Hear Make Heard
IB Kamara
IB Kamara
IB Kamaras styling interests me as a result of his interesting use of layers and clashing cultural references. However, his work specifically links to this project as he explores ideas of masculinity, particularly in terms of black men and how their masculinity is demonised and policed. As well as this he explores how it is okay for men to not be manly which links to my exploration as I intend to portray through my styling how men should not be put off of "feminine roles" through fear of being labelled not masculine.
I also like how Kamara decides to model his own work and adopts different characters whilst doing so as I feel like this makes his pieces much more personal as when looking at them you are caused to think about him and his relationship to the outfit. This is similar to my work as I decided to test my looks on myself and found these images to be successful as it made my work much more personal and emphasised that I was portraying my own interpretation of masculinity as oppose to ideas from external sources/people I'd interviewed.
http://1granary.com/central-saint-martins-fashion/communication-and-promotion/ib-kamara/
Yves Saint Laurent "Le Smoking" Tuxedo
In 1966 as part of Yves Saint Laurent's A/W 66/67 collection, the first "Le Smoking" Tuxedo was released and was highly controversial at a time where a woman wearing a suit was considered highly inappropriate. The label as since released an updated version of this statement piece every year. I found it interesting how, when first released, the idea of a woman in a suit sparked controversy as this reveals how women appearing to have roles of authority/importance/power did not sit comfortably with many people and that this attitude is still often held today despite acceptance of masculine womenswear. In order to explore this I intend to use a suit on female models in my styling to explore how attitudes to this fashion statement have changed yet gender roles and expectations of men to be breadwinners have not changed so much.
https://www.allure.com/story/women-suits-history
http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/136/1/le-smoking
http://www.anothermag.com/art-photography/1869/helmut-newtons-le-smoking
"Working Class White Men" professor green channel 4 doccumentary
I found that this documentary presented the pressure men in this society receive to be masculine and that in order to achieve this they must be breadwinners and have success in a respectable profession. I noticed that in most of the families shown in this documentary, it was the male who was expected to go to work and earn the income whilst the women would care for the children. Therefore, within my publication I intend to encourage a more fluid attitude to these roles and so will style my male models as housewives and my female models as business men in order to portray how these roles should not be attached to certain genders.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/professor-green-working-class-white-men/on-demand/64980-002
Coco Chanel's first womenswear suit
In the 1920s, Chanel created her first female suit. This interestingly was at a time when being a housewife was the expected role of a woman. Chanel's suit could be seen as a rebellion from womenswear which catered to the male gaze and was not for comfort or to empower. The introduction of the Chanel suit, heavily inspired by menswear, was arguable a step towards equality between genders as it suggests that the two are not so dissimilar. However, this suit still had a skirt as bottoms and does not resemble the dark coloured, rigid tailoring of the menswear suits of the time and therefore in my styling I will dress my female in a suit which was designed for men in order to convey ideas of equality between genders and that women are capable of being breadwinners and not merely housewives.
https://www.allure.com/story/women-suits-history
http://www.hungertv.com/feature/ten-ways-coco-chanel-changed-fashion/
1950s Housewives
When researching into the context of the Great Gatsby for my A level English exam I remember learning about how in the 1950s most families would consist of a breadwinner and a housewife and that housewives were targeted in advertisements to sell things such as fridges and vacuum cleaners. When styling my male model in the first shoot I plan to create a look inspired by the 1950s housewife stereotype by using recognisable props such as rubber gloves amongst my styling. I will do this to reverse the gender stereotypes associated with this role as my model will be male, thus portraying a stay at home dad.
'The Great Gatsby' by F.Scott. Fitzgerald
AA files 75 publication
I found this publication's use of matt paper and neutral colour scheme interesting as this gave it a sense of importance and a serious tone. This was added to by the organisation of the text into columns with a small font. When creating my publication I will consider using a similar paper finish, font and colour scheme in order to fit m concept of business men and breadwinners.
Sharon Wauchob SS18 womenswear
It is noticeable that modern womenswear collections (e.g. Sharon Wauchob's SS18) are heavily inspired by suits and menswear tailoring, thus showing that it is more acceptable for women to adopt stereotypically masculine roles such as breadwinners and corporate jobs. This links with my exploration within my project that it seems as though society accepts women who are masculine but not so much men who are feminine and/or fulfill stereotypically female roles.
http://www.vogue.co.uk/shows/spring-summer-2018-ready-to-wear/sharon-wauchob/collection
Balenciaga Menswear SS18
My styling for my male models was heavily inspired by the Balenciaga SS18 menswear show and campaign which portrayed ideas of family surrounding their menswear garments. This seemed very appropriate as a style for me to adopt in my styling as I wanted to communicate how it is acceptable for men to stay at home with their families and not go out to work.
Chalayam SS18
I was inspired by the Chalayam SS18 show when styling my female models as I liked the inspiration from menswear tailoring that the designer had decided to use for womenswear as I thought this created an air of power and a serious presence around the models. I thought this would be successful in my styling also as I wanted to communicate how it is acceptable for women to be masculine, powerful and fulfil important corporate roles. I also liked the designers decision to cover the faces of the models as I personally thought this portrayed the idea of being stripped of personal identity when working for a large corporation. Therefore I introduced this technique when styling my female breadwinner looks as I also wanted to create a lack of personal connection from the models to make them seem more cold and business like in contrast to the male housewife looks. As well as this, I decided to use newspaper for this to also reference how commuters often have their faces covered by their newspapers when reading on the train and thus emphasise the concept of the role of breadwinner.
https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2018-ready-to-wear/chalayan
Zayn and Gigi on cover of vogue
I was interested by the vogue cover whereby Gigi Hadid and boyfriend Zayn Malik were both pictured in suits. This links to ideas explored in my project of androgyny and how domestic roles should not be determined by gender. There was lots of controversy over whether Zayn should have been styled in a dress in order to explore this idea as having both models in suits does not demonstrate that it is okay for men to dress in womenswear and still be masculine. Therefore I wanted to address this in my publication and so decided to experiment having some of my male looks in more stereotypically feminine shapes and colours. I did this to communicate how men can fulfil stereotypically female roles and still be masculine. As well as this, I also made this stylistic choice in an attempt to mock people's perceptions that child care and house keeping are female roles.
https://www.vogue.com/article/gigi-hadid-zayn-malik-august-2017-vogue-cover-breaking-gender-codes
http://www.x17online.com/2017/07/gigi_hadid_zayn_malik_gender_fluid_vogue_cover_photos_video_071317
http://www.refinery29.uk/2017/07/163381/gigi-hadid-zayn-malik-vogue-gender-fluid-tweets
Leigh Bowery - Looks
We took inspiration from our stylised poses in our video as well as the fact that we used ourselves to model from Leigh Bowery's looks as we liked how its staged and self portrait style made it more eccentric, giving a fitting context for the extravagant styling choices.
http://www.vogue.it/en/people-are-talking-about/vogue-arts/2012/02/leigh-bowery
TOWIE posters
Wen creating our poster we referenced TOWIE posters in order to incorporate the theme of Essex stereotypes into our arrangement. We noticed that there was lots of white space and bold text as well as glitter and so we incorporated these elements into our poster in order to convey our concept of Essex aesthetics jarring with Iranian culture.
Define Beauty: Am I Ugly?
This film gave us lots of inspiration for our minute film as it focuses in girl's obsession with outward appearances as a result of contour and Instagram culture. We want to also introduce the idea of obsession with appearance as this is part of the Essex stereotype and so it was useful to see how this has been explored before in moving image. I really liked the eerie atmosphere in this film as it successfully presents the attitudes as negative even though the voices are talking positively. This gave my partner and I the idea to also make our film more eerie (to match the artificial and stylised nature we plan to have our shots) by having horror sounds quietly play. We also like the idea of having voice overs as oppose to music and so plan to record opinions of Essex people and middle Eastern people and play these with our footage as this would allow us to clearly communicate our concept.
We will also take inspiration for our shots from this video as I like the unnaturalness of the framing, backdrop and poses of some parts as I think this will communicate the fakeness associated with Essex style.
https://www.nowness.com/series/define-beauty/contouring-am-i-ugly-marie-schuller
Lily Bling "LILY by Lily"
This work, which I researched into for a previous project, is relevant to our concept as Lily Bling communicates British/Essex culture through styling. His use of props are quite subtle and somewhat minimalist yet have a large impact as a result of the otherwise light and subdued colours (which make the pink and bright props pop) as well as the casting of ordinary looking males. In our shoot, we also want to incorporate Essex stereotypes and British culture through styling and this work has shown us that this can be achieved through props and accessories and that it is effective to keep framing and poses simplistic.
