Identity
James Beighton
introduction of historical conceptions of identity.
Introduction of Foucault’s ‘Discours’ methodology.
Placing and critiquing contemporary practice within these framework and considering their validity.
Considering ‘postmodern’ theories of identity as ‘fluid’ and constructed.
Considering Idenitity in the digital domain.
Essentialism is the tradition approach to identity. That your biological make up is who you are.
Post Modern theorists disagree with this.
The difference and judgement between white and african ethnicity. The judgement suggestion of a link between intelligence and facial features. This goes back much further than 20th century but even in Hieronymous Bosch (1450-1516) Christ carrying the Cross, Oil on Panel, c. 1515.
Chris Ofili deals with black identity in the modern age.
Per Modern Identity - personal identity is stable, defined by long standing roles, like being in the monarchy.
Modern Identity - Modern societies begin to offer a wider range of social roles. Possibily to start ‘choosing’ your identity, rather than being born into to. People worry about who they are.
Post Modern Identity, accepts a fragmented identity, one self constructed. I.E Facebook.
Pre-Modern Identity.
Institutions determine identity.
Baudelaire
introduces the concept of ‘flaneur’ gentleman-stroller.
Veblen ‘Conspicuous Consumption’ it’s obvious to others what you spend your money one.
Consumption of valuable goods is a means of reputability to the gentleman of leisure.
Simmel writes about how fashion defines identity. Write the trickle down theory, which is basically the fashion cycle, so working class emulate the upperclass fashion so the upperclass distinguish themselves with something new and the cycle goes on.
“the feeling of isolation is rarely as decisive and intense when one actually finds oneself physically alone as when one is a stranger without relations, among many physically close persons, at a party, on the train, or in the traffic of a large city”
Makes the point that showing off is actually an alienating way of life...
Simmel suggests because of the speed and mutability of modernity, individuals withdraw into themselves to find peace. He describes this as ‘the separation of the subjective from the objective life.’
‘… a set of recurring statements that define a particular cultural ‘object’ (e.g., madness, criminality, sexuality) and provide concepts and terms through which such an object can be studied and discussed.’ Cavallaro, (2001)
Possible discourses:
Age, Class, Gender, Nationality, Race/ethnicity, Sexual orientation, Education, Income, Etc.
Class:
Humphrey Spender/Mass Observation, work town project. Which we looked at last year. Commenting on the working class through the eyes of a middle class man.
“Society” …reminds one of a particularly shrewd, cunning and pokerfaced player in the game of life, cheating if given a chance, flouting rules whenever possible.
‘Much of the press coverage centred around accusations of misogyny because of the imagery of semi-naked, staggering and brutalised women, in conjunction with the word “rape” in the title. But McQueen claimed that the rape was of Scotland, not the individual models, as the theme of the show was the Jacobite rebellion’.
Even though classes aren’t as prominent in western society as they are as for example third world countries where there is a big difference between poverty and those with money, there still is a formidable boundary especially when it comes to things like where/how you do your food shopping. I think this is the biggest divide my grandma is very working class and shops at jack foultons, my step dad is more middle to working class and uses telcos my mum likes to think she’s more middle class and would always use sainsburys my step mum is very middle to upper class and only shops at wait rose and she has friends that only use ocado. To me this is the biggest symbol into showing which class you’re apart of.
Race
Chris Ofili was one of the first successful black artists in the 90s, by presenting the stereotyping of black people, he plays on racial stereotypes normally accepted by the white society. Paints with bold colours referencing the raster movement.
"Captain Shit and the Legend of the Black Stars" (1994) was conceived from a negative view, of there being no black super heros. He had negative thought around what a DC black hero would look like since he was a child.
Emily Bates, Textile Designer/Artist
Spent her life growing up being called ginger, won a scholarship around rome and made a larger than life dress out of red hair. Inspired by the portrait of Mary Magdalene with her long locks that sweep round her body.
‘Hair has been a big issue throughout my life… It often felt that I was
nothing more than my hair in other peoples’ eyes’
Gender and Sexuality
There’s a stereotype that all fashion designer’s that are male are homosexual.
Objectification of a woman. Tracey Emin - the standard and tabloid way of looking at this would be too say she's a slag however they were her intentions, the actual meaning of the tent is showing everyone Tracey Emin has actually just got into bed with, not necessarily who she's slept with.
Is this how males perceive women? judging them solely on their physical appearance? however the women on the right wearing the 'I may not be brilliant, but I have great breasts' is actually a male undergoing surgery to become a women.
After looking at these topics the Lecture then goes on to look at post modern identities, how people are portrayed in the tabloids how they choose to portray themselves on social media.
To be honest though everything in this lecture is just covering the stereotypes associated with identities, I think everyone in this room knows what stereotypes are associated with people, I think it would of been much more interesting to show a new way of looking at people’s identities.
Take this article for example:
This says a lot about the identities of inmates.
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