Reece Bullock

Within the text #girlgaze photography, fourth wave feminism and social media advocacy by Ruxandra Looft. The text discusses the different type of waves which feminism has come across throughout the years, discussing the importance of feminism and how Amanda Cadenet founded Girlgaze in 2016. Reading into the text I have an understanding of what Girlgaze is with this being a social media project seeking to help fund, promote and have exhibit female photographers. The hash tag was used within social media such as Instagram and twitter all over the world to reach a wide range of audience members to achieve this progress. Thousands of people all around the world got involved which is rather impressive to address these issues and show the world this importance. Looking within the project, it was clear that the photographer Amanda De Cadnet had a massive impact on the outgoings off the project. Showing us that how she battled with the photography industry which was very male orientated and dominated. The following project was posted on TeenVogue website which is a high end- fashion magazine which is very appealing for teenagers and young women and feminists.

“Undisputed agreement that the lack of female voices and perspectives in the media and photography needs to be addressed’ in which GirlGaze has ‘taken on with commendable enthusiasm.”  The quote establishes that the industry was scouting for other female members which would improve the whole concept of the project. Gaining a wide spread of different female photographers which could be used in the project GirlGaze staring the work in the exhibitions.

The images are posted onto Instagram with the hashtag ‘GirlGaze’ and promote the beauty and power of a woman, as well as body positivity. The initial aim with this project is to give women in the media a voice and a platform to speak on and do things that they want to do, without being overshadowed by men in the industry. Women all over the world have been seen as “Sex objects” and not be treated as fairly as men in matters such in jobs, work wise and being paid the same amount, however this has improved over the years but there are many steps to be followed.

Looking briefly into a similar article “Rosealind Gill” Postfeminist media culture: elements of a sensibility” There is a lot of pressure within the industry for female professionals with this certainly effecting models and certain celebrities the most. By having to uphold their beauty with this having an impact on how the world can see them by holding up their public appearance with this being around the subject of role models for some fans. The notion of postfeminist has become one of the most important in the lexicon of feminist cultural analysis.

Looking into both of the articles I have a clearer understanding of females not being treated the same in the different kinds of industries such as photography. With key photographers having to create projects such as GirlGaze and gain a wide range of audiences and artists to support this matter. This had to be done over a long period of time and wasn’t achieved as quickly overnight. This made them become a more powerful and highly valued difference to the industry by having their opinion on the matter and being able to show of certain types of work within the industry and to say their opinion on the matter.

This week’s text “Pandora’s Camera” explored the topic of photo manipulation whilst addressing the morality of it. The text used interesting and engaging examples such as Keira Knightley in ‘King Arthur’ and a Chanel perfume advertisement. Fontcuberta said that ‘Keira had to go for a more sensual, ‘feminine’ shape’. This is because we associate Keira with a more ‘athletic figure and elastic body’.

Fontcuberta also brings up the point, that it’s scandalous for photographers to edit their own photos, simply to make the composition more interesting, whilst in no way changing the focus or concept of the image. But it’s perfectly fine for publishers to manipulate photos so that they can sell more magazines, “justified on grounds of editorial policy”.

Fontcuberta says, Keira went on to do many campaigns, again for Chanel, but this time in just her birthday suit, Kiera posed with a jacket but no shirt with her right breast exposed. However, the photos that got published in this magazine were ‘missing a nipple’. The same photos had been published in many different magazines around the world that had the nipple in the photo.

“Corrective digital retouching or ‘adjustment’ has become standard practice, a kind of default post-production process that is taken for granted and passes without comment”. We’ve become so used to seeing doctored images, that it’s become normal to us.

From engaging within in this text I have an understanding of using Photoshop within retouching in photography which can be beneficial although sometimes it can go a bit too far. I feel this can create a lot of problems within the younger generation by having to live up to such standards. This also gives a false image of certain celebrities, changing their appearance to make them seem like ‘perfection’ which is done in a false way but also done for a professional use.

