Art, Photography History & Reflection

Main findings after reading the text

1. Active ←→ Passive

2. Male ←→ Female

3. Dealing with trauma of men through saviourism or portraying women badly.

4. Objectification through the camera. Women are only a portraition of the desires of men, without having any individualistic meaning separately existing from men.

5. Reinforcing structures (like the active/passive division of rolls)

Contemporary Examples

1. A video still from a Save the Children television fundraising advertisement. Save the Children.











The first example that came to my mind was the case of how organisations like Unicef and Save the Children try to rail publicity for their ad-campaigns in order to collect money. These kind of ad-campaigns are very often created out of photographs or videos that portray children that are severely famished. The children always have a the passive roll of the victim. They need to be helped, are dependent and in need. We as the viewer, are made believe that we could be their saviours. A form of saviourism. The way these children are portrayed rely heavily on stereotypical images of relationships between ‘white Europe’ and ‘black Africa’. Also these children and their suffering are objectified in order to raise money. The state they are in and what they represent is the only thing which is really depicted. The individual itself is completely left out.

2. ‘Before they pass away’ by Jimmy Nelson















‘Before They Pass Away’ is a photobook by Jimmy Nelson about tribes all over the world. I immediately had to think about this book because it also reinforces certain structures in my opinion. The first structure that I see in this photobook is the active/passive structure. The subjects seem to be a representation of an idea we have, but their individual voices or personalities are not shown to us. They are a mere visual representation of a culture. A passive existence, solely there to be looked at. Another structure that it reinforces is the us and them structure. They are the other, visualized in a book for us to understand.

3. Rupauls Drag Race












This example might be controversial. Rupaul's Drag Race is one of the most popular reality competition shows there is on TV right now. Almost everyone knows about it, even if they’re watching it or not. It has brought a lot of good things for the LGBTQI+ community as many straight people were now exposed to a part of this community. Seeing the real voices of the people that are normally harassed and made fun of. Talking about issues like racism within the community and much more.

BUT I do have to say I see some problematic aspects as well. Especially keeping in mind the text of Mulvey. The show is created for drag queens to participate. And the show defines drag queens as men performing the gender of female. That’s also why Rupaul, the host of the show, always says ‘hi Gentlemen’ when he addresses the participants out of drag.

The structures that I recognize are again the active and passive roll. In this case the drag queens take an active role in portraying women, defining their mannerisms and literally performing the role of the female gender. Meanwhile (cis-)women take a backseat, are not allowed to compete in the show and do not have the possibility to participate in the performance of their own gender.

20 sources of inspiration

Examples on Mulvey's ‘Visual pleasure and Narrative Cinema’ ,1975

On Barthes Punctum & Studium

Inspiration

Inspiration

Inspiration

Conclusion