Cindy Sherman
Surreal, over the top exaggerated character. Obvious photoshop of backdrops. Stereotypes/strong characters. Simple backdrop, focus on styling. Simple framing of figure and poses but unusual/unexepected/exaggerated facial expressions.
We liked the surrealism and strong characters present in these portraits and so showed them to our model and asked her to perform similar poses. As well as this we liked the use of orange skin tone which exaggerated the characters and so we decided to photoshop our poster so that our model had similar pigmentation to emphasise the Essex stereotype she was portraying.
https://chloejskyrme.wordpress.com/2015/01/28/cindy-sherman/
http://s-amuse.com/tag/master/
https://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2012/cindysherman/gallery/5/#/3/untitled-408-2002
Rick Steves (travel writer) opinion of views on women in Iran after visiting the country
"From a Western viewpoint, it’s disrespectful (at best) to impose these regulations on women. But from a Muslim perspective, it’s the opposite: Mandated modesty is a sign of great respect. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, women’s bodies are not vehicles for advertising. You don’t see sexy magazines. There is almost no public display of affection. In theory, the dress code provides a public “uniform,” allowing men and women to work together without the distractions of sex and flirtation." - Rick Steves
This highlights the opinion that modest clothing is the opposite of oppression but instead allows women to be free to go about their lives without being seen as a sexual object. This links to our work as we intend to explore ideas of sexualisation and modesty and what this contrasting styling can communicate. I feel like our work will somewhat go against the above statement and instead communicate that it is possible to be respected whether we are dressed modestly or sexily.
https://slightlytilted.wordpress.com/2012/08/03/freedom-is-boring-censorship-is-fun/
Shirin Aliabadi "Miss Hybrid"
When looking at Kiani's Instagram I came across the work of Shirin Aliabadi that she had posted and thus must have liked or been influenced by. I found it interesting how the styling in this photographic series mixes Western and Middle Eastern female fashion through use of bright colours, blonde dyed hair, blue contact lenses etc with a head scarf. This in turn transforms the headscarf into a symbol of self expression (presents it as a fun accessory) as oppose to a mark of oppression which the media often shows it to be. This links to the concept for our shoot as we also intend to mix British/Essex culture and stereotypes with modest Middle Eastern fashion and ideology. This work has shown me that Western culture can be incorporated and communicated in a piece through subtle elements such as hair colour or a significant but minimal props (like the chewing gum in the picture above) and therefore we do not need to go over the top with our styling for the Essex stereotype as I was worried this was going to make our pieces look too jokey or messy.
http://reelfoto.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/shirin-aliabadi-and-iranian-girls.html
http://www.modernedition.com/art-articles/new-arabic-art/middle-eastern-art.html
Florian Hetz "The Matter of Absence"
This photographic series interested me as it communicates a sense of vulnerability as well as sexualisation around male subjects. This links to my work as I intend to portray male stereotypes in a vulnerable and sexualised light in order to make commentary on catcalling. From looking at this work I learnt that it could be effective to focus in on the detail of the body which is not necessarily a sexual organ but can be portrayed in this way if put in a different context. I had the idea that I could maybe collage body parts of males found in magazines over my pink map in order to communicate a subversion of sexual power (as pink is stereotypically associated with females). However when completing my posts I found that I wanted to use a larger scale image to contrast the previous posts. Therefore, I took the idea of focusing on non-sexual body parts and sexualising them by posing with my arms up in order to put focus on my stomach - a body part often thought of as attractive on men. As well as this, when taking my photos I experimented with standing closer to the camera to get more focused shots of particular body parts. However I found that because I could not control the camera from infront of it I was unable to make it focus when I stood close. I could overcome this issue if I was to make posts with zoomed in body parts by cropping full body pictures, or using found imagery and collaging this onto my styling.
http://www.dazeddigital.com/photography/gallery/22871/11/florian-hetz-s-the-matter-of-abscence
"10 Hours of Walking in NYC as a woman" video
This viral video is relevant to my campaign as it showcases how common and normalised street harassment is, especially in cities. Therefore it demonstrates that the issue that my campaign addresses is extremely relevant.
Additionally, this video successfully communicates the feelings experienced when being catcalled, as a result of its real life documentary style (a secret camera was used to film), and thus explores similar themes to my campaign and the feelings I intend to explore and communicate within my imagery.
Stereotypes to inform styling (chav/ teenage boy look)
Imagery to inform my teenage boy look found on sites such as tumblr and pinterest. Lots of sportswear, hats, hoods, puffer jackets, tight jogging bottoms, trainers etc. Gold jewellery. Sports satchels. Hoodies. Always in groups - this gave me the idea to repeat myself on my collage for this look to suggest a group.
https://toonchavlad.tumblr.com/post/166176977972
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/33/5d/d9/335dd9e972aff7fb983cc90de6852d97.jpg
Stereotypes to inform styling (builder/construction worker look)
This imagery sourced from a google search of the word "builder" gave me inspiration when creating the looks for my campaign as it showed me garments which would clarify the stereotype of a builder (eg high vis jackets and hard hats). I found it interesting how the majority of the results were muscular shirtless men and as this showed me that this is a profession often sexualised as well as a type of person known for sexualising women. Therefore this adds an extra layer of interpretation to my posts/sexualisation of this look.
https://www.stihl.co.uk/stuart-callan-construction.aspx
https://www.thesun.co.uk/competitions/4267637/britains-buffest-builder-terms-and-conditions/
"The Clueless", NR Magazine (photography by Yan&Celine)
The extreme close up shots and crops (which is added to by the facial expression) of this male model interested me as they create a sense of vulnerability and sexualisation around this gender which is not usually portrayed in such a light. This will therefore influence my work as I plan to use similar techniques when creating the male looks for my campaign. I will also experiment with close up cropped shots of body parts which are not usually considered sexual ( eg legs or stomach etc) in order to represent a cat caller's gaze as well as reverse gender roles for filler posts on my feed (posts between portraits).
Ryan Peterson (Lily Bling) @nosejob
"LVLY by lily"
When I saw this work in the entrance to the granary what first struck me was the unusual choice of casting as it is not often you see middle aged over weight men photographed for fashion. After researching I discovered that Bling's intent with this was to rebel against the idea that men can't be glamorous. This links to my work loosely as I intend to depict and subvert male stereotypes through styling choices. However I shall do so through self portraits and thus cross dressing. My exploration of male stereotypes is influenced by Bling's exploration of British male culture within his styling as he uses recognisable props (such as a pot noodle packet) to clarify his message and engage viewers. I intend to also use recognisable props to clarify the stereotype I am conveying and subverting (eg builder's bucket).
https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/vbzgvd/lily-bling-graduate-collection
https://i-d.vice.com/en_au/article/8xnjna/why-i-have-a-genderless-alter-ego-called-lily-bling
http://www.neighbourhood.tv/exploring-relationship-menswear-glamour/
"Coachie" by IB Kamara, Gareth Wrighton and Kristin-Lee Moolman
The styling in this zine really interested me as I like how it pushes the boundaries of what is male and what is female fashion. This links to my work as I plan to cross dress in my self portraits and reverse male and female roles within my photography, poses and styling.
I also like how the same model is used for each look (Kamara himself) and how he takes on a new persona/character for each shot. I intend to do similarly in my campaign as all of my photos will be self portraits conveying multiple contrasting characters.
Shoot by Milan Zrnic (photographer) and Charlotte Collet (Stylist) in Fantastic Man magazine
Shoot by Milan Zrnic (photographer) and Charlotte Collet (Stylist) in Fantastic Man magazine
I really liked the unusual poses in this shoot that clearly communicated a sense of power and dominance about the mode. They're static yet seem to hold energy and movement and often involve stretching the clothes or clenching the fists. Therefore, when posing in my self portraits in my female looks, I will take inspiration from these by creating poses with my fists and by stretching the clothing I am wearing in order to communicate dominance.
Hey Reilly
After looking at Hey Reilly's work "New York", as well his Gucci campaign, it became apparent to me that the way that I collage should be much more inventive and thought out. However I must note that this does not mean more complicated as simplicity can still be effective. I plan to make my styling quite intricate and busy and so do not want to overcomplicate the image. Yet I still think I could think of more than just cutting myself into different backgrounds. I might experiment with cutting my self portraits and mixing them with other ones (maybe mixing male and female looks together). I thought of this as a result of looking at Hey Reilly's "LOVESEXO I" and "FRESCO" as I like how these works have a modern figure mixed with renaissance figures through collage, complicating the images, creating a sort of pattern and making them more intricate.
