Background:
After visiting the New Museum exhibit, Trigger: Gender as a Tool or a Weapon, and reading multiple pieces from Sedgwick to Butler, we must think about how we’re perceived by others, how is it different from the way we see ourselves, and how can we control how we are perceived? The goal of this assignment was to create a photo essay in order to say or ask something about our identities, and how we perform or act our identities. The camera must be used as a tool or weapon and the photos must know that they are photos, deliberate and decisive.
Quote:
“…As we struggle to continue the adventure of recognizing ourselves and being recognized in these problematic femininities and masculinities that constitute us and that we, in turn, constitute.”
– Eve Kosofky Sedgwick
Though Sedgwick talks specifically about femininities and masculinities in this particular quote, I applied the general concept of stereotypes and social constraints to my work.
There are always judgments made on us, whether they be positive or negative. From the very first glance at someone, people’s brains calculate and form judgements based solely on appearance without knowing their situation or circumstance. Unfortunately this includes a lot of stereotyping, and what that does is place restrictions around that person. Place them in an already made mold of what they are perceived to be. Once we recognize the stereotypes or restrictions that society places on us and constitutes us, we become aware of our actions and reactions, adding to the understanding of our identity.
For my series, I considered the frame of the photograph to be a stereotype, box, or expectation placed upon me by others. I used the camera as a weapon to “break” these boxes. I took multiple shots of my body, zooming in and separating the parts which defied these stereotypes or expectations.
Process:
Each part of the photo piece was a separate shot, some parts zoomed in, some parts cut off, however, each in focus. (Spare the second piece). The frame of the photograph was meant to represent the box/constraints that are placed around me, as well as the labels and narrow-minded judgments that are used by others to define me. The camera was meant to be a weapon so it breaks these constraints by taking multiple shots, focusing on some parts more than others. I made a list of the stereotypes and base judgments made by other people based on personal experience.
I laid out the composition of each piece in my sketchbook and asked my friend and roommate to follow them as guidelines for taking the shots. I then put together the pieces into a sort of collage on Photoshop. By arranging these selective photos in certain ways, I am directing the gaze to the parts of the body and surrounding.
The way in which these images are arranged go from the most superficial judgments people make from a single glance, to the deeper things people must get to know me a little more for.
Shift:
There was no large shift in the direction I took once I started my project. I had done a lot of planning and the execution would be straightforward. However, in my planning, I did not think about the setting of where these pictures would be taken. I however realized in the process that the setting is extremely crucial. People act differently and different situations occur in different settings. Therefore, I must think about how I interact in the spaces and what the background can add to the meaning. As a result, I thought of where the people who thought these specific judgements or stereotypes would be, and in which setting I would confront it. So I took some shots outside which worked well with the second piece in the series. However, since I was unable to travel too far, I considered the places where I defied these expectations/judgements, like the art room or my personal space.
What I Would Do Differently:
If I could expand or work further on this assignment, I would want to add more dynamic movements in my pieces, or more of me interacting directly with the space around me, or even outside people. Also, I had originally wanted to print these out and cut them and tape them up. Thinking about it further, it may be interesting to install them in a way so that the viewer must move around or look in certain angles/perspectives in order to see the entire piece.