Changing places: The rebranding of Photography as contemporary art By Alexandra Moschovi. The texts explains the discrimination of art in the museums in the 1980’s with this exploring how photography has become a title of contemporary art. This was suggested early on in the text that photography wasn’t a form of art and this was frowned upon with this being not up to the same standards as Painting and sculpture which were presented within the art galleries. My opinion of the text was that it was very hard to engage with the text being very hard to understand and intrigue with. Alexandra Moschovi shows a clear view into photography and the evolution within the last couple of decades.

Following on from this the text goes into great detail and discussion within the art form of photography and why it was so frown upon.  An example of this was a quote that states “In the late 1980’s the museums of modern art in New York, Photographers work would be kept separately to photographers works produced by artists” An quote which intrigued me throughout the text states “Apart from its contested role as representation, what was equally significant in photography becoming a privileged medium in conceptual practice was the fact that it was not fully-legitimized as high art but still retained its functionality and status as commodity rooted in the ‘middle-brow’ vernacular. I understand briefly about where these opinions could have spiralled from with paintings being a piece which cannot be copied whereas photography can be copied and edited upon again. The text starts to highlight key discriminations towards photographer and how this much frown upon, knowing this though. I definitely class photography a strong art form as another other type of art. The text goes on to tell us how this ‘law of Genre’ was shifted by “an emerging generation of artists who would dispense with the modernist idea of the medium”. Although understandably the emergence of photography must’ve been vastly different in comparison to historical fine art. I don’t believe this quote at all with photographers being able to create a piece which can show emotion, a story behind it or expressing themselves or a politic message which can also be done with a painting as well or sculpture with photography being in the same category as in this in my opinion.

For the sixties generation, art photography remained too comfortably rooted in the pictorial traditions of modern art. However many people finally saw photography’s potential with this being used for many things such as fashion, stop motion and documentary photograph. The sudden change in society and up rise of technology played a big role in photography being considered an art form and eventually resulting in photography having a place in museums.  I found the text very intriguing and interesting however was very difficult to follow in many places with the text being very confusing in some places and frustrating not to be able to understand what the writer had meant about the following information. However in many places I was very intrigued with a debate going through the piece of writing, trying to understand both parts of the debate.

Robert Adams “Beauty in Photography” The second chapter of Robert Adams’ Beauty in Photography looks at beauty at a number of angles and tries to explain in depth what this term can mean by giving certain definitions and examples within the text. The text also discusses the themes of aesthetics and form and what makes an image truly beautiful. Form creates beauty. Robert Adams contrasts the relationship between beauty and art with the artist addressing his thoughts and opinions thought out the chapter. One of the most memorable quotes within the texts of beauty states by Alfred Stieglitz: ‘Beauty is the universal seen’. This can explain that almost everything can be beautiful to a certain person with this being very intriguing and interesting in my opinion. Within the last part of the text it indicates that “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” with this stating that every person is different with this allowing both the photographer and viewer to have their own opinions on the subject matter and form of the image. An example of this could be a famous photograph from the photographer Edward Weston ‘Pepper No. 30’ with this showing beauty, form and tone from a simple bell pepper which has been shot in front of a white and black background.

Adam mentions that photography is an imitation of form and how the simplistic of images can be beautiful Robert Adams states that he has “Since learned, however that the word beauty is in practice unavoidable. Its very centrality accounts, in fact for decision to photography with the word beauty seemed the only appropriate word for it” I could relate to this quote because with so many times I have studied a painting or a photograph and have been lost for words but then had realised that the word was just ‘Beauty’ Adams struggles to find an appropriate word to describe certain painting and photographs with a quote stating in the text ‘That opened my eyes’ with this being that beauty is stuck to the theme of the photographs. Robert Adams Cap’s Spain, 1936 death of a Republican solder in the Spanish Civil War photographs opened my views on the term ‘Beauty’ with these images being very disturbing in my opinion but Robert Adams has classed these as beautiful which by reading the text and understanding his point of view I cannot necessary agree but I can understand where the photographer is coming from.

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