A particular image in Reilly's collection of work "then"(whereby he places a cartoon mouth over a renaissance portrait) inspired me to think about overlaying objects in collage over my styling and so to not have every part of my styling done in real life but instead to be worked over the top of the photo.
I also liked the image in "Now" which has a face of a clown type character layered over a magazine cover. I liked this because of how he decided to keep the face in its white square box and so the layering is more obvious and intentionally not integrated or seamless. As a result, I might experiment with layering my images in a similar way when planning the content of my posts. The inclusion of seemingly unrelated objects in these collages is also interesting (eg the tree in the top right corner) as it sparks intrigue into its meaning and symbolism. Therefore, within my styling and collages I will experiment with the effect of introducing significant objects (objects related to the professions in my looks eg a builders bucket etc) to achieve a similar effect of intrigue and metaphor.
The campaign for SNCL SS13 has also encouraged me to complicate the collage when creating the posts which feature my styling. They have shown me that I can intergrate the look into the background image and add other objects and graphics whilst still clearly displaying the styling. Therefore as a result, when planning my posts I will stretch my use of collage to incorporate various imagery layered over and under my styling as oppose to simply backgrounds.
"This Girl Can UK" Campaign
I like this social media campaign's use of mixing text and images as I found it interesting how some posts include just text on a plain background despite existing on a visual platform. I find that this lack of imagery on a site saturated with photos is effective as it provides a contrast, thus capturing attention. Therefore in my campaign I intend to experiment with including alternating posts of text and images.
Styling - Ray BLK
I plan to take inspiration from the way Ray BLK dresses when styling my models in my film as she mixes smart tailoring with urban fashion/brands. I like how she matches crop tops with high waisted trousers and jackets but makes this simple combination look high fashion through accessories as well as her poses which communicate confidence. As a result of researching this music artist I will be aware of the importance of the mannerisms and confidence of my models when portraying my aesthetic and message in my film.
https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7824718/ray-blk-doing-me-bbc-sound-2017
https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7824718/ray-blk-doing-me-bbc-sound-2017
photography by Charlotte Rutherford.
Location scouting - UCL
When casting for my video I decided to use my friend Sasha as she is studying biology at UCL yet is still really into fashion, makeup etc. She is feminine and interesting as well as really intelligent and hardworking and so I thought she would be a fitting role in my video to illustrate my criticisms of the portrayal of women in Lil Wayne's lyrics. I thought it fitting to shoot Sasha in the entrance to her uni in order to visually communicate her intelligence and achievements within the video. As well as this the grey concrete and linear structures will hopefully match the aesthetic of the blocks of flats whilst at the same time providing a contrast in culture.
Location scouting - blocks of flats inspired by J Huz photo
As a result of liking the neutral colours and linear structures in the blocks of flats J Huz was photographed in I decided to find similar loactions to shoot my film in. When searching on google street view I found many estates on Bethnal Green which could be useful and so plan to take some of my models there.
"Bounce Back" by Big Sean video directed by Kid Studio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phr1pOFK1V8
I noticed in this video, similarly to the others I watched in this genre, that all of the shots of Big Sean clearly display his face and show him performing confident gestures whilst the shots of the female dancer are all filmed from behind, and as a result of the styling and choreography (whereby she is uncovered and twerking) this angle causes her sexualisation to be emphasised. Therefore as a critique of this, in my video I plan to have the majority of shots of my females taken from the front with them performing somewhat masculine gestures of confidence and power.
https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7617805/watch-big-sean-bounce-back-video
"Black Man in a White World" by Michael Kinawuka directed by Romain Gavras
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TYlcVNI2AM
I liked the use of establishing shot in this video as leaving the viewer with a few seconds to wonder where the setting is or what the narrative will be is a clever way to build suspense. I may consider objects or landscapes that I could film before focusing in on my model as a way of setting a mood before my content begins.
I also liked the use of the black and white filter as it had symbolic intent, linking with the lyrics of the song. This has given me influence to consider the colours I use in my film and whether they could have symbolic meaning or add to the mood. (Colour of clothes props setting. Effects in premier). This also made me realise that it is important to match the content and aesthetic with the meaning of the audio and thus I will ensure I maintain an associated to rap music through my styling and filming work (slow motion etc).
Nasty Gal SS17 "Summer 2017" advert
https://abancommercials.com/uk-ad/5472/nasty-gal-summer
I like how this fashion campaign features females carrying out sport and not simply posing. I also like how it seems extremely natural and appreciates the beauty in the models natural stances and gestures. After taking inspiration from this I intend to show my models carrying out actions as well as standing in their natural state and focusing in on details of their gestures etc.
"Fuckin' Problems" by A$AP Rocky ft Drake, 2 chainz and Kendrick Lamar video directed by Clark Jackson and Samantha Lecca
"Fuckin' Problems" by A$AP Rocky ft Drake, 2 chainz and Kendrick Lamar video directed by Clark Jackson and Samantha Lecca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liZm1im2erU
When watching this video I noticed how the female's movement was very fluid and sexualised, contrasting with the males rigid stances and large confident gestures. As well as this the camera is often close when filming the males in the video, displaying their faces/identities clearly with very few full length shots whilst the opposite is true when filming the females, suggesting that it is the males talent that is being recognised whilst the females are there to be sexualised/ for their bodies. The females are in shadow throughout the video so that only their silhouettes can be seen, emphasising my previous point. As a result of this I want to film close up in my film an clearly present my model's identities so that characters are featured in my film and thus in turn the females in my film are recognised as people and not sexual objects. As well as this I intend to show these females carrying out their talents in order to subvert the misogynist messages conveyed in typical rap videos.
When the camera was placed underneath the female dancer in some shots, this extreme low angle sexualised her (as only her heels and private parts could be seen). This was interesting to me as I have always thought of a low camera angle to be useful when trying to convey power within a character as the camera and thus the viewer feels inferior when placed below the subject. However, in this case the opposite is true, illustrating how styling and choreography is very important to narrative (as it is her heels, fishnet tights and seductive dancing which subverts the hierarchy). Therefore I intend to also use this low camera angle but tailor my styling and choreography to empower my subjects (by having them perform subtle confident gestures, looking down at the camera in respectable and "cool" clothing).
Lots of quick cuts between shots makes it hard to focus but no significant action so doesn't lessen the video. In fact this fragmented editing fits the fast pace of the music well and so I intend to also edit my shots with quick changing transitions to have a similar effect (build pace, mood and impact).
I like the use of camera work in the close ups of Kendrick Lamar and A$AP Rocky as when he points/turns the camera follows his gestures quickly. This makes viewers feel more connected to him and he appears in control of the video as though it centres around him. This contrasts to the filming of the female dancers as the camera remains far away and static, as though they are other-wordly or sub human. Therefore I intend t experiment with hand held technique when filming in order to create an intimate connection between my female characters and viewers so that they appear dominant and prominent in my piece and not just props.
"Love me" - Lil Wayne and Drake music video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KY44zvhWhp
Sexualised styling (props and female's clothes). Take shots of dancers when they are on their own as inspiration for some of my shots but twist them so my models look powerful without being sexualised. (through use of stance, lower camera angle, styling). Make their gestures more similar to the males in the video as oppose to the females as they appear more powerful and in control as a result of their mannerisms.
I liked a particular shot whereby Lil Wayne flicks glitter at the camera as I thought this interaction with the camera and direct action towards the viewers illustrates his confidence and power in the video. Therefore I plan to have one of my female characters in my video directly interact with the camera in some way in order to illustrate power and thus convey my message that females are not inferior/mere sexual objects.
Lots of use of slow motion, sets genre as this is typical of rap videos. This technique again emphasises the males power (as slows down their confident gestures so can be seen in detail) as well as females sexualisation (as emphasises the seductive nature of their movement). As a result of this I intend to use this technique but to emphasise my females confidence and capability in my video by having them perform similar gestures to the males in this video. I hope that the use of slow motion in my video will associate it with this genre, thus making my criticism of the misogyny present in it clearer.
"Zero Degrees" Akram Khan
I found the use of unison in this video extremely interesting as the choreographer has emphasised and shown that the small, gestures inspired by natural human mannerisms are choreographed by having both actors perform them together in synchronisation. I think this is very effective as it creates a strong relationship between both characters as well as making minor stumbles in speech/gestures appear significant. As a result I intend to experiment in my video with having two models perform in unison in order to emphasise their power and unity.
"Money" by Peace music video directed by Ninian Doff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-69_ncALA0
I liked the strong narrative and focus on character in this film. This highlighted to me the importance of character and casting and thus how in my work I need to decided carefully who to feature.
