BoDY poLiTicS
"The term body politics refers to the practices and policies through which powers of society regulate the human body, as well as the struggle over degrees of individual and social control of the body.
Body politics is a hugely fluid, contested and provocative topic. Fashion is a part of this debate and certainly plays a key role in the way these ideas are expressed and articulated, both on a personal level and in terms of the industry’s ability to present images that influence debate, sometimes in troubling ways."
iNiTiAL iDeAs
I could explore self-identity, in a way that emphasises different types of bodies, and how they are controlled, manipulated and politically categorised in society.
Gender, as a social construct, closely relates to body politics and the idea of 'self'. Thus, exploring different ideologies, such as cisgender, transgender and non-binary could be an interesting route to take with this project, especially when it comes to casting different models to photograph for the final outcome. I want to try and represent as many different types of people as possible.
Sexuality certainly has been, and still is, controlled by society and political measures in everyday life. Sexual liberation, acceptance of the nude, and understanding of emerging sexualities and genders are on the upwards, however we, as society, still have a long way to go in terms of reaching a level of awareness, equality, and openness, at which everyone feels comfortable with themselves and their sexual identity.
'DRAG: Self-portraits and Body Politics (22 August – 14 October)' - Hayward Gallery
"As the artists in this exhibition demonstrate, [drag] is able to draw attention to the way that gender is constructed, choreographed or performed in our everyday lives – what Rogers Brubaker, Professor of Sociology at the University of California calls ‘the routine and chronic performance of gender’.
In the manner that it is approached by many of the artists in this exhibition, drag allows for a perpetual transition, a permanent recreation, a constant state of transformation. As American philosopher and gender theorist Judith Butler argued in her seminal 1990 text Gender Trouble, ‘there is no original or primary gender a drag imitates … gender is a kind of imitation for which there is no original.’"
Body image, self esteem, and the influence of the media that presents unobtainable beauty standards. In exploring myself through self portraits and close up images of my body to define what makes me me, I want to present the most authentic version I can be. No make up, no flattering poses, just raw and realistic portrayals of the skin I live in.
Cultural appropriation is, in a sense, a form of body politics - people who do not relate or respond to a specific culture or race imitate that, and it can be highly offensive and inappropriate. This form of social control is for the purpose of justice though; is it empathetic for a privileged white person to have dreadlocks, when they do not have the ancestral history of a black person, who has, and still does suffer from the social hierarchy of society? Whether it be slavery in the past, or daily discrimination in the present.
Masculinity is also a branch of body politics, which is often disregarded because in the twenty first century, the focus is (finally) on bringing equality to women. But that is not to say that men do not face stereotyping, discrimination and injustice for being male. It would be interesting to investigate the different types of "male", fragile masculinity, contemporary masculinity and effeminacy.
TheOrEtiCaL reFeRenCe PoiNtS
- the actual exhibition from which the project is based - DRAG: self-portraits and body politics
- broadly, the base guidelines of looking into GENDER, SEXUALITY and RACE/CULTURE.
- London's red light district - Soho/china town
- prices of different types of prostitutes, i.e.
trans and cis
white, black,
big, small
(things that could culturally, socially, racially and through gender alternate and differentiate workers through body politics)
- jesus's prostitute, ancient prostitution, the laws of prostitution in terms of body politics and controlling the act of sex as an income generator.
- red as a semantic field
REMEMBER TO FOCUS OF FASHION - THINK ABOUT CLOTHING, SETTING, STYLING, APPEARANCE OF ALL THINGS INVOLVED IN THESE TOPICS.
JuErGeN TeLLeR
Juergen Teller is a renowned fashion photographer, whose work had led him to such a powerful position, because of which models would come to his door in desperate hopes of him helping them into the industry. In this series, Go-Sees [1999], Teller photographs models from the doorway of his flat and studio space in London. The models look often tired and fed up, perhaps of the rejection of the tough industry. I like the simple feel of the images - there is no fancy studio set up or beautiful location, just the striking red door and those behind it. The rough and ready style of the photographs is something I feel inspired by, and the general casual aesthetic of the images brings a sense of realism to the images that I really feel works well and engages with the general, everyday viewer. This minimalism draws focus to the models themselves, their facial expressions and body types. In terms of body politics, all of these models conform to one body type - something that the media today are supposedly fighting to overcome and expand away from.
