Weekly Seflie 3
Readings
Quotes From "Art that Looks at What Women See" | NYTIMES
1. "In the span of 150 years, the period that “Close-Up” covers, women in general and female artists in particular were able to expand their sphere of influence beyond the home and into the larger society. The shift was mirrored in an evolution in portraiture from domestic, intimate subject matter to images that reflected societal issues more broadly."
Response
1. I like the progress of more representation of women because they are also human like us. They aren't some special species that men don't understand. They are human just like us. We try justifying it by using biology which doesn't offer clear-cut answers. We can change our ways because we as humans did so. We are complex and diverse even though we are all one people. I hope more women can be represented as well as men breaking down the double standard of the patriarchy too that affects them mentally.
Quotes From "Overlooked No More: Ana Mendieta, a Cuban Artist Who Pushed Boundaries"
1. "These questions would echo in her work, which explored themes that pushed ethnic, sexual, moral, religious and political boundaries. She urged viewers to disregard their gender, race or other defining societal factors and instead connect with the humanity they share with others."
Response
1. As I did more research and searched myself, I came to the conclusion that we are all the same people. However, because of the rules of Patriarchy, we are divided by class, gender, and race. At this point, why did we even create something so harmful for everyone to live up to? It is idealistic to the point where we cannot achieve its standards ourselves.
Quotes from "John Berger, Ways of Seeing"
1. "A man’s presence is dependent upon the promise of power which he embodies. If the promise is large and credible his presence is striking. If it is small or incredible, he is found to have little presence. The promised power may be moral, physical, temperamental, economic, social, sexual – but its object is always exterior to the man. A man’s presence suggests what he is capable of doing to you or for you. His presence may be fabricated, in the sense that he pretends to be capable of what he is not. But the pretence is always towards a power which he exercises on others."
2. "To be born a woman has been to be born, within an allotted and confined space, into the keeping of men. The social presence of women has developed as a result of their ingenuity in living under such tutelage within such a limited space. But this has been at the cost of a woman’s self being split into two. A woman must continually watch herself. She is almost continually accompanied by her own image of herself. Whilst she is walking across a room or whilst she is weeping at the death of her father, she can scarcely avoid envisaging herself walking or weeping. From earliest childhood she has been taught and persuaded to survey herself continually."
Responses
1. A man's value ties into his achievements of what he has accomplished. Most of the time, the bigger the goals and results, the more he would be accepted. However, he wouldn't be noticed if it was small or just incredible enough. So frequently, men are forced to inflate their own egos to feel noticed, no matter how damaging it would be. Sadness, Fear, and Weakness aren't an option. Men avoid seeking help and are expected to have everything figured out themselves. This would lead to anger, which is expected since they aren't allowed to have feelings, even happiness. They are also forced to dominate everything in their lives and have everything under control because if they don't, they are seen as incapable of existing by societal standards.
2. A woman's value is often tied to finding the right guy to care for her. She is never allowed to have ambitions or dreams since the goal is to get married to a man who would provide for her while she raises kids and does domestic work. After the kids grow old and leave, she is left to rot by herself since it's expected that the mother will no longer be there after they become adults. Appearance becomes the only thing she has to do to please other men and potentially marry someone who has everything to provide. Women are expected to always be happy and never allowed to be angry. If they are upset, they aren't taken seriously, so people treat her as being ungrateful and selfish and, worse, being called crazy. She's never allowed to use her voice since she needs to let the man speak for her. Forced to be weak, they secretly loathe their own lives being made by other people.
Male and Female Gazes
Regarding feminism, male and female gazes are often used to describe the portrayal of men and women in media. The male gaze usually focuses on the traditional standards of what is expected of men and women. Men are often concentrated, while women are sexualized for male pleasure and treated as objects of desire. Women lack agency and aren't allowed to have flaws or make decisions. The female gaze tends to focus more on the perspective of women and portrays them as human beings with agency. It is often a response to how the film should be done to include female characters. It can also explore masculinity in non-traditional ways. The simple answer should be to treat both males and females with respect and agency and avoid the standards between genders. In other words we need to redefine of what it means to be human.
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