1.
I have done a documentary of sorts concerning Fetishistic scopophilia.
Fetishistic scopophilia can be interpreted many ways, but a summarized version
according to Gillian rose in her book visual methodologies is:
When a “castrated” woman is shown in a narrative cinema as a beautiful object displayed
for the hero of the film and for the male viewer. She is no doubt beautiful and perfect in
every socially acceptable way, and she becomes a reassuring sexual object of desire. This
voyeuristic and fetishistic way of showing women has been socially acceptable for ages.
This objectification is usually done in three main ways: lighting, framing, and camera
angle or movement.
Fetishistic scopophilia as it will be interpreted in this exploration is the
exploitation of women for profit or as a means of using their sexuality to draw the male
viewer into a scenario. The “male gaze” used to be directed by men, largely in part due to
the fact that women were not allowed to have rights or retain their own sense of property
or wealth, and were truly at the mercy to the male population of their generation.
If one considers and compares the clips of female exploitation of the past versus
the mass exploitation of today, it is shocking to realize that women are no longer
powerless, but in fact have acquired a sense of power from this self exploitation, using
their sexuality as a tool for personal monetary gain, power, respect, and self confidence.
Though they are “on top” in their own minds one must wonder if their actions really give
them power, or if nothing has changed, and they have just become equal participants in
this circus, allowing themselves to be swayed at a young age that it is necessary to exploit
one’s sexuality to get anywhere in the world.
2.
Fashion victim is collaboration with my best friend and heterosexual life mate
Stacey Hagel. Both of us are extremely interested in fashion and design, as well as how
one’s cultural and topographical environment affects one’s sense of fashion and selfexpression. This piece has really evolved and taken shape, we have done multiple shoots
but are continually going back and doing new things. Fashion victim is all about
combining vintage, current, made, found art, made art, and using your environment in an
engaging way. We have made most of the garments, altered just about everything that we
didn’t make from scratch, and left no concept unturned. We have a peacock shoot as well
as a couple others left to put together into a mock fashion magazine.
We take the things from our surroundings and put them not only into our art but
also into our passion. Our passion is fashion and why should one’s garments not be a part
of their portfolio. We really have explored lighting, how to set up a shoot, as well as
design, set design and symbols of our modern culture. This project has consumed the
most part of my time and will hopefully inspire others to combine fashion, folk, and art
with media technology.
This piece as a whole is still ongoing; we have not by any means found a
resolution but have built a basis for my concentration for MADT 401 next semester. I feel
it is pertinent to show the pieces that I have completed for this mock up magazine we
intend to create and distribute, almost as a performance piece or underground
commentary on our beliefs that were previously stated.
3.
Political art has never been my forte, and my response to the Canadian election as
well as corrupt government had to be somewhat playful and lighthearted. I have redone
the anthem to better suit how I view Canada, and I have worked it into a visual piece.
This was in response to the lack of Canadian political art to be found, especially in
concerns of the publicity of the American election vs. the Canadian one, now that we
have seen the great success of Obama’s election into presidency.
4.
Fetish Fattish is an exploration of fetishistic scopophilia as it concerns to body
and visual image and weight. Women are viewed in terms of a set weight and body type
that seems to be not needed to be spoken about, but rather just known through a general
consensus. I used sound and music and have reworked this idea several times since, but
still view it as a successful piece and a stepping stone into more profound and elaborate
work.
5.
The piece I am showing using remixed clips from the Prelinger archives alongside
with sound clips and music that has been remixed in garage band in a comical way. This
again is a commentary on how women are portrayed; trying to create a subconscious
connection between lyrics and the visual stimulus we as a society have received for a
long time now.
6.
Last year I did a still frame animation concerning identity using my face and
certain visual dressings up. It seemed my concentration last year was so serious that I
seemed to be losing touch with my playful sense of humor. This reworking of the piece
using the same images almost exactly a year later is my way of revisiting a topic that
seemed once so scary and far away, now knowing a bit more who I am, I feel ok with the
idea of laughing at myself. Laughter and how one reacts to things is truly how we can
judge ourselves, as an artist self-critical thought seems to be a key to my personal
practice, so this is just a way of closing a chapter of not knowing who I was to move onto
getting to know myself.