I also liked the use of developing gesture into more abstract and interesting movement yet still keeping it minimalist and like its original movement. I intend to take inspiration from this in my film and stylise some natural gestures as well as focus in on the natural mannerisms and stances of my models by including moments of stillness.
The Blaze "Territory" and "Virile"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54fea7wuV6s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UivZrL2znh0
Low budget. Street cast (friends of them, artist themselves)
Simple styling but shows character and eera etc.
characters and casting focus (made me realise importance)
Small props in background setting
Close shots following characters around
Different locations
Use of type in intros
http://www.wearethefrontier.com/blog/inspiration/the-blaze-territory/
Another Magazine front cover
I found it really interesting how this magazine had a collage of film negatives as its front cover. The arrangement of the images create a grid like pattern which I think is very effective as it makes this unfinished format appear organised and final. I took inspiration from this use of analogue photography as I used polaroid film in my publication and similarly arranged them in grids next to digital photos so that they appeared finalised.
The Photographer's gallery visit
"Four Saints in Three Acts"
There were two photographers featured in this exhibition who took portraits of the cast of this opera: Carl van Vechten and Lee Miller. I liked Vechten's portraits the most as their styling was more flamboyant with lots of props and imaginative set ups. I particularly liked the portrait in which he layered flowers infront of his subject and had her direct her gaze outwards, towards the frame of the photo. This links to my work as I too experimented with elaborate styling and used flowers as head dresses and props for other purposes.
Lee Miller's portraits featured more simplistic styling however this made them professional and allowed for each cast member to be clearly identifiable. Each cast member was pictured dressed in large white sheets (their costumes) which drew parallel to some of the styling I created for my publication as I took worked with shaping large white sheets as well as other shapeless materials.
https://thephotographersgallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/4-saints-in-3-acts
"Instant Stories: Wim Wander's polaroids"
Polaroid photography has always been a medium I have enjoyed and so it was interesting to read the writing displayed in this exhibition which articulated what it is that makes polaroid photography feel more satisfying than digital.
"Polaroids are all about the present tense. They are singular and one off" (paraphrased speech from video)
Polaroids offered Wander "a kind of liminal space between the subject and the photographer, the photographer and the act of taking a photo, the intention and the outcome".
As a result of seeing this exhibition ( as well as seeing polaroids being used in other current publications such as Dazed) I decided to experiment with using polaroid photography in my own publication to emphasise my styling (as they will be framed) and to suggest a test snapshot of my looks. As well as this I like the colour quality of polaroid film.
I found a polaroid organised into the "New York Revisited" section of this exhibition to be particularly striking as Wander had captured a moving vehicle as it entered the frame. Inspired by this idea, when photographing my styling I waited for a white vehicle (as my garments were white) to pass behind my model before taking the photo in order to frame and compliment my subject as well as add energy and movement to my still.
I also really liked the polaroids that Wander had taken whereby he could be seen in them (either in a reflective mirror or by holding the camera directed at himself). This reminded me of my street photography experiments whereby I broke the rule of the photographer having to be behind the camera.
The section of this exhibition titled "California dreamin'" also struck me as successful as Wander had captured the carefree spontaneous atmosphere of travel/a holiday. His use of blur added to the playful aesthetic and added movement to the stills, a technique which I could consider using in the movement of the body project.
https://thephotographersgallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/wim-wenders-instant-stories
Elements of Style Magazine
I liked the simplistic portrait style of the cover of this magazine. I also like the way the title is framed by the garments and its lack of bleed makes the image appear significant. As a result, I plan to have the cover of my publication as a portrait with no bleed to achieve a similar minimalist effect.
10 Magazine
I liked the frames of the images in this zine which matched the colour palette and gave the images a polaroid feel and thus connotations of fashion history, test shoots etc. I intend to use this as inspiration when incorporating my polaroids into my publication.
There was also a shoot where I liked the simplicity of the layouts and use of white space. I like how it switches from symmetrical to asymmetry/being positioned over the middle margin. I intend to recreate similar layouts in my publication as it fits the high fashion aesthetic of my styling.
Rebelling against black and white being trend orientated
When researching black and white in a fashion context, the majority of content I found was centred around this concept as a trend set up by designers and imposed upon people to follow. Therefore I intend to develop upon this research within my publication as my styling rebels against the typical ideas associated with this trend (black and white being sophisticated, clean and flattering) and thus, by contradicting this with shapeless and bold styling, I hope to explore how people should have the creative freedom to not follow trends or be restricted by fashion rules. I intend to show this by incorporating imperative quotes sourced from fashion magazines on how to style black and white, juxtaposed with my images.
"In a complicated world. there's something reassuring about clean, simple black and white"
"(this trend is) figure flattering"
"(this trend is) never in your face"
"introducing another color would lessen the impact" - InStyle mag
"The little black dress. It's an effortless, ageless, timeless trend" - Glamour
"Whether it's prints stripes or colour blocking, working the monochrome look is so easy, there's none of the worry of wearing colours that don't compliment each other. Black and white make the perfect partnership" -The Mirror
"Chic black and fresh white once again come together ... keep it slick with super structured bodycon dresses" Lipsy
http://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/back-to-mono
https://www.glamour.com/story/how-to-wear-1-spring-trend-2-w-1
http://www.instyle.com/fashion/graphic-black-white
http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/style/shopping/best-black-white-fashion-spring-5318932
http://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/gallery/monochrome-celebrity-fashion-trend-photos
IB Kamara and Kristin-Lee Moolman
I like the use of layering in unconventional ways in Kristin-Lee Moolman's photos (IB Kamara's styling). For example a look that particularly stood out for me was when he had a man wear a football tshirt wrapped around his thighs like a skirt over black tights. I thought this was a really imaginative exploration of masculinity as well as causing me to re-evaluate the potential for how clothing items can be styled. This image influenced the way I worked in the styling workshop as it caused me to be more creative with how I used my items of clothing and that they do not have to be worn on the body parts that they were design for.
http://linkis.com/www.itsnicethat.com/sklXf
https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/amimakingsense-art-011117
Fashion Identity (North) exhibition
When looking round the exhibition I found myself particularly drawn to the photographs set in clubs and bars as I liked how they documented a part of British culture that is not particularly respected. For example Ewen Spencer's "Teenagers" which captures natural shots of young people in leisurely settings (nightclubs, skateparks etc). I really liked this series as it celebrates youth culture which is often demonized. I took influence from this and decided to take a disposable camera on a night out and capture the situations and young people I encounter. I would like to do more of this in different settings (eg of my own friends at the skatepark, parties, smoking etc.)
https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/ewen-spencer-young-love-070817
https://ewenspencer.com/teenagers/
I also found Jamie Hawkesworth's "From Preston Bus Station" very striking as I liked his use of street casting and was impressed by how his sharp focus on his subject made the ordinary portrait look high fashion. I liked how he had and captured interest in ordinary people as oppose to agency sourced models. The large scale which they were printed at for the exhibition really added to their impact, making these "ordinary people" appear even more significant and showcasing the sharpness of the camera focus. I thought that Hawesworth's focus on his subjects were also effective because this meant that the background objects are blurred, meaning that subtle indications to the location of a bus stop are made as well as ensuring the figure is framed and supported by linear background shapes. I also liked his use of a cropped second figure, sparking intrigue as to who this person is as well as heightening the focal figures importance as we can see she has been chosen from a group. When photographing my styling I had these images in mind and tried to incorporate a subtle use of background props to frame my figures and emphasise the shapes of my garments.
“About four years ago, I did a project with an ex-tutor of mine, where we spent the weekend at the bus station and produced a little newspaper filled with portraits of the teenagers we saw there," - Hawkesworth
"To capture the series, I spent every day in the bus station from around 8am until 8pm. The station is one big loop, and I just walked around it all day every day, just waiting for people to pop out at me. I tried not to think about it any more than that, it was just whoever would catch my eye in a particular moment. ... When I found someone, I’d ask to take their portrait and that was it. To a certain extent, I was trying to be spontaneous about it; whether it was an old man, a kid with a funny haircut or interesting shoes – I just let anything be photographed. ...When I’m anywhere taking people’s portraits, I never really get into an in-depth conversation with them. Normally I ask, take their portrait, say thank you very much and then we’re both on our way " - Hawkesworth
https://www.mapltd.com/artist/jamiehawkesworth/prestonbusstation/1/
http://www.anothermag.com/art-photography/7879/preston-bus-station-by-jamie-hawkesworth
"North: Fashioning Identity" at Somerset House
August Sander
August Sander's photography captured my attention as I liked how his figures were ordinary people (mostly lower class workers) but are formerly placed in the frame. This juxtaposition is striking as their framing and static frontal poses seem to give them an air of importance despite their lowly status. This links to my styling work as I too framed my models in a formal way and experimented with using simple static poses to achieve a similar affect (importance) however did so also to make the garments I used appear more grand.
