traumas and effects of young girls lives governed by social media. This film portrays the journey of a young eleven year old Amy, as she joins a self organised preeteen dance group and is confronted with a whole new world of social media, pressures to be sexual and grown up. Through their imitation of sexualised adult women on the media, young girls inherit patriarchal and misogynistic ideals that superficial beauty determines their worth.The child beauty pageants are intensely popular in America, and raise a lot of money for charity. They parade toddler and young children in false nails, high heels, heavy makeup and heavy wigs, and are trained like performing animals to smile, pose and wave at the camera.

Naturally, many people argue that the simple fact of wearing makeup does not affect the girls in the slightest, and while that is true on the surface levels, there is much more than meets the eye. By dressing them up in all these gowns, and covering them in makeup and accessories to make them look “prettier”, the young girls are being taught that their natural appearance is not enough, and moreover that they need all these additional to get praise and win in life.

These little girls might enjoy looking “ like a princess”, but they are also adopting restrictive and superficial beauty ideals, and learning the all importance of appearance. Naturally, it is important to avoid completely vilifying pageants, they are not always the traumatic experience described by anti pageants or even shown behind the scenes pageants show. In her article for The Cut Goode collects the testimonies of other pageant stars and they are a mixed bag. Some describe that they have fond memories of competing, as ' bonding experience with their mother. An other used the platform to raise awareness about suicide, after her mother took her own life when she was 10 years old.But most often pageant are for the parents gain, and while women and mothers are often the ones organising them, they are, unknowingly or not transmitting the pressures of performative femininity to their daughters. Perpetuating a patriarchal and misogynist mindset in which Women must prioritise their appearance above all else, as the only thing giving them value.

And this cult of appearance and the emphasis on changing your appearance too fit the standards is the reason why eating disorders are so common in young girls and women. It could be argued that this is not the same as sexualisation of young girls, but beauty ideals and sexualisation are often intrinsically linked, especially if children are trying to abide to rules set by adults. While this essay has been essentially focussed on young girls, because they are the most targeted and at risk, the sexualisation and perpetuation of beauty ideals gives a toxic example to a future generation of men. Young boys are taught from a young age that pretty girls must look a certain way.

Conclusion:The sexualisation of children is a topic that is heavily discussed, by those against it and those who deny it’s existence or effects. The fact remains that sexualisation along ever occurs for an adult’s personal gain, or benefit.Little girls want to be pretty and attractive, but it is rarely for themselves.Admiring and wanting to be an adult is the most natural thing in the world, it is just tragic that they incorporate toxic ideals of femininity and beauty at the same time.

Bibliography

COTTAIS, C. LOUVET, M. (2021). The dangers of the hypersexualisation of young girls: a stolen childhood. growthinktank.org. [online] Jan. 2021. at https://www.growthinktank.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/The-dangers-of-the-hypersexualisation-of-young-girls_-a-stolen-childhood.pdf(Accessed 8 apr 2021)

Woodward, R. B. (2015) ‘The disturbing photography of Sally Mann’. The New York Times. At:https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/19/magazine/the-disturbing-photography-of-sally-mann.html(Accessed 5 apr 2021)

Cuties (2020) Directed by M. Doucouré. Available at: Netflix (accessed 20 April 2018)

Ionesco, E.(unknown date) ‘Eva ionesco’. Interview with Eva Ionesco. Interviewed by O. Sham for The Purple Magazine, Paris issue num 32At: https://purple.fr/magazine/paris-issue-31/eva-ionesco/ (Accessed 9 Apr 2021)

Good, L. (2012) ‘I was a child pageant star: Six Adult Women Look Back’. The Cut. (November). At: https://www.thecut.com/2012/11/child-pageant-star.html (accessed 18 April 2021)

Hall. D. ‘How ‘supercharged catnip” Tiktok is fuelling the sexualisation of young girls an exploitation of teens.’ The Sun online. At: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10941512/tiktok-catnip-sexualisation-teens/ (Accessed 18 April 2021).

