7 days of responding to Visual Culture (elements & principles of art/design)

Day 1: YSL’s Le Smoking suit in 1966

I chose this image because it links with the my chosen theme about gender to a large extent. A woman was smoking while wearing a tuxedo-style suit. And I found out that women at that times were not allowed to enter the hotels or restaurants in this kind of menswear suits. So for me, Le Smoking breaks the gender stereotype and shows its gender rebellion.

Day 2:

This is Sam Cannon’s photograph and I really love the idea of the mix of twisted bodies with different colors. And only body parts are shown in this photograph. We cannot see specific faces. It makes me feel like there are no boundary between gender and identity. This genderless harmonious state touches me.

 

Day 3:

This is the screenshot from the movie Velvet Goldmine. This movie focuses on a glam rock superstar’s ups and downs based on the prototype of David Bowie. And from my view, glam rock breaks the gender stereotype too. The flamboyant make-up and exaggerate costume is a symbol of androgyny.

Day 4:

This is a campaign I found in a bus stop on my way home. I noticed that it is the advertisement of CK underwear. I chose this photograph because I found it is quiet ironic that, people waiting for the bus are all wearing thick jacket and boots. I guess the reason why the out-of-season photograph is shown here is because the model, Kardashian, in this image is a celebrity who can arouse heated public debate and bring enormous attention.

Day 5:

This is a poster I found in AMC. The movie called Call Me By Your Name. It makes me think of Brokeback Mountain somehow. I really like the way how this portrait was taken. It was taken from below, this angel reveals the boy’s feeling of helpless and the confuse about future.

And I found out that the photographer of this poster, Alessio Bolzoni, has a strong personal style by taking portraits in this special angel.

Day 6:

I was absorbed by this painting in MOMA at the first sight. A fragile but unyielding spirit attracted me. It was not until I got home and search Andrew Wyeth’s Christina’s World that I know Christina was suffered from Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease. That’s why she had this weird crawling gesture.

I looked at Andrew Wyeth’s other artworks and I love the power of wind and sunlight, although he was always depicting quiet and peaceful moment.

 

fashion photography relate to this mood:

Day 7:

This is Louise Bourgeois’s sculpture called Arch Of Hysteria. The hanging uncovered body conveys a helpless and fragile feeling. And the body has the features of female but without female breasts, which is a symbol of androgyny. Also the texture of the sculpture reflects faces of the audience when we take a close look at it.