What I find most interesting about these images, apart from the lengths that the aspiring models go to to capture Teller's attention, is the way in which the door frame becomes a sort of frame within the frame to his images. Interestingly, in relation to my chosen topic of prostitution, doorways are synonymous with the matter, and so I could bring this into my work by somehow using the frames as a prop or internal frame in my photographs. I need to remember not to turn the concept into an artificial mimic of what I think prostitution is, in all its cliches, but to try and keep the work authentic and personal, considering the topic is not personable relatable.
Yu Fujiwara, Paris Womenswear SS18
What I love about You Fujiwara's photography is that it captures the fashionable off guard. The raw feel to the images, which are taken in daylight, but also with flash and what appears to be colour film, in hand with the rustic feel completely juxtaposes the highly fashionable content and modern setting. Considering how vintage clothing has a firm hold on current fashion trends and contemporary fashion influences, many of the modern looks almost feel like they were taken during the time in which these styles were originally fashionable.
I plan to experiment with film to create this effect on the images, focusing on capturing the fashionable off guard, almost like paparazzi.
http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/37699/1/yu-fujiwara-shots-from-paris-womenswear-ss18
SeX & PrOsTitUTioN
LyRicS FroM 'Ryan Beatty, Speed' [2018]
Baby girl is on the run (two sugar, no cream)
Pocket full of coins and gum (vanilla donut and a magazine)
Watch her flash her *beep* for cash (Take the white man's money)
Slushee lips and cherry wishes
Blow the candles out (Happy birthday)
God bless America
(She can use her body for whatever)
Do what you want America
(He can use his money on whoever)
Ironically, I was listening to this song whilst doing my initial research, and it stuck me that it presents a specific attitude towards female sexual liberation - something I want to explore using myself as the subject in photography. The blatant reference to either prostitution, stripping, or other sexual acts that generate income somewhat normalises the act (which I think is good) but simultaneously comments on the type of audience enjoying the supposed erotic performances (the 'white man'). In a sense, this reflects an attitude explored in racial body politics with regards to white privilege. The stereotypical white man is that who can dispose of his income on pleasure, whilst perhaps other races, which face hardships because of their social minority status, do not have the money to do so. I want to think about this in reverse as well - does the prostitutes race, gender, sexuality or identity have anything to contribute to the value of their body for sex?
"Louis Vuitton: everything he seems…"
Photographed by Alessio Bolzoni and styled by Hector Castro, for the latest issue of 10 Men magazine.
These illustrations very much mock the cliches and misconceptions of prostitution. This stereotypical reduction of the woman to a sexual object because of her profession is something that occurs too easily. Also take notice of the price difference between the women - because of their looks, features, "specialty sex act" and other aspects. This is something that still baffles me, and I guess is the core of my project - why are some bodies worth more than others? How much would you pay? And why is the cost of equality so high?
mOviE sTiLLs TaKen FroM "Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo" [1981]
This movie, 'Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo' creates such a strong aesthetic, utilising the night time atmosphere to set the tone of the entire film, that also heavily features prostitution and other controversial body politics.
I am really inspired by the contrast in colour extremes - either very dark or very bright. I feel this is something that pushes the film visually, keeping viewers interested and drawn to the motion picture. Another notable aspect is the semantic field of red that flows throughout the film, heightened by the harsh, artificial red of, main character, Christiane's hair. Red, as a colour synonymous with danger, but also lust and love, lends to the elements of prostitution and young love/heartbreak that she experiences throughout the plot. I could use a similar motif of red in my work to emphasise the underlying topic of lust, love, sexuality, and prostitution, that I have derived from the general topic of self portraits and body politics.
I also want to develop my ideas about location scouting - finding appropriate places to shoot my images. Looking at the film, the majority of sex work and drug dealing takes place in the renowned "Bahnhof Zoo", as in the title. I thought about an equivalent in London, and I could explore more run down areas, especially at night where the ominous anticipation of danger would influence the mood of the photos. I imagine somewhere with bright neon lights, and dark surroundings. Soho, as the "red light district of London" could work well in this sense. I know places like God's Own Junkyard, where the array on neon lights and signage is beyond belief, but there are rules and restrictions in terms of photography. I need to find somewhere public, where I can express my creative rights freely, that also suits my vision. Alternatively, I could focus on personal spaces, perhaps those of the models', forming an intimate environment and private insight to the sexuality of those featured. I will, naturally, begin exploring this idea using myself, linking to the 'self' and 'portrait' aspect of the brief.