11 notes · View notes

eloisevisualculture · 3 years

Text

In this photograph Martin Parr captures an essential part of the ordinary life of working class British families in the 70s, the yearly trip to the seaside. After the economic crisis that devastated Great Britain, cheap and broken down seaside resorts were the most that families could afford. This photograph, taken from Parr’s collection “The last resort” shows an old couple sitting on a bench eating fish and chips, with wooden forks and other rubbish littering the floor, spilling from an overflowing bin. On the left is a baby in a pushchair eating an ice cream. By photographing the ordinary, day to day life of people, Parr confers to on the event a kind of immortality (and importance) it would never otherwise have enjoyed (Santog, 1973, p16). He brings the focus on a topic generally found uninteresting and documents in an honest, unedited (or as much as possible) portrayal of these working class families on holiday, enjoying sceneries and activities that some may look down upon. But rather then throwing judgment and criticising people’s living styles, his gaze is full of humour, more affectionate rather than derogatory. The photograph is taken without the knowledge of it’s subjects, charming in it’s candour since they are not editing their behaviour for the camera, and appear as they normally would. Parr’s photographs are a time capsule, they encompass the experience, the feel of those places. Despite the poverty and the grime, there is still a feeling of lightheartedness, and nostalgia. Even to those who have not grown up in that era, the scenes are unmistakeable familiar.

Richard Billingham also chose as subject for his photography the ordinary and unglamorous, in the form of his own family. Having grown up in that environment in council high rise flats, Richard does not shy away from a lifestyle that many people, particularly those who have grown up with more financial ease, will find repulsive, grotesque.

Through photography he documents a difficult, disjointed family life in a squalid environment. In the descriptions of the photographs Billingham wrote for the Saatchi gallery, he does not try to hide any of his families faults “Ray is a chronic alcoholic and a drunk for as long as i can remember. He has not worked since he was made redundant from his Job as a machinist in 1980. Liz very rarely drinks but she does smoke a lot of cigarettes.”

Billigham’s work also illustrates the importance photography gives to its subject. As said in Sontag’s On photography “ An ugly or grotesque subject may be moving because it has been dignified by the attention of a photographer.”(1973, pp.11). By taking pictures, a publishing them, he brings importance to the reality that a lot of the poor British families, not just his own, were living in. He leads the eye of the greater public to something that was ignored, unseen. While the photograph are not beautiful, they are fascinating in their honesty and unabashed display. While the photographs appear sometimes quite clinical and detached, perhaps by their willingness to expose scenes that could be seen as humiliating for their subjects, are in reality a very deep personal delve into the photographers life.

I chose this photograph to illustrate the modern obsession of taking picture constantly, discussed in Sontag On photography. It is a very interesting phenomenon that with the proliferation and evolution of cameras and photographing devices, the human population has become addicted to taking pictures. Photographs are definitely an aid to memory, they capture a moment and immortalise it, and can bring great pleasure when look back on after time has past. It is very interesting that it has become such a reflex, that we spend our time thinking of our future selves looking back to the very moment we are living. Especially that most of the times, especially in this digital age, the photos are never looked back on again.

Sontag writes that “It seems positively unnatural to travel for pleasure without taking a camera along. Photographs will offer indisputable evidence that the trip was made, that the program was carried out, that the fun was had.”(1973, p6.). This is definitely a true description of how much our society is based on appearance and status, despite the abolition of classes in most countries. Everyone want to appear the happiest, the healthiest, the most attractive and the wealthiest (flaunting financial comfort is no longer a taboo, in an age dedicated to the pursuit of luxury).

And photographs are an easy way to give an instant impression, offer a snapshot of ones life to the public eye that is edited, curated. Photography is an art form that is equal parts sincere, and completely subjective.

Bibliography

Parr, M. (1983-85) The Last Resort. Available at: https://www.magnumphotos.com/arts-culture/society-arts-culture/martin-parr-the-last-resort/ (Accessed: 9 February 2021).

Billingham, R. (1995) Ray’s A Laugh. Available at: https://www.saatchigallery.com/artist/richard_billingham#_(Accessed: 10 march 2021).

