Today I explored various societal structures with collage
and sketch work.
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| Author's photo of sketch work and collage using clippings from 'British Vogue October 2016' and 'the London Evening Standard' |
I was pleased with my collage of a large, dominating, suited man, shadowing a tiny
man of colour wearing the stereotypical image of the hooded tracksuit. I believe the work visualised the difference in ‘prominence’ and power of the wealthy in society
compared to the poor, the upper compared to the lower and between the Caucasian
and the ethnically diverse. I felt the collage was a success because it plays with imagery of scale and
symbolises the imbalance of equality within the structures of society. My choice to back
drop this collage with tube-line imagery was intended as a reference to the idea that
excessive wealth or poverty is a destination on a line that is
constantly or permanently delayed. I do not think this idea was real success and could be more developed. This is because success will seem achievable if it portrayed as a destination on a line. I think the nuanced idea of this line being a delayed one would be missed and become confusing. What I am exploring is the fact for many, wealth simply isn't a viable or possible destination.
I am happy with sketch of a ladder because it is a symbolic reference to the
social ladder. Using a marker I penned the silhouette of a rock climber upon the ladder. I think portraying a character desperately trying to climb up the structure of
society is effective because it personalises the situation I am depicting.
I believe my use of the typically masculine symbol of the man’s work tie has had an effective outcome. The sketch-work presents the archetypal masculine image, summing up the traditions of our time. I am happy that the resulting image invokes the idea of the moneyed businessman. I feel that my sketching of the end of each tie
turning into rope is powerful. I believe it successfully represents the hangman’s noose. I wrote “our
structures and traditions restrict us, they strangle us like a noose”. I liked this short sentence as it puts the situation with our structured culture very simply.
I feel my sketches on top of my noose imagery could be developed. I wanted to sketch classically masculine
menswear silhouettes for example the double-breasted blazer and this is what I did do. The sketches however do little by way of actual design development. I would want to add extra detailing to contrast the stark masculine background- playing with gender stereotypes perhaps by adding pink or sequins. I was very pleased however with my use of the male sex symbol because it feels strong, powerful and quite off-putting even. The symbol is becoming a motif throughout the project.
Through the symbol I am again exploring deep-rooted traditions that make up the
structures of our society.
Author's photos of sketch work
I am pleased too with my collage representing the concept of ‘the glass ceiling’. I used photography of building
and ripped them into shard like pieces to represent shattered glass. I then penned
the silhouettes of men standing on a thick black line, which to me is the glass
ceiling. I love the image because it strongly represents the exclusive barrier above the heads of not just
women but ethnically diverse, homosexual, lesbian and transgender people as
well as other minorities in regards to positions of power etc.
I love the idea behind my cartoonish sketches, which was to explore the structure of
our society in relation to established opinions on gender and sex. Displayed is
a woman dressed in traditional man’s clothing and a man dressed in stereotypically
female attire.
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| Author's photo of sketch work with some images from 'the Economist' and 'the London Evening Standard' |
I wrote-
Woman as man = powerful, serious, clever, rich, smart and
professional
Man as woman = farcical, pantomime, joke, frivolous,
embarrassing
I came to write these words after adopting a
small-minded mentality. I believe, unfortunately, this mentality is still a highly common and
deep rooted one in our society.
I believe the work is a success because it encourages people to question how they react to the image. I suspect many would feel that the man dressed as a woman is in drag but that the woman dressed in male clothing it is fairly if not completely
normal. I hope, like me, they would wonder why this might be the case. It seems the structures created by patriarchal society have made femininity somewhat shameful. To be masculine
is to be respected, hence why a woman can dress in male fashions easily yet to
be feminine is to be weak and therefore an undesirable thing. This imbalance in
the way we approach gender favours men and masculinity and leaves much to be
changed regarding how we view gender fluidity. This structure, in short, is a
negative one; without which society would be a better, more open place.
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