I also like how Sander's work includes subtle details and props to suggest the figure's profession and thus give context to his images so that they can be better understood. From this, I have learnt to consider the objects that are not focal objects in my images as I am now aware of their importance in conveying situations/context.
I like how Sander's work is focused on people and he effectively captures personality from mere static portraits. This links to my work which is predominantly portrait based however I decided to experiment with an opposite approach and see what would happen if my figures appear somewhat anonymous (as in my styling I would often cover the face etc.)
"Blacksmiths" taken in 1926
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/sander-blacksmiths-al00039
Martin Parr
Use of focus blurred foreground/subjects
Confronts subjects really close
Saturated colour
Framing and crops tell narrative -- took inspiration from this loosely when creating publication as had an awareness of the significance of cropping and framing to change meaning of images.
Weegee
1930s/40s street photographer
I really liked Weegee's work as I found it interesting how he chose to always shoot at night. I took influence from this and decided to take my camera on a night out to capture what is usually not recorded (club nights, parties etc).
Weegee's flash reveals moments that would otherwise be hidden in darkness and I liked this as it gives his work a purpose and consistency. My experiments with street photography also used flash and so I was influenced by Weegee's work to use flash as a means to expose and found this prominent when taking my pictures as often my subjects would be taken aback by me suddenly taking a picture of them when they were hidden in darkness before.
I also found his body of work as a collection very interesting as he flips from parties and leisurely events to capturing situation of trauma/distress. This juxtaposition means that his work covers a variety of elements of human experience.
https://www.icp.org/browse/archive/constituents/weegee?all/all/all/all/0
Hear Make Heard
Broadsheet newspapers
I looked at various reputable newspapers before creating the layout of my publication and adopted their use of small fonts and neat columns. I did this to reference the type of publications read by commuters and thus link to my overall concept of breadwinners.
Women in zoot suits
In the 1940s, female pachucas (a subculture of Mexican Americans) would wear zoot suits, the same as their male counterparts, as a mark of rebellion and flamboyancy but also of feminism as this menswear inspired look would suggest that they were capable of being more than just housewives but could instead contribute to society in similar ways that men were. In my publication, I intend to incorporate a similar message that women can offer more than being just housewives by dressing my female models in suits which reference business attire and thus the ability to generate income and provide for a family through professionalism as oppose to childcare.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Woman-Zoot-Suit-Nationalism-Cultural/dp/0822343037
https://www.allure.com/story/women-suits-history
http://statesofincarceration.org/story/la-pachuca-women-zoot-suits
Newspaper 2017 Tom Dixon
I really liked how this publication resembled the financial times as a result of its paper, print quality and large scale. I thought that this would also suit my publication as this reference to broadsheet newspapers would be inkeeping with my concept of breadwinners as office workers/commuters are often seen reading newspapers on trains etc. Therefore I will attempt to print my publication on a large scale and on newspaper paper in order to reference broadsheets and thus breadwinners.
https://www.tomdixon.net/story/post/newspaper-2017/?___store=uk
Louise Gray AW13
I found it interesting how Louise Grey had decided to use the idea of house wives as her inspiration for her designs. I liked how she made reference to this concept through significant accessories without interfering too much with the garments themselves. From looking at this I have been inspired to reference housewives in my styling of my male model also by using significant accessories such as rubber gloves, aprons and shopping bags. http://www.vogue.co.uk/shows/autumn-winter-2013-ready-to-wear/louise-gray http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/9900099/Why-is-the-1950s-housewife-making-a-comeback.html
Ekaterina Kukhareva AW13 'Housewives gone wild'
I liked how Kukhareva references the theme of housewives subtly through hair rollers and patterns. Taking inspiration from this in my styling of my first male model, I plan to use loud patterns and stereotypically female colours in order to emphasise that he is portraying the role of a housewife, thus incorporating my theme of reversing the gender roles of breadwinner and stay at home mum.
http://wjlondon.com/lfw-ekaterina-kukhareva-aw13/
http://www.phoenixmag.co.uk/fashion/london-fashion-week-aw13-ekaterina-kukhareva/
Disegno Magazine
I found the technique of colour matching font to imagery in this magazine to be effective at creating unity and consistency across the spread. Therefore when creating my publication I will consider using this technique or will keep to a colour scheme in order to ensure consistency is maintained throughout.
10 Men magazine AW16
In this spread I liked how through use of bold and typeface an interesting layout has been created without the need for imagery. This has caused me to consider including pages in my publication with no imagery so that the content of my writing can be the main focus.
10 Men Magazine AW16
I liked how this layout portrays garments to be the key focus and displays them collaged with text without the need to have them on models. Looking at this has caused me to consider including pictures of suits and the garments I saw in the Westminster archive which sparked initial inspiration in my publication alongside my editorial.
Joseph Pre SS18
I was inspired by Joseph Pre's SS18 collection as the womenswear collection included suits. I thought this was in keeping with my theme of female breadwinners as it communicated how it is acceptable for women in modernity to fulfil important roles where a suit is required. I also like how the menswear and womenswear collections were very similar in terms of shoot aesthetic as well as the garments themselves as this blurred the line between genders and suggested ideas of androgyny and similarity between the sexes. Although I did not introduce this into the aesthetic of my work, this still links with the ideas that I wanted to communicate within my publication of how domestic roles should not be determined by gender.
https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/resort-2018/joseph
http://www.vogue.co.uk/shows/spring-summer-2018-resort/joseph/collection
University of Westminster Menswear Archive
I found these garments to stand out to me when visiting the menswear archive at the University of Westminster. Firstly the Jacket by Alexander McQueen stood out to me because of its daring slash on the back. I thought that this could be linked to ideas of stereotypical masculinity as a result of its bold, violent and daring approach. It gave me the possible idea to cut into suits or ruin/reinvent clothing through cutting when styling. As well as this, its tailored style reminded me of business men and thus in turn the pressure men receive to be breadwinners. I have decided to focus m publication on this idea and maybe look into suits in the history of womenswear and how this reflects how it is becoming more acceptable for females to be breadwinners.
I found the nightgown by Austin Reed interesting as nightwear is often overlooked. This garment gave me the idea to possibly explore nightwear as this could be related to the idea of stay at home dads and how masculinity is rarely considered to exist in a home environment but instead out at work etc.
I also found the wool coat by Liam Hodges to be interesting as its soft material and light colour went against the dark colours and rigid shapes of stereotypical menswear. This gave me the idea of possible exploring the complexity of masculinity and how men can be sensitive.
1980s Chanel ad campaigns
I liked the use of border and text in these campaigns as I thought the borders framed the images successfully drawing attention to them. Therefore we experimented with using a border in ur poster
https://theredlist.com/wiki-2-23-1249-1259-view-1980s-profile-chanel-by-karl-lagerfeld-3.html.
Acid Attack: My Story (BBC)
Documentary/case study on acid attack
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p05qcmlb/acid-attack-my-story
Acid attacks prevalent in Iran as well as East London. Importance of appearance to young females.
This documentary influenced our work as it emphasised the importance of appearances in our society as well as across the world and especially to females. Therefore in our video we decided to communicate this theme through the application of makeup.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/31d73aa9-073d-41f0-8169-bc81d49a92f0
Essex club nights
As inspiration for the portrayal of Essex stereotypes I drew upon my personal experience of nights out in Essex. For visual references I looked back at my camera roll from nights out and observed the fashion of the women in the backgrounds of my videos as well as looking onto the websites of the clubs I visit for photos of groups of girls who are dressed revealingly or stereotypically Essex.
https://www.facebook.com/Evoke2.0Chelmsford/?ref=br_rs
https://www.instagram.com/ctznbar/
Define Beauty: Cooked
We can take inspiration from the close up shots of the body in this film when communicated the exposed/revealing fashion of the Essex stereotype.
https://www.nowness.com/series/define-beauty/cooked-tanning-james-lees
Alexandra Marzella
This article linked with ideas explored in our project of the acceptance of nudity in Western culture. As well as this it reminded me of the narcissism and obsession with appearances which exists in Essex and many other areas of the UK.
