Kaitlyn Arroyo, Life in a Patriatical Household, 2022
Upon researching these four particular artists:
Popular artists Carrie Mae Weems, Cindy Sherman, Ana Mendieta, and Mikelene Thomas
Hi, my name is Kaitlyn Arroyo, and I'm going to be presenting my 4-part Photo Series.
Photographs are meant to create emphasis, mood, feeling, and tone within the subject that is framed. When we look at photographs, we ask ourselves, how does this make me feel? Many artists of the late 20th century who came from very different backgrounds of culture have exemplified and broke the boundaries of liberated women depicted in art. Popular artists such as Carrie Mae Weems, Cindy Sherman, Ana Mendieta, and Mikelene Thomas all have a similar connection to the theme. They all use very different mediums but portray women as the main subject core. Why? Because women have come a long way in history and are documented from how impoverished women were mistreated by their husbands and subjected to live in a patriarchal culture where women were supposed to be the caretakers of the house and support their children. As time passed, many of these women who used to not be able to pay taxes or own properties of land were now seen as equals to men. I stand by the quote "When women support each other, incredible things happen." People such as Carrie Mae Weems and Cindy Sherman quite literally came into the picture with each smashing photo series. "The Kitchen Table Series" and "Untitled Film Stills" embody societal roles and tackle gender stereotypes.
Nowadays, women are sexualized based on the influence of social media. Setting unrealistic body standards and the use of cyberbullying have left men and women in a vulnerable state of insecurity. The problem is, there are more hurtful comments directed towards the female gender. There is a misconception that a women's body is supposed to look a specific way to please the male audience which directs attention towards the male gaze aspect of art. This is covered by artists Ana Mendieta and Mikelene Thomas. The male gaze discredits how males are more tempted at the nudity of a women's body as it is advertised on social media. (I remember learning in my ceramics class that archaeologists dug up thousand-year-old artifacts of vessels and statues resembling the female figure. That's because historians discovered that people in Ancient Rome worshipped and praised the female body, which is why nudity is considered a form of art style.) People are so attached to what they see online that they start making it a reality in the real world. The female gaze is essential in captivating a women's body from the perspective of what other women see. It expresses emotion, feelings, and central awareness of that depicted individual. It gives a more personal understanding of what is underneath the surface. Our souls are beautiful entities in which we are to appreciate it more fondly the deeper we look into it. I based my photo series on the female gaze.
We live in a technical age where anyone should dress and act however they want, despite their sexual orientation. Whether they are to get judged is always the case, but the way they handle those comments is what's going to make them stronger individuals.
Bell Hooks
Understanding Patriarchy
One Quote
"Listen to the voices of wounded grown children raised in patriarchal homes and you will hear different versions with the same underlying theme, the use of violence to reinforce our indoctrination and acceptance of patriarchy." (Hooks 21)
In patriarchal culture, rules were set to govern those who didn't know their role in society: it was meant to keep people in a more or less degradable way of being themselves. Everything had to follow a specific order and go by the books. People were subjected to abide by what makes girls turn into proper ladies and take care of their husbands while men were controlling and abusive to their wives. Girls were meant to serve and boys were leaders. These were some the of many unrealistic expectations in how gender roles were played, which limits the child to behave and act how they want to be because of the trauma and stress the family burdens them into fitting with society's standards. Patriarchy required male dominance and the trauma that follows many women and children who were taught to willingly accept that men are at the forefront of any relationship. During this specific time period, this behavior was tolerated but it caused children to develop PTSD and suffer from domestic abuse between male and female relationships.
Phoebe Hoban
The Cindy Sherman Effect
One Quote
"By limiting her subject matter strictly to herself, while at the same time excavating countless permutations, she inspired a generation of younger artists to explore their own identities across a range of mediums." (Hoban 3)
When Cindy Sherman portrays a character in her photographs, she is replicating a persona that isn't her own. She experiments with different mediums and plays around with images of herself. Through these characters, she envisions a life that is different than hers. An example of this would be performing in a theatrical performance. That person is so dedicated to the role that the persona of the character is portrayed into your own. Nowadays, photographers like to explore with Photoshop or Facetune to enhance certain features to make you almost unrecognizable, but Sherman was able to explore her own mediums by not setting boundaries and allowing freedom to be expressed through her work. She invites her younger audience to express themselves by choosing how they want to dress and being comfortable with their shell of a body.
John Berger
Excerpt from: Ways of Seeing
One Quote
"She has to survey everything she is and everything she does because how she appears to others, and ultimately how she appears to men, is of crucial importance for what is normally thought of as the success of her life." (Berger 46)
This quote relates to women comparing themselves to how they look to other individuals and would see all the flaws/insecurities they're facing. It all relies on what's on the inside of the person and not judging or being deceived as appearance. However, in society, this is an everyday occurrence. Sometimes women feel like they're competing with each other or need validation from men that they look good or their outfit is pretty.
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