Sontag, S. (1973) On Photography. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.

1 note · View note

eloisevisualculture · 3 years

Photo

Hazel and Rosamund in front, with Mac behind them. Red house nursing home, Canterbury, 2020.

0 notes

eloisevisualculture · 3 years

Text

Essay: The ballroom culture

Born from repression, the underground ball culture expresses a lot of social and cultural themes through a visual representation of gender norms, social standing, race. Through performances, fashion and dance the people belonging to minorities (both in race and sexuality and gender) can simultaneously stand out and fit in, in a safe environment where their creativity, individuality and ambition is celebrated.The purpose of this essay is to explore the nature of the ballroom community and their purpose, the way they advocated freedom of expression in matters of gender, sexuality and race through art, fashion and dance.

Rather than focus on a single artwork, i will be discussing the origin and some major elements of the ball culture, followed by the long lasting impact it has had on widespread society, the general fashion world.My main sources is the 1990 film ‘Paris is burning’.

How did Ball room culture influenced societal norms through performance, fashion and modelling?

Underground ball culture finds its roots the 1920s, but it truly built shaped itself as it is know today in 1960s, in New York, after the Stonewall Riots where Queer people stood up against the police. It was originally founded by the drag queens who were tired of the racist and restrictive drag ball shows that were usually directed by white men. Mostly organised by and for young African American and Latin American members of the LGBTQ community, the ball culture centres around events where people compete for trophies, titles and glory through dance, fashion modelling, and lip-syncing.

The ball room competitions allowed young trans and queer people of colour to display their sexuality freely, socialise with likeminded people and explore a world of fashion, performing and fame in a free, safe environment.

Ball room modelling and fashion contests evolved to contain a lot of diverse categories, allowing everyone to participate (particularly around the 70s). ‘There is always something for everyone. It’s what keeps them coming back’. Some of those categories included ‘Evening Wear’, ‘Butch queen’, ‘executive realness’. In the white dominated society they were living, the ball community had accessed to tv shows and magazine showcasing the life of luxury, leisure and fame of white America, inaccessible to them. Most of them lived in poverty, difficult familial situation, and more generally had suffered through discrimination, rejection and abuse all their life, so the balls were a way for them to construct their own fantasy, of fame, wealth and freedom. Through their clothes, the fashion they inhabit these roles, imagine a reality where these doors would be open to them.

This was illustrated in an interview in the film Paris is Burning “In real life you can’t get a job as an executive unless you have the educational background and the opportunity. In a ballroom you can be anything you want. You aren’t really an executive but you’re looking like one. You’re showing to the straight world I can be an executive if i had the opportunity. I could be one, because I look like one.”(Pepper Lebeija, 1990).

This notion of identity intrinsically tied to appearance is fascinating, and while fashion can be considered in some regards to be very superficial and nonessential, it has a major role in society, an important way of expressing oneself as well as delimiting and breaking barriers of gender conforming, class.

Another important factor of these balls is that it prevented some of youth from entering gangs, giving them an outlet, and community and goals to aspire to. “Those balls are more or less our fantasy of being a superstar, like at the oscars. [...] or being on the runway, as a model. A lot of those kids at the balls don’t have two of nothing, some of them don’t even eat. They come to the balls starving, and they sleep in ‘Under 21’ or on the pier. They don’t have a home to go to. But they’ll go out and steal something and get dressed up and come to the ball for that one night and live the fantasy.”

At the heart of the ball community are the Houses. Led by a Mother or Father, they adopt youths into their midst and form a protective group, supporting and looking out for each other in the still very homophobic, racist and transphobic society (still the case today unfortunately). The houses compete for glory and recognition in the balls and hold a fierce rivalry between each other. A lot of the youths attending the balls lived in extreme poverty, in difficult familial situations or on the streets, having been thrown out of their homes, so the houses are extremely important.

‘Families for a lot of kids who don’t have families.’

