Image Remix

A Totem of Beauty

Above is my original image, Below is the remix.
Every image that composes this is from Vanity Fair magazine. I wanted to show different portrayals of beauty as found in a magazine. Naturally, that makes most of them similar in certain traits like size, dress, and (sexy) positioning. The lady slumped over the ladder I chose to represent as the everyday woman being burdened by the ladies portrayed in the glossy printed medium, since the everyday woman is constantly bombarded with what's hot, sexy, pretty; what's beautiful?

Perseus Frees Andromeda

In Michael Rush’s book, New Media in Art, he defines the art that has developed out of the marriage of art and technology as the “Art of Time”. Early New Media artists like photographer Eadweard Muybridge endeavored to capture the element of time in his sequential photographs. Similarly, Warhol explored time as a medium in his Screen Tests.

The image I have posted, Perseus Frees Andromeda (1510) by Piero di Cosimo, is an example of how artists have struggled for centuries with addressing the element of time in works of art. This Renaissance painter, a contemporary of Leonardo di Vinci, uses a device called “continuous narrative”. This is a type of narrative that illustrates multiple scenes of a story within a single frame. The use of continuous narrative actually predates the Renaissance and can be seen on the roman sculpture, Trajan’s Column, and the medieval Bayeux tapestry.

Here, di Cosimo illustrates part of the story of the Greek myth of Perseus. In order to do so the hero, Perseus, appears in the image three times. First, he enters on the upper right, wearing Hermes winged sandals, and spots Andromeda tied to the rock. The translated Greek verse that describes this is so beautiful I feel compelled to post it here:

When Perseus her beheld, as marble he would deem her, but the breeze moved in her hair, and from her streaming eyes the warm tears fell. Her beauty so amazed his heart, unconscious captive of her charms, that almost his swift wings forgot to wave.

He lands and she tells him that Poseidon has commanded she be sacrificed to a horrible sea monster because her mother has insulted the Sea-Gods. Perseus waits with her and is pictured a second time on top of the monster as he kills it with Athena’s sword, which incidentally, he has just recently used to cut off the head of Medusa. Finally, he brings Andromeda to her parents, (pictured again doing so on the lower right hand side of the canvas) and asks for her hand in marriage, which they gladly gave. Perseus is not the only character to repeat. Andromeda is pictured twice, as well as the King and Queen and villagers who appear on the left, recoiling in fear, and again on the right, rejoicing.

So Piero di Cosimo successfully challenges the confines of the traditional canvas as containing a moment frozen in time, and delivers to us instead, a story as it unfolds in time.

-Jen Sutherland

Stan VanDerbeek's Work

Stan VanDerBeek, A La Mode Collage

The MIT List Visual Arts Center’s current collection by Stan VanDerbeek highlights the work of a new media art pioneer. VanDerBeek was at the forefront of many new media art forms and was inspired by innovations in science and technology.

The first thing that caught my attention upon entering the exhibit was a selection of collages that VanDerBeek created between 1955-1983. He used these images as animation frames in some of his most well known films including: Breath Death, Ala Mode and Science Friction.

Stan VanDerBeek, A La Mode Collage

I think VanDerBeek’s ironic collage compositions were created very much in the spirit of the surreal and Dadaist movements. On a plane of bare white skin VanDerBeek drew a small bird exiting a hole that looked like it was coming out of her body. I thought this was very creative and it caught my attention because of its beauty. All three pieces demonstrate his aesthetic skill, style and wit.  They are complex in nature and well executed. VanDerBeek understood the power of the image and used it in conjunction with technology to educate others.  He created images that assisted in executing the meaning of the film.

Stan VanDerBeek, Breath Death Collage

VanderBeeks own words explain why I believe he understood the power of the image.

 “The purpose and effect of such image flow and image density (also to be called “visual velocity”) is both to deal with logical understanding and to penetrate to unconscious levels, to reach for the emotional denominator of all men, the non-verbal basis of human life, thought, and understanding, and to inspire all men to goodwill and ‘inter-and-intro-realization’.”

 -Stan VanDerBeek, 1965

http://www.theboxla.com/exhibitions/past/stan_vanderbeek/index.html#

-Robin

Transformation Project

            Since the feminism movement started forty years ago, woman’s role in society has changed dramatically. Yet, media’s representation of women has remained the same. Women in media tend to be represented with the following “feminine” characteristics: beauty (narrowly defined), small physique, emotional (as opposed to intellectual), and dependent (as opposed to independent). Does this reflection mean the status of women has not really changed? I’m not sure. But men have also fallen victim to misrepresentation in the media. “Masculinity” is rigidly defined with the following characteristics: strength (physical and intellectual), power, large physique, and independent. These “typical” male/female stereotypes inspired my transformation project.

