Seminar 4 / The gaze in the Media / Task 4

4 / 11 / 13

OUGD504 / CONTEXT OF PRACTICE.
THE GAZE IN THE MEDIA.
SEMINAR 4.

Whether looking at art or modern media images, there is not just neutral act of looking. There is a deeper level of observation that links to Frueds notion of deeper sexual desires.

'Men act Women appear' - Berger 1972
This quote implys that women are more like objects were as men are seen as subjects. visual culture broadly represents the feeling and belief of men.

Primarily it is a painting of a naked women painted by a man. This was the norm at this time were most artists were male and the buyers of art would also be men. This is due to the position of men in society during this time. Men had finical and economic power and directed and controlled visual culture, consciousness and how people think. the domination and exploitation of men over women reflect through many aspects of art through this time.

The reason the subject id naked woman is because it will ultimately be a male who will be buying this pice of art. This is a way of men to remain definite and comfortable in their own sexuality. To own this image of a naked woman give a male a feeling of dominance as he can have this sexually available looking woman present all the time with no issue of arguments. The woman is always made to look beautiful and desirable so as to satisfy males as it is suggested that this is all woman are good for and it is humorous to men that this is all women worry about.

'The birth of Venus'

'Olimpiya'

These twom images were presented in the same exhibit. They both depict a nude women however they are very different. The 'Birth of Venus' art work is more passive than the 'Olimpya' art work who is more aggressive and confrontational. This piece caused uproar at the exhibit and was not seen as acceptable. This is because the woman in the 'olimpiya' is a prostitute that symbolises normality and is a sexually available woman that you can pay for at a brothel. The more acceptable image 'Birth of venus' shoes a passive woman flaunting her naked body in a way that suggests sexual availability however she is a goddess that is born from a fantasy.
The woman in the 'Olimpiya' image is more of a subject that is sure of her self and has independence through the profession she has. She is standing as independent and empowered and men feel threatened through this sense of self worth.

Attitudes that say that women are to stay at home and nurture her man and children were as men are to go out and work and earn money to be the poet house with in the family is still present today.

Women being presented as sexual available is used a lot in todays market. Just as consumerist culture bombards us with promotional images. There are always little reminders with in society that remind women to be aware of how they look, whether this be a reflection in a window or a glance from an male or female in passing.

Kenith Clark suggested that to bad nude is to simply be without clothes. However Berger suggests that being nude is being yourself yet  being seen nude by someone else causes you to be jugged by others as they do not know you as yourself.

Womens subject of self starts to be made and become the same as the objectification through men.

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TASK 4.

'Strict control over women’s sexuality seems to be characteristics of male-dominated societies. Marriage, for instance, often operates to secure women’s labor and reproductive capacity to the advantage of men'.

The fact that the woman has draped herself over the male in this image, paired with the males stern stare directly at the audience suggested that the male owns this woman. The woman appears very aplicid in this due to the way she appears to be giving her self, physically to him. The stance of both the man and women also suggests this feeling of control and ownership as he is stood more prominently in the for-front while the female seems more obstructed by him. The woman appears to be holding him for some sort of reassurance and consolation were as the males posture is one of protection or guarding of the women. This also implies the woman is reliant and naive seeking this domination by appearing weak. Of coarse, men desire a woman that is complicit and easily controlled.

'In this society, looking has become a crucial aspect of the ways in which domination and subordination are expressed'

The woman is not only not returning the gaze of the audience, but her entire face has been concealed. This adds to the dominating effect the male has within this particular image. It suggests the male knows her and has her how he wants, however others are not allowed to be apart of or observe this relationship. Because the male has his eyes fixed on the viewer in such a way implies a hint of aggression which is a sign of masculinity in which these days is a was of promoting manliness and male directed products. 

'.. there can be little doubt that entertainment as we know it is crucially predicted on a masculine investigation of women and the circulation of womens images of men.'

This can be applied to this particular image, however in a different light. Because it is suggested with in the quote that man predicts the use of female images, it could be said that the male in this advert is predicting the view the audience have of this woman. The control of men is represented here because instead of typically displaying the women, here he is keeping the view and image of the women to himself, because she is his.  

'Women, in the flesh, often feel embarrassed, irritated or downright angered by men's persistent gaze. But not wanting to risk male attention turning to aggression, women avert there eyes and hurry on there way.'

The fact that this woman is not returning the gaze of the audience could imply that she does not want to attract the gaze of other men as here loyalties lye with the male in the image. Whether this is in forced by the males control and aggression or through the woman’s own loving will and compliance, this can be determined by the audience. Either way, this is thought to be the desire of a male to have this compliance whether forced or not.

‘The saturation of society with images of women has nothing to do with men’s natural appreciations of objective beauty, their aesthetic appreciation, and everything to do with an obsessive recording and use of women’s images in ways which make men comfortable. Clearly this comfort is connected with feeling secure or powerful. And women are bound to this power precisely because visual impressions have been elevated to the position of holding the key to out psychic well-being, are social success, and indeed to whether or not we will be loved.’

 For women looking at this advertisement it is now suggested that the general and somewhat manufactured impression is that she is concealing her gaze in respect and love for her man and the male is protecting her vulnerability out of love. This is due to the control that men have had over the visual exploitation of women and it is now the desire of the women to be complicent to men as this is what men have always believed women should be and have now enforced.