The ball room culture, through it’s celebration of sexuality and it’s breaking down of heteronormative society, defined as “Heteronormativity is the idea that heterosexual attraction and relationships are the normal form of sexuality” in the Encyclopedia of Critical psychology. The participants of the balls are not tied by their birth assigned or assumed gender, their garments and make up reflect this. The wave of recognition of gender fluidity in the last decade, the emphasis on pronouns for instance, are a testament to the impact of the subculture.

Trans women and men are at the heart of ballroom culture, were rejected not only by heteronormative society but the queer community as well, the balls rooms and houses were truly the only place were they were accepted. The series Pose, based in 70s New York illustrates the segregation of Trans people, who weren’t even allowed in gay bars for instance, and their mortality rate was and still is today extremely high.

Ball room culture has had and continues to have a lasting impact on society, particularly in the visual world of Fashion, inspired by the thrifted or homemade couture, the innovative shapes and modelling techniques, accompanied with music and ‘Voguing’ a dance that originated from the ball room. Unfortunately the ballrooms are not always acknowledged for this. Cultural appropriation has been going on for decades, the language, visual ideas, dances and concepts of ball room and more generally queer culture has trickled down to the general public, who do not know to acknowledge their source.

They opened the question of sexuality and ushered in a new age of questioning and freedom through their flamboyant shows, and use of clothing. But further than that, the legacy of the ball room culture is a message of freedom of sexuality and expression, a rejection of gender norms through the destruction of, advocating trans rights. Over the years drag and ballroom culture has become more and more accepted, less stigmatised. The television show Rupaul’s Drag Race caused a historic change for the community, showcases some aspect of the culture, drag queens mainly, to a much more widespread international audience. Other shows like Pose also documents the history of the balls in the 70s.

Conclusion;

The ball communities has massively influenced the visual culture of today, men can wear makeup, clothes are slowly becoming genderless. Traditional gender roles and gender performance are being toyed with, criticised, and society is slowly changing to include Trans people. People are feeling more and more empowering to wear what they want, appear as they wish to appear and not to be defined by societal norms.The High fashion and the artistic world is opening up, and while there is so much more progress to be made total, freedom of expression and sexuality has come a long way since the 70s.

It is important to remember who inspired these changes, fight against cultural appropriation and to give respect to the creative, incredibly courageous individuals and communities that made an art out of ballrooms.

Fig 1

Fig 2

Fig 3

Fig 4

Fig 5

Fig 6

Fig 7

Bibliography:

Fig 1: Zay Wilder walking in the Blackout Ball, November 2015. Photographed by Anja Matthes

Fig 2 and 3: Members of the House of Bangy Kunts, photographed by Anja Matthes

Fig 4 and 5: Stills from Paris is Burning (1990) Jenny Livingston

Fig 6 and 7: Portraits taken from Damian Frost’s Night Flowers: From Avante-Drag to Extreme Haute-Coutur (2016)

Paris is Burning.(1990).[film]New York: Jenny Livingston

Pose.(2018).[television series]New York: Ryan Murphy; Brad Falchuk; Steven Canals.

Matthes, A.(2019-2020). Kiki Ballroom Portraits.[photograph]. Available at: https://www.anjamatthes.com/kiki-portraits [accessed 4 Jan 2020].

Matthes, A.(2019-2020). The House of Bangy Kunts.[photograph]. Available at: https://www.anjamatthes.com/kiki-portraits [accessed 4 Jan 2020].

Matthes, A. And Salzman, S. (2019).In the Kiki ballroom scene, Queer kids of colour can be themselves. The Atlantic,[online]. Available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2019/11/nyc-kiki-community/599830/ [accessed on: 2 Jan 2020]

Frost, D. (2016). Night Flowers: From Avante-Drag to Extreme Haute-Couture. London: Merrel Holberton

4 notes · View notes

eloisevisualculture · 3 years

Photo

Illustration i made for a manifesto project about body hair.

3 notes · View notes

eloisevisualculture · 3 years

Photo

Illustration for manifesto project by Marie Smith

2 notes · View notes

eloisevisualculture · 4 years

Text

Manifesto: Body Hair

Body hair - should we care?