ExPLorATiOn oF SeLf
LoCaTioN ShoOT - digital
I took these photographs using a sheet of red tracing paper over the flash. I feel that it creates a really striking effect with the contrasting tones in the image, encompassing the theme of red and almost forcing it in the face of the viewer. I positioned the models so that their identities are hidden, but the relationship between the two is apparent.
DeVeLopMeNT
I wanted to experiment with better and more interesting lighting when retaking my initial self exploratory images in the intimate environment of my bedroom. I wanted to use these to replace the rather harshly lit and extremely close up photographs of myself that I initially took. However the colours in these images does not lend great with the photographs taken on the location shoot - I planned to create a sequence combining the two sets of photographs, comparing the public and private, concealed and extrovertly sexual...
I need to rethink my ideas before creating my final outcome, as the images feel like two different approaches to the topic, and do not compliment each other particularly easily or seamlessly.
I have begun investigating self portraiture and the presentation of my own sexuality, or sexual awareness through these intimate images I took of myself [left column]. I wanted to get extremely up close, drawing attention to every aspect of my body that could be used to identity me - facial features, piercings, hairs, acne, scars, freckles, moles, shape and size of limbs, and so on. By recognising these "flaws" - something society has constructed, perhaps so we constantly buy products to "fix" them, either way, its an aspect of body politics - I wanted to beg the question of my worth. How much would I pay to have sex with myself? What factors of myself would determine my price, if I, myself, was selling myself? The value of bodies, depending on their differences, is something I plan to explore further in my project. The text to accompany the final outcomes could address this topic of body value and worth, maybe in interview format with answers from those I finally photograph, or as a stream of consciousness.
Developing from my first exploration of my own body and sexual awareness, I tried to think more about who is watching. Whose viewpoint is the camera capturing from? What does this person see when they see me? Why are they observing this intimate and private environment? Who has the camera's perspective, and how can I emphasise this in the images themselves? Therefore, I tried playing around with the concept of a webcam. Webcam sessions are something many sex workers make a lot of money from - there is no awkward encounter with customers, there is no risk of sexual or physical assault; the benefits naturally outweigh the disadvantages... But who is on the other side of the screen? The subject of the photography questions the attitudes and viewpoints of the digital observer about sex, prostitution and body worth. Do they feel guilty in fuelling a woman to publicly present her naked body? Do they consider the importance of their money for the sex worker? Do they ever think about what it would be like to be on the other side of the screen? There are many (hypothetical) questions and criticisms about this (hypothetical) encounter, yet we do not address these in everyday life, when they are really happening.
LoCaTioN ShoOT - analogue/film
I also simultaneously took a roll of film images on the location shoot around soho, the old red light district of London. In this image, I revert back to my original plans to utilise the subject matter of the doorway as a prop in the image. I really like the way in which the door looks so big next to the model, yet she has control over it, hanging from the handles with a sense of certainty and strength. This self control can relate to sexual control, and general awareness of our individual bodies and sexualities. I want the viewer to question their own certainty in themselves.
FiNaL oUTcOMes
How much would you pay for this?
Here are two examples of my eventual final outcomes. I returned to my initial contact sheet, as I felt the direction of my location shoot edits and general approach to my chosen theme of prostitution were becoming rather artificial and unauthentic. Taking a step backwards to the strong sense of raw realism in the initial images that I took encompasses both the issues of body politics (body image, censorship, etc.) whilst evoking thoughts around the question "How much would you pay for this?", lending to the way in which some prostitutes and sex workers are worth more money than other per session - my original area of interest. Hopefully, by exposing my own body in a very personal and up close manner, viewers will consider the inequality in body politics. Thus, I plan to develop my final outcomes, contextualising them in the real world as fly posters. I am going to photograph my posters functioning in my surroundings, recording how viewers engage with them (or don't) and how they would appear in a purposeful and appropriate location.