            I wanted to address gender misrepresentations in the media. While flipping through the February 2010 issue of Glamour magazine, I ran across a five-page photo spread of Katy Perry. Each photo clearly portrays the “typical” male/female stereotypes. In the first photo, five young, attractive, strong, male models hold Perry in their arms. Their large muscular bodies dominate Perry’s small physique. She lies passively on her side, depending on them for support. She wears bright pink lipstick, a short blue dress and powder blue heels. She clearly represents the “typical” female stereotype of a small, beautiful, weak and dependant woman. The men wear large baggy blue jeans and white tee shirts. They also clearly represent the “typical” male stereotype of strength, power, large physical body and independent man. I had found my image of gender representation in the media. 

            To transform my image, I wanted to mix-up the “typical” male/ female gender stereotypes and give Perry a stronger persona.  Since she is a popular pop musician, I wanted to represent her as a powerful and solid woman.  Perry sits alone confidently, on top of a Pedi stool away from her admiring fans.   Her body language exudes confidence and self-esteem. She is wearing a suit but still has on many accessories from the original photo spread including: a pink belt, a heart shape ring, and  the power blue heels. The male models are represented as secondary to Perry. Their presence in the photo is simply to show Perry’s popularity. That is why they are located at the bottom of the image. I chopped their bodies and intertwined them to create a male mass, which represent Perry’s fan base.  I cut hearts out of the material from one of Perry’s dresses and glued them around their heads. The message I tried to convey is that Katy Perry is a successful female musician who is independent and strong.  She is popular and is admired by many. -Robin

Versace Remix

This image was taken by by Mario Testino, and features models Anna Selezneva, Iselin Steiro. The two females in the photo are stereotypical of what we see in advertising today no matter what magazine or internet website we are traveling to. These models are showing off their bare bones physiques and are trying to sell the handbags and dresses that they are wearing. This photo is typical of advertising today that places women in unreal situations, and uses stereotypes of the "perfect" body to sell their product. These women are thin, made up and sexy. Sex sells. After searching several magazines for this project, i finally went to the web for my inspiration. This photo was taken as part of the Fall/Winter 2010 Versace Campaign.

Remix: I remixed this image by making the two models the poster children of hunger in the United States. The viewers sentiment for the actors are flipped upside down. You now feel bad for the girls and their hunger instead of thinking they are sexy. Notice the pose and the look of desperation in the faces of the models in the original picture. This is what made it an easy changeover. I decided to juxtapose the skeletons into the image to show the similarities between the two.

Louis Vuitton Remix

Original Image

The image I chose to remix was a Louis Vuitton advertisement that I found on page 69 of the April 2010 Town & Country magazine. The advertisement features photographer Annie Leibovitz with dancer/choreographer Mikhail Baryshnikov. In the image Mikhail Baryshnikov stands barefoot on a podium while Annie Leibovitz gazes up at him from the floor. Mikhail Baryshnikov is photographed as a strong, healthy, iconic male, while Annie Leibovitz is shown as strong, quiet, photographer sitting comfortably on the floor next to her camera. While looking at the image the viewer is able to see the trust and respect that is evident between Annie Leibovitz and Mikhail Baryshnikov.

Remix Image

As I looked at the way Annie Leibovitz is shown sitting, it reminded me of Adams pose in Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam. I decided to remix the image as if Mikhail Baryshnikov is Annie Leibovitz’s husband and changed the meaning of the original photograph to show Mikhail Baryshnikov as a God in the eyes of his wife, the one who provides and gives life to his wife and family. Mikhail Baryshnikov is still shown as a strong male but in remixing the image the power was shifted from Annie Leibovitz to Mikhail Baryshnikov.

Margaret

Transformation Remix

Gender roles in today’s advertisement and digital media are largely based on gender stereotypes. Not only are advertisements conforming to gender stereotypes, but also to contemporary ideals and standards. The new media literacy of performance explains the “roles” in which individuals are placing themselves into. These roles are defined by stereotypes and contemporary ideals. The advertisements that I have investigated cleverly place women and men into specific situations that are gender specific.