WARNING!

This manifesto is a non-manifesto.

It is not a preach for change.

It is not calling out an existing norm and forcing a new tradition.

What is this then?

It is a set of equations that can help simplify YOUR decision-making to support

INDIVIDUALITY and PREFERENCE.

This non-manifesto can be boiled down to 4 simple equations.

If you:

1) have body hair + love it = do what you want

2) have body hair + hate it = do what you want

3) don’t have body hair + love it = do what you want

4) don’t have body hair + hate it = do what you want

Minding your own business:

Body hair is still associated with topics it should not be associated with.

● politics

● gender

Mixing OPINION and FACT is a tricky business as there is a chance of imposing opinion AS

fact.

OPINION ≠ FACT

The blurred lines between OPINION and FACT leads to people following other people’s

opinions as facts and that leads to following opinions you don’t agree with. For instance:

● Shaving your legs when you don’t want to

● Not wearing certain clothing to hide body hair

● Wasting money on razors and waxing when you don’t want to

● Time spent when one could be doing more enjoyable or productive things

● Environmentally impacting the Earth by using disposal of razors.

(Did you know the average person who shaves daily or near-daily uses 40-50 disposable razors annually)

OPINION VERSUS FACT:

Believe it or not many individuals believe their opinion is in fact, fact.

This non-manifesto believes:

All opinions are valid

All facts are valid

Opinions are not facts

Facts are not opinion

“clean shaved woman means beautiful”

“a beardless man is not a man”

“hairy legs can’t be on display”

These are OPINIONS that are confused for FACTS.

Body hair is ART!

This manifesto exists to drive people to never conform to rituals that one does not like.

You are in control. You can make a statement. You decide how to present yourself to the

world.

Your body hair is YOUR statement, it can be a weapon of self confidence, it’s taking

ownership of your own body and refusing the preferences that someone else has set UPON

you.

Just always be sure it's your choice and no one else’s.

Anonymous Anecdotes:

Anecdotal evidence suggests that promoting choice and following the previously mentioned

equations leads to a healthier relationship with yourself.

#1Growing up in a latin household is getting used to sexist behaviours from all of your family

members including your mom and sisters. From the age of 11 my parents and siblings have

warned me that having any type of pubic hair was dirty. And nothing has changed to this

day. As I go to the beach, I still feel the need to shave every single inch of my body.

However, my brother always finds a way to judge the way I look, from finding a single hair on

my armpit to squeezing my leg and commenting on how disgusting my cellulite is. This was

obviously harmful to my mental health as I now never wear revealing clothing if I haven't

shaved beforehand.

Issues here: shaving when she didn’t want to, opinions imposed as fact.

#2 For most of my childhood, I wasn't really aware of my appearance. I chose the clothes

that I enjoyed wearing (a lot of long skirts and wellington boots) and I didn't think that my

choices would matter to anyone else. This changed when I started middle school, through

teasing and comments from friends and others peers. I remember vividly the first time I was

told I should shave, I was around 13 years old. My first reaction was surprise that it was an

issue for anyone, then acute embarrassment since it became apparent that having armpit

hair was undesirable and something to be ashamed of. Years later, while I still shave my

armpits, I regularly don’t bother doing it, and I never shave my legs. Not caring as much is

definitely freeing.

Issues here: person knows of other people feeling unhappy with body hair. Toxic ideals AKA

opinions imposed as fact.

#3 ‘Even though I think body hair is perfectly natural and I have nothing against it, I always

notice when a woman (or even a man) has a lot of hair under their armpits and I think “they

must get teased”. Then I remember that there is no reason why it should make a difference

to their life, or the way I perceive them.”

Issues here: person subconsciously assumes negatively about body hair despite themselves

being open and supportive towards it.

#4 A 14 year old found herself having to wear a bra inside her own place because her

mother was jealous of the ‘attention’ she would take from her own dad.