http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/25829/1/alexandra-marzella
Newshka Tavakolian "Listen"
"Listen" was a personal project by Tavakolian who usually practices photography for the news/media. It follows six Iranian singers who are no longer allowed to perform or record CDs as a result of the Iranian revolution of 1979. She accompanies the photographic series with a video installation whereby the singers are shown singing ballads but the audio is cut off. I liked this work because of the glittery background which contrasted the modest and dark garments that the singers wear. This links to our work as we plan to create styling which juxtaposes flamboyant Western/Essex fashion with neutral, Middle Eastern modest fashion. The simple framing of the films and photographs draws attention to the face of the figure and thus the character and facial expressions. I like this use of simplistic, classic portraiture framing and plan to use it in our shoots so to bring a focus onto the details of our styling and the character that we will create.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hv_8nYqRxA
http://jmcolberg.com/weblog/2012/05/newsha_tavakolian/
BA show on Kiani's instagram
I found this look particularly interesting because of the modest headdress which contrasts the bare chest. Therefore I thought that this piece (or similar) would work well in our shoot/with our concept as we want to focus on the contrast between me and the Essex stereotype as well as contrasting cultural backgrounds and views on modesty. This garment would effectively communicate our concept on a larger busted model and so when casting we will try and find someone with a curvier body type.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHMNejhD3Ux/?taken-by=sara.kiani
https://www.instagram.com/p/BG_bFs1uUiJ/?taken-by=sara.kiani
Anti Catcalling signs in NYC by Feminist Apparel and Pussy Division
These anti-catcalling signs which were put in place by Feminist Apparel and Pussy Division in collaboration demonstrate the relevance of this issue and thus why it is a fitting topic to base my campaign around. I found it interesting how these signs were put in place by fashion brands and thus how, as a female dominated industry, fashion holds a promising level of power as a platform to fight for feminist issues.
I also like how the content of the signs play on the word "cat", similarly to my hashtag. This has given me the idea to maybe include cat imagery in my campaign however I do not wish to confuse the message of my campaign.
https://www.instagram.com/feministapparel/
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/no-catcall-zones-signs-pop-manhattan-brooklyn-article-1.2187414
Issamaya Ffrench (makeup artist)
Ffrench's work was interesting to me as she often uses herself as part of her images which links to my work as my campaign consists of multiple self portraits. I decided to create self portraits for practical reason but also to coincide with how I was using personal experiences to make commentary on a wider issue and thus wanted to keep my images related to me. I found it interesting in an interview when Ffrench also described that her reason for modelling in her own work is often because "(she is) the only person available" and thus how we both are forced to overcome practical issues within our work but which turn out to be a key element of it.
Her use of social media is also of interest to me as uses humour to provoke conversation without trying to hard to cause her work to have political intent. This links to my work as my use of stereotype imagery incorporates a humorous undertone, making it relatable and slightly light hearted despite its serious message.
When looking on Ffrench's website I really liked her creative approach to makeup. This inspired me as makeup has always been a medium I have been slightly intimidated by as I felt like there were specific techniques and rules on how to do it. However her approach appears more free and eccentric which has inspired me to start experimenting more with what I do with my model's face as oppose to just the clothes on their body. Therefore within my work I experimented a lot with head pieces and covering the face to evoke further meaning. As well as this I really like Ffrench's work whereby she paints drawings onto the face and so might experiment with a similar approach for this project or on future ones.
https://www.instagram.com/isamayaffrench/
http://showstudio.com/project/transformative/isamaya_ffrench_self_portrait
Streotypes to inform styling (business man/office worker look)
I found this imagery when searching "business man" on google images. I used this to inform which garments to use when portraying the stereotype of an office worker. It gave me the idea to use props such as brief cases, money and glasses as well as to stick to a monochrome palette for these looks.
https://www.colourbox.com/image/businessman-with-briefcase-on-white-image-3640421
https://depositphotos.com/51142281/stock-photo-sexy-winking-businessman-in-red.html
Shoot for NR magazine (photographer: Armin Tehrani, Stylists: Armin Tehrani and Daniella Jones
Shoot for NR magazine (photographer: Armin Tehrani, Stylists: Armin Tehrani and Daniella Jones
The compositions and set for this shoot gave me an idea for how I could set up my self portraits as I could lay out plastic sheets in my front room and set up a chair. This could be effective as it has a strange mix of staged and natural and would mean there would be consistency throughout my portraits. However, I think as a result of the nature of this project (having to exist on a social media platform) this would not allow for enough variety within my shots to maintain my followers interest, yet would have been good for a photographic series.
"Escaades with Luca Guadagnino" Shoot in Fantastic Man mag (photography Mark Peckmezian, styling by Stuart Williamson)
"Escapades with Luca Guadagnino" Shoot in Fantastic Man mag (photography Mark Peckmezian, styling by Stuart Williamson)
I found this image interesting as the layer down positioning of the model as well as the close proximity of the camera created a sense of vulnerability about the subject. Therefore when photographing and posing for my male looks I will experiment with both of these techniques in order to portray a similar mood.
http://www.fantasticman.com/features/european
photography: Mark Peckmezian
styling: Stuart Williamson
"Elle & Fifi" in NR magazine
When researching in magazines to see what poses/camera angles communicate a sense of sexualisation and vulnerability I found the shoot by Polly Harrahan interesting as the models in her photos were subtly sexualised by their poses and facial expressions, despite being fully covered by garments. The model is sexualised as she tilts her head up and closes her eyes. However this could also be interpreted as relaxation and so the mood is ambiguous. This links to my work as I will experiment with similar poses and facial expressions when carrying out my self portraits of male looks when I reverse cat calling roles.
Photography: Polly Harrahan
Fashion and Creative Direction: Nima Habibzadeh + Jade Removille
Anabel Navarro's photography in NR Magazine
I went to the library to look in magazines for examples of males looking vulnerable and females looking powerful in magazines in order to inform how I could present these states in my self portraits through poses, angles, expressions etc.
When looking at a shoot by Anabel Navarro in NR Magazine (creative direction by Nima Habibzadeh and Jade Removille) I noticed that she achieves a sense of power and control about her subjects through positioning her camera at a low angle, pointing up towards the models (as this places us the viewer below them, causing us to feel inferior and that they are superior). Despite the model's neutral facial expressions and stances, a sense of superiority is still communicated through this which is emphasised by their group formation. Therefore, when taking my self portraits I will experiment with positioning my camera lower down in the looks whereby I want my character to appear powerful. As well as this, for these looks I might also experiment with repeating the image of myself so that I appear to be in a larger number as I thought the group of people was effective at communicating dominance in this shoot.
I found the double spread interesting whereby a male was on the left page and a female on the right. I thought that there was a subtle power imbalance between these subjects as the female looked significantly more powerful than the male as a result of the low camera angle, tilted head, slight curve of the toro and full length shot which raises her up on the page. In contrast an underlying tone of vulnerability is communicated about the male as he is surrounded in blank space with no expression or pose which makes him appear slightly lost. Therefore, when posing for the photographs whereby I want to convey vulnerability I might experiment with doing this in a similarly subtle way, allowing my styling to emphasise this whilst holding a neutral pose and positioning myself in a small size on my background as this will make me look lost and overwhelmed.
NR magazine volume 2 "Sasha, Suki &Yvonne"
@dearcatcallers
I liked how this campaign was really personal as a result of her inclusion of herself and the people who catcalled her within the photos. Therefore I decided to use a similar technique and placed myself in the images as well as describing precise details about the people who catcalled me. I did this to create a similar connection between myself and my followers as @dearcatcallers does and thus spark more intrigue and investment to my stories.
Eliza Hatch "Cheer up luv"
I found it interesting how this project on street harassment started on Instagram and thus has provided me with an example of a pre-existing social media campaign based around cat calling. However, whilst Hatch's work is interview based, I plan to make commentary on this issue from a more visual approach through styling and collage. Whilst Hatch documents others' experiences to spark conversation I intend to do this but by sharing my own personal experiences through my posts in the hope that these personal accounts will be relatable to my audience and encourage them to talk about theirs'.
From looking at Hatch's project I have been inspired to write in my captions more explicit personal documentation of my experiences as oppose to merely writing generic statements about the issue in society as a whole as I found these personal accounts and step by step reports of events were very impactful.
As well as this, from looking at this project I have been encouraged to create posts in a mix of moving image, purely text and stills as Hatch's website includes videos as well as stills which works well as it provides a fuller account as well as maintains interest through inclusion of variety.
I also really like how Hatch chooses to photograph her subjects in the locations that they were harassed as she changes them from a place of vulnerability to an area where they can speak out. This links to my work as I had planned to collage my self portraits onto photos of the places I have been harassed in.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-41038655/the-photographer-telling-women-s-sexual-harassment-stories
https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/eliza-hatch-cheer-up-luv-photography-210817
"France Minister Schiappa plans anti-street harrassment law"
"France Minister Schiappa plans anti-street harrassment law" - BBC News
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41637723
"Portugal has made street harassment a crime - why hasn't the UK?" - The Guardian
These articles were of use to me as they made me realise how common street harassment is, how it is a universal issue across many countries and how the UK is behind on implementing laws to tackle it. Therefore these articles reassured me that this was a good message/critique to focus my campaign on as it is relevant and a change needs to be encouraged.
