"By contrast, a woman's presence expresses her
own attitude to herself, and defines what can and cannot be
done to her. Her presence is manifest in her gestures, voice,
opinions, expressions, clothes, chosen surroundings, taste.
indeed there is nothing she can do which does not contribute
to her presence."John Berger
Reaction- In comparison to men, a woman's presence offers something much different. A woman can express herself through her presence, simply just for herself. The way a woman expresses herself all contributes to her presence.
“The real function of the mirror was otherwise. It
was to make the woman connive in treating herself as, first
and foremost, a sight.” John Berger
Reaction- So often we find ourselves looking in the mirror but for the wrong reasons; others or the male gaze. But a mirror should always remind women to put themselves first, and to love and admire themselves with nothing to prove or show anyone else.
"Imagine the terror felt by the child who
has come to understand through repeated punishments that one's gaze
can be dangerous. The child who has learned so well to look the other
way when necessary. Yet, when punished, the child is told by parents,
"Look at me when I talk to you." Bell Hooks The oppositional gaze
Reaction- There is so much stigma around staring. But staring can cause so many positive emotions such as inspiration, strength and love. From a young age we are taught that staring is bad, and we use it against ourselves.
“As their daughter I was taught that it was my role to
serve, to be weak, to be free from the burden of thinking, to
caretake and nurture others. My brother was taught that it
was his role to be served; to provide; to be strong; to think,
strategize, and plan; and to refuse to caretake or nurture
others. I was taught that it was not proper for a female to
be violent, that it was
"Unnatural." -Bell Hooks Understanding Patriarchy
Reaction- It is sad that so many women are taught from a young age how to behave just because of the fact they are female. People suppress so many things about women, for the sake of their own comfort. A woman should only be taught one thing, and that is to love and respect herself for who she is.
“Thomas’s jazzy photomontages of women’s limbs and facial features can be construed as commentary on how female bodies are brutally picked apart in contemporary visual culture. But the social commentary in her work is never heavy-handed or preachy; her approach throughout is both playful and political." Carey Dune (The Photographed, Collaged, and Painted Muses of Mickalene Thomas
Reaction- I love the idea that Thomas’s photomontages represent the way women's bodies are constantly being picked apart. It is such a common thing that we forget it isn't normal to pick apart a person's body for the sake of fitting into society's idea of beauty.
“Nothing that she did ever surprised me,” Mendieta’s sister, Raquelín, told The New York Times in 2016. “She was always very dramatic, even as a child — and liked to push the envelope, to give people a start, to shock them a little bit. It was who she was, and she enjoyed it very much. And she laughed about it sometimes when people got freaked out.”- Artists who pushed boundaries
Reaction- Artists like Mendieta are people who truly change the world. I'm grateful for artists like her, who arent afraid to be loud and bold. That it what's needed to make a difference in the world today.
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