The Art of Not Caring:

This non-manifesto supports not caring about what others think of you if you do not VALUE

them.

This mentality is the biggest power you have over yourself.

This non-manifesto supports defending yourself when you need to and not defending

yourself when you don’t need to.

Analysing people's OPINIONS TOWARDS YOU is empowerment.

BORN THIS WAY… and that way… and this way…

One is not born with a set notions of what one should look like.

Notions are learned and taught.

Some people are taught through IMPOSED OPINIONS a “proper way” to conduct oneself,

body hair is part of that.

It should not be.

ENOUGH WAFFLE, WHY SHOULD I LISTEN TO YOU?

So you have reached the end, thank you and well done. But why should any of this be of any significance to you?

It doesn’t have to, but it can be.

You may disagree with everything you have just read. That is valid.

This non-manifesto believes all opinions are valid.

Even if you don’t agree with it, it agrees with you.

I’m not saying every woman shouldn’t shave. I just want women to make informed decisions

and ask themselves why they do it. It’s about self-worth and love. I don’t want there to be

women shaving because they think they’re disgusting if they don’t. The fact that we’re

making decisions based on toxic ideals really saddens me.”

Referencing:

2 notes · View notes

eloisevisualculture · 4 years

Text

Mina Loy ‘feminist manifesto’

Mina Loy ‘Feminist Manifesto’

In 1914, Surrealist writer and painter Mina Loy writes what she describes as the “ Rough draught beginning of an absolute resubstanciation of the feminist question.”l2-3

She starts by stating in unequivocal terms that to see any change, women will have to completely break down society to rebuild it, and she warns them of the hardships to come.

Her speech is very militant and advocates a revolutionary rather than a reformist approach to freeing women from their social condition (two approaches rather reminiscent of the reformist and revolutionary groups tearing through the German socialist parties from 1875 onwards).

One of the main point she puts forward is that “Men and women are enemies”l21, a term in keeping with her military approach. She explains that they are two entirely different beings with opposing goals and aspirations, and “The only point at which the interest of the two sexes merge - the sexual embrace”l22.

A crucial step of lifting the male supremacy is that Women must no longer be classified as either “mother” or “mistress”, they should be able to fill both those roles. This echoes an idea mentioned later in the draught, where Loy advocates the lifting of taboo placed on sex ‘Nothing is impure in sex”l50.

Another salient point of the manifesto is that women’s Virginity must be destroyed at puberty, due the fabricated value men have attached to it, lest women become “lethargic in the acquisition of intrinsic merits of character”l29. In other words women should cultivate accomplishments rather than relying on the single ‘bogus’ value of being a virgin. Loy mentions that the virginity is to be ‘surgically destroyed’ and does not offer anymore details, which is chilling to say the least.

Interestingly, the author focuses on elements that where women more fortunate than men, rather than focussing entirely on the areas of society where they are oppressed. Marriage for instance is described as a nonsensical, largely unequal bargain. A woman when entering a marriage offers only her virginity in exchange for “preposterously luxurious support from her husband”. While Loy’s point is comprehensible, she seems to overlook the fact that most women’s support is far from 'luxurious’, that they are in charge of the entirety of the domestic tasks and enjoy no freedom whatsoever. It is interesting that a feminist piece seems to undermine the hardship of many married women.

One of the final ideas put forward by Loy is that “Women must destroy in themselves the desire to be loved”, essentially to avoid getting hurt by their spouses infidelity.

The image accompanying this is a self portrait of Claude Cajun, also a surrealist who has worked with Mina Loy. It illustrates the manifesto perfectly. It conjures up the training that the feminist of the future must undergo to break out of their societal restraints, not ‘being kissed’-in other words falling in love- being one of the things they must be taught.

Danchev, A.(2011).100 Artist Manifesto.[epub] London: Penguin Books Ltd, p93-95. Available at: https://read.kortext.com/reader/epub/299861[Accessed 18 Nov. 2020]

Cahun, C. (1927) Self Portrait, I am in Training Don’t Kiss Me. [Photograph]

0 notes