The Force is Female - Nike Elle
I noticed this campaign in Camden station and it stood out to me as I liked the diversity in the casting as well as the all female cast. As a result, I will try and make my casting as diverse as possible in the limited time I have available and the people that I know in order to have a range of characters and talents in my film to keep it interesting. As well as this I liked how the posters showcased talents (eg a girl drumming) as oppose to just posing. This links to my film as my aim was to show that females have talents and strengths as oppose to just sexuality and aesthetic appeal.
Styling - Travis Scott
I really liked Travis Scott's layering of urban fashion (sunglasses, branded tshirt etc.) under smarter, structured garments for Louis Vuitton's AW17 show at Paris Fashion Week. I will take inspiration from this smart/clean aesthetic mixed with urban styling when creating the looks for my video as I think this will allow me to still elude to rap culture whilst ensuring my models look sophisticated, capable and of high status.
Rap genre styling
When considering how to style the females in my video I firstly considered having them dressed similarly to male rappers in order to elude to rap videos and thus strengthen my message/critique as well as to fit with their gestures and my audio. As well as this I intended to use this styling (eg big coats gold chains, oversized thsirts layered over baggy shorts typical of Soulja Boy etc) to symbolise a status of power.
Therefore, I carried out research into fashion and styling in rap and hip hop culture by accumulating imagery of well known rappers as well as visuals to match lines such as J-Huz' "never seen such a skinny man in a big puffer jacket".
I really liked the location/backdrop of the photo of J Huz (the block of flats) as I thought the clean lines and grids of the bricks and windows created an interesting mix of urban and professional/beautiful. Therefore I tried to find locations similar which I could film in.
http://hiphopgoldenage.com/artists/2pac/
http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/18241/1/lyrical-luxe
https://crackmagazine.net/article/long-reads/j-hus-new-london-sound/
Missguided "babes on the run" campaign
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asc-QVx9IBc
I like the power and confidence in the models poses in this campaign and will take influence from them when directed my models. I also like the quick transitions and fragmented shots as this allows for multiple locations and thus enables viewers to better understand the mood of the clip (as well as showcasing as much of their collection as possible within the time limit of the ad). I intend to also have my film at this quick pace in order to fit the fast pace of the music and fit all of the girls I want to include into the one minute. However, similarly to this video which sometimes has shots focusing on detail (eg the shoe kicking the dirt), I will incorporate breaks into this fast pace of zoomed in details of gestures in order to have variety and maintain interest.
I particularly liked the shot of the two models in the lift standing statically in a full body frame as the camera slowly zooms in slightly. I liked this as I thought their stillness adds a nice contrast to the business of the rest of the video and their lack of facial expression makes them appear confident and in control. I intend to experiment with a similar shot when filming Nusra and Deanna as I think they will look good as a pair.
I also liked the direct interaction with the camera that one model has (pointing toy gun to it, at the end throws gunge on it). This was interestingly similar to when Lil Wayne through glitter at the lens and clearly marks control and confidence within a character/subject. This therefore reemphasised how I want to experiment with a similar interaction in order to express the power of my female models.
This video uses low angles and following models around (360) whilst they make eye contact with the camera to illustrate their confidence. I plan to use similar camera techniques to illustrate the power and confidence of my females (but as a critique of the misogyny in rap lyrics as oppose to advertise clothes).
Lil Wayne "A Milli"
"You're like a bitch with no arse, you ain't got shit" -Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne "A Milli" lyrics
Young Money! You dig?
Mack, I'm going in
A millionaire, I'm a Young Money millionaire
Tougher than Nigerian hair
My criteria compared to your career just isn't fair
I'm a venereal disease, like a menstrual, bleed
Through the pencil, I leak on the sheet of the tablet in my mind
Cause I don't write shit, cause I ain't got time
Cause my seconds, minutes, hours go to the almighty dollar
And the almighty power of that ch-cha-cha-chopper
Sister, brother, son, daughter, father; mother-fuck a copper
Got the Maserati dancin' on the bridge, pussy poppin'
Tell the coppers: "Ha-ha-ha-ha
You can't catch him, you can't stop him"
I go by them goon rules: if you can't beat 'em, then you pop 'em
You can't man 'em, then you mop 'em
You can't stand 'em, then you drop 'em
You pop 'em ‘cause we pop 'em like Orville Redenbacher
Motherfucker, I'm ill
A million here, a million there
Sicilian bitch with long hair, with coke in her derriere
Like smoke in the thinnest air
I open the Lamborghini, hopin' them crackers see me
Like, "Look at that bastard Weezy!"
He's a beast, he's a dog, he's a mothafuckin' problem
Okay, you're a goon, but what's a goon to a goblin?
Nothin', nothin', you ain't scarin' nothin'
On some faggot bullshit: call 'em Dennis Rodman
Call me what you want, bitch! Call me on my Sidekick!
Never answer when it's private, damn, I hate a shy bitch
Don't you hate a shy bitch? Yeah, I ate a shy bitch
And she ain't shy no more: she changed her name to My Bitch
Yeah, nigga, that's my bitch, so when she ask
For the money when you through, don't be surprised, bitch!
It ain't trickin' if you got it
But you're like a bitch with no ass: you ain't got shit
Motherfucker, I'm ill, not sick
And I'm okay, but my watch sick, yeah, my drop sick
Yeah, my Glock sick, and my knot thick I'm it
Motherfucker, I'm ill
They say I'm rappin' like B.I.G., Jay, and 2Pac
Andrà 3000, where is Erykah Badu at? Who that?
Who that said they gon' beat Lil Wayne?
My name ain't Bic, but I keep that flame, man
Who that one that do that, boy?
You knew that, true that, swallow
And I be the shit, now you got loose bowels
I don't owe you like two vowels
But I would like for you to pay me by the hour
And I'd rather be pushin' flowers
Than to be in the pen sharin' showers
Tony told us this world was ours
And the Bible told us every girl was sour
Don't play in her garden and don't smell her flower
Call me Mr. Carter or Mr. Lawn Mower
Boy, I got so many bitches, like I'm Mike Lowrey
Even Gwen Stefani said she couldn't doubt me
Motherfucker, I say: "Life ain't shit without me."
Chrome lips pokin' out the coupe, look like it's poutin'
I do what I do, and you do what you can do about it
Bitch, I can turn a crack rock into a mountain dare me!
Don't you compare me, cause there ain't nobody near me
They don't see me but they hear me
They don't feel me but they fear me; I'm illy, C3, 3 Peat
https://genius.com/Lil-wayne-a-milli-lyrics
Lil Wayne "A Milli"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a52xJdyxjvA
Use of black censored box. Could use over my models to convey meaning of desexualisation.Â
Camera jilts/skips to match sounds in music.
Getting dressed, walking follows singe (narrative).Â
Use of stills when takes photos (could use in mine if unable to edit black boxes on film, transition to pose in film then pause to still with censors).
"Young Thug" - Wyclef Jean (Ryan Staake)
"Young Thug" - Wyclef Jean (Ryan Staake)
I liked the sense of humour and element of critique in this video (through use of type and editing) as I am a fan of rap music but often find the music videos in this genre offensive and ridiculous. As a result of seeing this I decided to make my video also act as a critique but of the misogyny present in rap lyrics.
DV8 "The cost of living"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIDxSGyO_TQ
I liked how the gestures/physicality increased in dynamic and size in this video each time the dancer performs the sequence. I liked this because it made me aware of the possibilities for development of simple gestures. Therefore in my video I will highlight the natural gestures and stances of my models by zooming in on their detail and incorporating moments of stillness. As well as this I might get some models to repeat gestures that were at first natural but increase their size as well as getting some to perform gestures in unison.
Adidas Originals x Alexandar Wang by Ryan Staake
http://ryanstaake.com/Adidas-Originals-x-Alexander-Wang
I really liked this videos fast pace and frantic energy as a result of quick cuts and flashing lights as well as heavy beat music. I plan to use inspiration from these quick cuts for my video in order to fit the fast pace music I have based my concept around.
NR Magazine
I liked the simplicity and symmetry of the layouts in this magazine which are in keeping with the neutral colours and simple style of the shoots. I think this approach would work well to display my images as the majority of my photos picture my model standing statically in the frame in simplistic poses.