Original,

My original advertisement is for the high fashion clothing line Guess. The advertisement is for a Guess handbag. The handbag, in the advertisement is being held by a young blonde woman on a bed. This woman embodies the role of contemporary ideals, and standards of a bomb shell sex symbol. She is the object of the gaze, and is on display just as the purse is on display. The environment, in which the woman and the purse are placed in, only intensifies the feeling of luxury and sex. The composition of the advertisement is one of voyeurism. The advertisement is composed of only a few colors, White black gold and red. The red is found on the woman’s lips and the flowers, which are strategically placed next to her breast.

Remix

My remix of the original guess advertisement returns the power of the gaze back to the female figure; she is now the one gazing out. I have given her clothing, and replaced the purse with a large steak knife, and fork. I have covered the bed with a dinner table. The female figure has decapitated male heads on the table for dinner. I have done this to give her a feeling of danger and vitality. Composition is not one of voyeurism any more, but rather the viewer is simply observing. I have added text that reads “Steak House”. Steak is stereotypically a manly dinner, so I illustrated that thought literally.

-Skye

Daphne: Transformed (By Jen)

For my remix project I focused on the concept of ecofeminism. Ecofeminism combines theories of feminism and environmentalism to directly equate the social mentality that leads to the domination and oppression of women to the social mentality that leads to the abuse of the natural environment. Ecofeminst beliefs are deeply rooted in perceived, and even mythical, interpretations of gender roles and stereotypes. They imply that domination over women, minorities and nature is, and always has been, perpetrated by men through capitalist and patriarchal systems. They point to references like: "rape the land", "tame nature," and "reap nature's bounty” as indicative of men’s tendency to plunder and destroy. While ideas behind ecofeminism go far beyond the concept of the “Earth Mother” its advocates often emphasize a deep reverence for all life, and the importance of interrelationships between humans, animals, and the earth. Clearly ecofeminism reveals gender issues that relate to power and identity, and creates a gender-based context for today’s global problems.

I chose to remix an image that is typical of the sexual portrayal of women as the object of the male gaze. This image is part of a digital collection of images called the Vasta Collection: Postcards from the early 20th century featuring models from the “golden age of yesteryear”.

More information about VASTA can be found here: http://vasta-images-books.blogspot.com/

I chose a vintage photograph to show that this type of objectification of women has a long history and is ingrained in our society.

The remixed image is based on the Greek myth of Apollo and Daphne. A summary of the story can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_and_Daphne

The meaning of the original image has been altered by changing the context of her nudity from one of subordination to one of empowerment aligned with ecofeminist thought. It is interesting to equate Daphne’s preference for becoming a tree rather than spending the rest of her life married to Apollo, to ecofeminist ideas about male dominance and the female connection to nature.

Gentlemen, This is Vodka. Transformed (by meg)

Gender roles in advertising and mass media seem to typify traditional conventions of both men and women. The female stereotype varies between a collected, family-centered, suburban housewife to a sunsual, power-driven professional. The male stereotype fluctuates in the same manner from a raw and gritty laborer to a sharp and sophisticated businessman. Therefore, gender is portrayed to meet the overall expectations of masculinity and femininity.

With this in mind, I selected an ad for Kettle One vodka that represents a men-only club reminiscent of the 1950-60's era sophisticate. Gathered in this image are a group of well dressed and well groomed gentlemen, enjoying a pure glass of vodka. They're sitting at a round, wood table in large, tacked leather club chairs. The table and men's faces are spotlit while the space around them is blanketed in shadow, giving an air of exclusivity to the place. Overall, I would surmise that these are powerful, successful and respectable men - the type of men that other men would like to hang out with and that women fawn over.

I transformed this masculine fantasy by exchanging the gender role of care-taker, most often associated with women, to the men. In the remixed ad I feature three men at the playground with their children. By converting the context, the product no longer makes sense to the ad. Previously it appeared that Kettle One was an upscale, classy cocktail drank only by the finest clientele. Now, it is a peculiar, misplaced bottle of alcohol uncomfortably paired with the scene. The differing messages in these images are evidence of the persuasiveness of gender stereotyping in advertising and other media.

http://www.ketelone.com/

The Love Doll Project

These are photos from the Love Doll project. Laurie Simmons portrays these realistic sex toys in daily life stills.

I chose these because while they creep me out for being life size realistic sex dolls, I was struck by them. Artistically, I think they are well done. What struck me more was the thought on how women are shown in fashion shots. Being photo shopped and retouched until they are barely what they really are, speaks in contrast to these posed dolls. One could say they are more realistic than the models.

http://www.ufunk.net/en/photos/the-love-doll-project-la-vie-quotidienne-des-poupees-sex-toys/


Megan

Bob Dylan, Andy Warhol and Elvis, 1965

In 1965, Bob Dylan went to Andy Warhol’s Factory to do his “Screen Test.” Dylan’s career was just picking up, slowly becoming a household name. Warhol was the biggest name in pop art (although Campbell’s Soup 1 was still three years away). Many celebrities and “beautiful people” of the world including Salvador Dali, Allen Ginsberg, and Edie Sedgwick took part in dozens of screen tests, but to me, this single image is the most striking. You see Elvis Presley in a classic Americana cowboy pose. You see always androgynous Warhol in his patented turtle neck, and the Bohemian hero Dlyan, each in their own way living the American Dream. This image, much like the minds of the three icons who are framed in it, is much of a mystery. With so many people in the Factory at a given time, and all of them having cameras, the author of this image is shrouded with mystery. The use of light and dark, shadow and flash leave the viewer with an eerie feeling about the characters in the image.

Once you 'got' Pop, you could never see a sign again the same way again. And once you thought Pop, you could never see America the same way again. - Andy Warhol

I have this photo hanging on the wall in my hallway. It reminds me everyday that I need to question what is normal. There is hope out there for the underground. Each member in this photo is a pioneer. A voice of a generation in their own right, and to have shot them candidly in this fashion is astounding to me.

Here is a link to The Dylan Screen Test (someone has added the Velvet Underground's Heroin as the soundtrack): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M--oHOn4a0U

Screen Tests: http://edu.warhol.org/aract_screentest.html

Mike Fox

Jenny Saville, Passage, 2004

As a central principle of Western Art, realism seeks to "give a truthful, objective and impartial representation of the real world, based on meticulous observation of contemporary life." (Nochlin, 13) This idea has endured and developed since the nineteenth century as artists' desire to convey the honesty and sincerity of subject matter has grown. Therefore in connection with the recent class topic of gender and representation, I chose the image Passage as a realistic portrayal of contemporary society.

Jenny Saville's painting Passage depicts a modern portrait of a transsexual. It is a dramatic expression of a body that challenges traditional canons of beauty. It also considers the artificial construction of the human form. In an interview conducted by Simon Schama, Jenny Saville said the following of her work:

"With the transvestite I was searching for a body that was between
genders. The idea of floating gender that is not fixed. The
transvestite I worked with has a natural penis and false silicone breasts.
Thirty or forty years ago this body couldn't have existed and I was looking for
a kind of contemporary architecture of the body. I wanted to paint a
visual passage through gender - a sort of gender landscape."

Contradicting standards of the female form is a theme throughout Saville's work. She is seemingly obsessed with translating paint into differing states of flesh. Observing plastic surgeries, medical specimens and forensic science images, Saville generates sensations of the body. She confronts the viewer with images of obese, deformed, and mutilated figures that explore the physicality of the form as well as the psychology of human suffering. I fell that she superbly marries abstraction with contemporary realism to redefine beauty as it exists in our society.

http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/artpages/jenny_saville_passage.htm

Homage to the Square

Homage to the Square

It was an incredibly hot summer day, and I was sitting in a concrete room. It was my very first day in color theory, when I saw this image. I chose this image, a painting by Josef Albers, due to the fact that it changed my life. If you have very had an “AhHa !” moment this was mine. As a painter, I respect color above all else. If I were to define this image, I would say that this 21.7 inch square painting that displays four colored squares placed inside one another in order to explain the relationship of hue, value, and intensity. The hue of the outer square is yellow. However, it’s important to note that it’s not just yellow but yellow that leans towards blue. All color is not pure. Any certain hue will lean towards a primary. The hue of the inner square is blue, a blue that leans toward yellow. A blue that leans towards yellow and a yellow that leans towards blue are already set up to love each other. These two squares that never touch each other are equivalent in value. However they are only equivalent in value due to the influence of the other hues around them. Removing the relationship would change their interaction. The intensity of the second square is only elevated due to the relationship of the less intense colors around it. Think for a moment how different these colors would be if they were on a red background. The red would pull all of the green with in these colors to the surface and would change all of the relationships. Color is such an amazing tool that is so easily manipulated. This image is 21.7 inches of why I am a big art loser.

Josef Albers, Homage to the Square: Edition Keller IC, 1970.
Screen Print
Of an edition of 125
Height: 21.7 inches
Width: 21.7 inches

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josef_Albers