FAT MAGAZINE
I really liked this magazine's use of text as I liked how the font was extremely small and formal looking and layered over the top of large high fashion images. It's white colour makes the lines of text stand out despite being small, thus allowing for this striking design to take place.
I also liked this magazine's use of scale in terms of images as a full page image is often placed next to a very small scale image surrounded by white space. This dramatic contrast draws attention to the small image whilst allowing us to see detail in the large.
As well as this, I liked its use of block colour in occasional spreads which benefited the images by highlighting and complimenting them. The lack of text on these pages was successful as it means we are encouraged to focus on the imagery and mood being conveyed.
I also liked how it switches to matte paper when the content changes style in the middle and becomes slightly more fine art based. This meant the content is successfully organised and these two styles are differentiated.
Its incorporation of polaroids was also interesting. I liked their snapshot/spontaneous content as well as how they are organised into a vertical line.
I intend to use the idea of layering small lines of text over images in my publication when incorporating the quotes from magazines.
Helmut Lang in Dazed magazine, styling by Akeem Smith
I really liked this styling by Akeem Smith because of his overlaying of textures in the same colour material (glossy, matte and sheer). I also liked his shaping and how he covers his models upper torso with only the tie of the fabric. This links to my work as I feel I took a similar approach when styling with the words shapely, shapeless and black in mind. When researching Smith I was surprised to find he had worked with Claire Barrow who I had helped at her studio before and thus can see why there is a loose connection between the style of his work and mine.
I also really like how the hands of the people holding up the backdrop can be seen as well as the outdoor background (so we are aware that this is not in a studio). I think this successfully adds to the raw/test shot aesthetic of the image and styling and links to how I included polaroids of my looks taken in the classroom in my publication.
Helmut Lang in Dazed magazine, styling by Akeem Smith, Photography by Letty Schmiterlow
http://www.dazeddigital.com/projects/article/29295/1/akeem-smith
Dazed magazine photography by Clara Balzary, Styling by Emma Wyman
I thought that the use of props and composition of this spread was really effective as the direction of the microphone focuses viewers eyes onto the opposite image. I experimented with how focus of attention can be guided by directions of figure and composition in my own publication as a result of seeing this spread as, on my first spread I am leaning over and so I positioned this image so that my head leans towards the blocks of texts, encouraging my viewer to read them.
Dazed magazine. Photography by Clara Balzary , styling by Emma Wyman
Another Magazine styling by Agata Belcen and Nell Kalonji photography by Jackie Nickerson
Another Magazine Styling by Agata Belcen and Nell Kalonji, Photography by Jackie Nickerson
I really liked the layering of textures over the fashion items in this image (how the wave crashes over the shoes). As a result I too intended to experiment with layering textures found in nature and accompanying them with my styling photography in my publication and so took photos of white sheets and flowers inside a plastic washing bag (close up so that it appeared as a textured pattern with a consistent colour palette that matched the aesthetic of my styling). However when creating my publication I found that I did not need these fillers as I had enough land scape portraits to layer with and so they were not used.
Another Magazine, styling by Agata Belcen and Nell Kalonji, Photography by Jackie Nickerson
"Society Girl" in Dazed, Styling by Robbie Spencer
I really liked Spencers use of clear material in this shoot to accessorise and enhance the garments as well as give the look an overall futuristic/high fashion aesthetic. This links to my work as I used clear plastic wrapping tied around my models ankle in one of my looks to emphasise and frame the shoe. As well as this, in the same look I used the same material to hold the flowers to my model's head, altering the surface texture of both objects and giving consistency to the overall look.
Society girl in Dazed Photography: Sean & Seng. Styling: Robbie Spencer
Leigh Bowery - Looks
I like how Bowery styles his looks onto himself as I have always found self portraits fascinating as they reveal how a person views themself. I think this makes his work more personal to him and it is like as a viewer you are intruding on him playing dress up. I also really like the eccentric nature of his styling and how most of his looks cover the faces, introducing a subtle element of sinister anonymity. I was influenced by this in my own styling and publication as I model some of my own looks in order to emphasise my own personal presence and connection to my work. Additionally, lots of my styling covers my models faces/heads in order to create a sense of anonymity and make the picture about my styling as oppose to the model/a portrait.
http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/24888/1/four-things-you-never-knew-about-leigh-bowery
http://www.vogue.it/en/people-are-talking-about/vogue-arts/2012/02/leigh-bowery#ad-image161729
"Leigh Bowery Looks" by Fergus Greer published by Thames and Hudson
Danny Treacy - Them
I liked how the series of looks "Them" by Danny Treacy used only found garments as I believe this was successful in ensuring that the looks created were more interesting, unexpected and held more character and meaning. I particularly liked the look whereby he styled a pink dress underneath a dirty coat as this is an interesting juxtaposition of garment gender stereotypes. I took inspiration from this when creating my gendered look as I layered a men's suit jacket over a pink nightgown.
Juergan Teller
I found Jeurgen Teller's work interesting because of his images raw quality (as a result of camera choice), which make his advertising campaigns stand out as this aesthetic is unusual for this genre. I like how his camera choice allows for a spontaneous approach and removes the technical restrictions of photography. As a result of my research, I experimented with using a disposable camera so that I too could achieve this spontaneous approach in busy atmospheres and not miss action.
His photos are often over-exposed which has taught me that it is okay to be experimental with the editing of your images and that there is no right or wrong. As a result of this, I was more playful when editing my images for my publication. For example I made one portrait very dark and grainy which would technically be considered 'wrong' however worked for my publications mood/aesthetic.
Juergen Teller for Louis Vuitton (Nicolas Ghesquiere) "The Flow" printed by Steidl
I really liked how this lookbook mixes landscapes with portrait photography and thus conveys a clear narrative of the link between nature and fashion as well as emphasising the styling/aesthetic of the garments.
I also really like how it incorporates backstage activity (eg a model reading her book) as this conveys a real life story around the execution of the publication and show, adding to the narrative and brand image.
Exhibition : "Juergen Teller Go Sees"
I really liked this exhibition because of its natural, documentary style. I have a keen interest in the modelling industry as well as people and so this exhibition married these two interests as Teller communicates through stills his informal interactions with the models he met at go sees.
I really liked the two photos tat pictured a pair/group of models arriving and leaving the go sees from an extreme angle (as they were taken through the upstairs window). I liked these because they capture moments that would usually be disregarded but photographing them and framing them makes them interesting in their own right. Particularly how he captures a snapshot of the model knocking on the door. When exploring movement an idea could be to experiment with capturing everyday actions in stills, making the insignificant appear significant as a result of this research.
In the section where Teller had interviewed children I really liked how stills of them talking had been taken and placed with a subtitle line. I liked this because the screenshot of the film meant that they were pictured in a transition between expressions, thus communicating movement despite being a film. It reminded me of the grid of stills Corinne day had taken in conversation with Kate Moss. I hope to maybe experiment with this in the moving body project (conveying movement of the body/face in stills).
https://www.alisonjacquesgallery.com/exhibitions/158/overview/
https://www.alisonjacquesgallery.com/exhibitions/158/works/
http://www.vogue.co.uk/article/juergen-teller
http://www.intothefoldmag.com/2015/07/jeurgen-teller-on-fashion-and-art/
http://www.lehmannmaupin.com/artists/juergen-teller#27
https://styleft.com/gisele-bundchen-juergen-teller-sonia-rykiel-fall-advertising-campaign/14245/
https://www.alisonjacquesgallery.com/artists/112-juergen-teller/overview/
"Pictures and Text" by Juergen Teller, Steidl
William Klein
"if you take a bad photo its because you weren't close enough"
I kept this thought in mind whilst experimenting with street photography however found I lacked the confidence to gain extremely close proximity when taking portraits on the street.
Bystander: A history of Street Photography (Eugene Atget)
Eugene Atget
When researching the history of street photography in the library, I found the work of Eugene Atget to be interesting as his photographs are formally framed. This was most likely as a result of the time period meaning the photograph had to be developed on the spot and thus the taking of the photograph could not be unnoticed and thus his works are staged environments yet still keep a sense of everyday life as a result of their setting and subjects. I also found it impressive that he managed to retain a sense of life and energy in his images despite the long shutter speed of the camera he would have had to use (sometimes up to 20 seconds). As a result of the influence I gained from Atget's work, during the styling workshop my partner and I experimented with trying to create a naturalistic atmosphere in a staged environment for some of the images as I played with moving in a free and natural way, creating energy and naturalism within my body despite it being staged.
"Rue du Maure (1908)" by Eugene Atget
"Bystander: A History of Street Photography" published by Colin Westerbeck and Joel Meyerowitz