BA Hons Photography
Visual Culture Theory
Essay
2014-2015
Sian Kirby
Level 5
Otherness and the
gaze
This essay will explore and define 'otherness', and the gaze and then discuss the controversy and debate that surrounds them and have surrounded them for hundreds of years.
The main debates sparked by these concepts are to do with gender
inequality and cultural differences between the male and female gender. These
will be explained in depth by detailing the perception of the audiences who
view three specific art forms. Paintings, photographs and films from the past
to the present day will also be used to demonstrate the conflicts and debate
these conceptions have caused.
'Otherness'
“In the realm of categories, black is always marked as a colour
(as the term ‘coloured’ egregiously acknowledges), and is always
particularizing; whereas white is not anything really, not an identity, not a
particularizing quality, because it is everything. White people ‘colonise the
definition of normal” [1]
'Otherness' is the process, which entails one group emphasising
the differences between it and another group all in order to show their
strengths and authority over the weaker group.
The term otherness or the idea of otherness is how the majority
and minority identities are constructed. These identities are constructed by
society. The group who holds the most power and have the most strength always
controls the representation of all the different groups within any given
society.
There is a belief that the identity of a person is not controlled
by society or the person themselves but it something more natural, as natural
as it is for a person to be born either male or female. However most studies
suggest that identity is a choice and something that can be changed whenever the
individual desires it.
The identity of a group will often reflect the way a person lives,
their cultural background, gender class, location etc. These attributes become
who they are.
To belong to a group you must have the correct criteria in order
to belong, similar to social circles in schools. One of the most predominant
examples of otherness is male and female. Both gender groups allow people to
identify with one or the other easily as the population is either born a male
or a female.
'The gaze'
"To gaze implies
more than to look at, it signifies a physiological relationship of power in
which the gaze is superior to the object of the gaze" [2]
Similarly to otherness, the gaze also deals with the subject of
power. The gaze is a look one person or a group gives to another or a subject.
The person or group who is doing the looking holds the power.
In the case of paintings, photographs and films, the subject of
the gaze who is within one of the thee art forms is not always aware of being
the subject of the gaze, despite the fact they were aware of the painting,
photograph or film being taken. The more official term for the gaze is
'Voyeuristic dimensional gaze'.
The male gaze
The male gaze is one of the most used forms of a gaze; it is used
in paintings, photographs and film but also it is also used in other visual
images such as advertisements for products such as clothing lines and make up.
The male gaze can be represented in many different ways, for a
feminist the representation of the male gaze can be broken up into 3 different
categories. How men look at women, how women look at themselves and how women
look at other women.
Laura Mulvey came up with 'the feminist theory' on the male gaze
in 1975. Her belief is that in the three art forms the audience have to view
the characters from a heterosexual males perspective. This is because
sexualizing women and the female form is a predominant feature in all three,
which is known to be appealing the heterosexual male.
Otherness and the
gaze in cinema
Focusing on the female body is used a lot in cinema. There are
many attributes that get the audience to view films with the male gaze, such as
the camera focusing on the female body in a provocative way. Pin pointing their
linwa and best features by using lighting that flatters their natural form.
This can be viewed as relegating women from equals to mere objects,
a sexualized object for men to gaze at. In order for females to identify with
this, they must view the sexualizing way women are shown in a secondary way, taking
the time to identify with the male character due to the fact they have to think
like a male to understand the appeal and the gaze, therefore reverting back to
Laura Mulveys beliefs.
“In film the male
gaze occurs when the audience is put into the perspective of a heterosexual
man. A scene may focus on the curves of a women’s body, putting you the viewer
in the eyes of a male”[3]
Paintings, photographs and films since they were first created
until now will depict and reflect what life was like at the time wherever they
were made. An example of this is how films around the 1950's in America would
depict stereotypes of the male and female gender according to how the two
groups lived at the time. As it is known males and females have very different
and specific gender roles in the post war world, males are the breadwinners who
supported and protected the family being the main source of income and the
females were the doting housewives who cooked, cleaned and looked after the
children.
War films and cowboy films around the 1940 to 60’s are good
examples for this because they would make men appear to be heroes, strong and
powerful feeding into the belief that men were the superior gender of the two.
The 1951 film The African queen is a perfect example of a film
depicting a heroic male character that is in this case the lead role. Film
artwork shown to the right.
During the film there are many occasions where male lead fights in
battle showing his power, there is also a female
character who is depicted as more of a damsel in distress. Who is
protected and helped by the male character on many occasions. Showing the
gender equality of the time and also showing whom out of the two gender holds
the power.
The 1953 film The Blue is Moon is a prime example of showing the
gaze of a man for a woman through a narrative. Two males are perusing a female
and both have the intention of sleeping with her. Throughout the film there is
remarks made about the female in question being a virgin making her even more
desirable to the males. The films itself was surrounded by a lot of controversy
due to the vulgar use of language, such as mentioning virgin, pregnant etc.
artwork for the film is shown to the left.
In the modern day, films have seemed to alter the lead roles completely,
allowing the opportunity for females to take the lead. With today's modern
views on gender equality, films themselves reflect this. An example of strong
female roles in today's cinema is the 2000 film Charlie’s Angels; a still from
the film is shown to the right. There are three strong female roles. The three
women act as almost secret agents who fight crime and are depicted as dominant
and strong, The women fight crime for a man, this shows that the females hold
more power due to them having to fight for the man who seemingly cannot. The
male gaze also applies in this film. The three women are beautiful and because
of this are sexualized in the clothes they wear and how they carry themselves
throughout the film to feed into the male gaze making the film appear more
appealing to a potential viewer.
As well as sexualising women or making them the weaker sex for the
viewer to enjoy. Films have also been known to show the concept of the gaze
within a scene making the viewer a person who holds a secondary gaze to the
original shown. An example of this comes from the 1954 film ‘rear window’. An
example of the still in question is shown to the right.
A male character can be seen gazing at a
women who it not aware she is being looked at.
This gaze is a Voyeuristic gaze from the
male to the female. The male can look at the object, in this case, the female
without being detected. With the gaze being openly shown in this way within the
film it openly shows the fact not only this individual male is looking at women
as mere objects but that the concept of the male gaze in this context is a real
thing that men will openly use the voyeuristic gaze to look at a women without
them knowing to admire the female form opposed to the individual women
themselves.
Otherness and the gaze in photographs
The male gaze can be used in everyday life. The female form is sexualized
in many non-sexual scenarios not only in fictional places such as paintings,
photographs and films but also in advertisements.
Now more than ever nude
or semi nude females are being used to promote and advertise products that has
nothing to do with the female form.
For
example the image to the right is an advertisement for Aston Martin, it depicts
a female in underwear resting against a counter with her legs in a provocative
position. You cannot identify with the females face as she is facing away, this
emphasis the fact the viewer is meant to focus only on the female’s body,
making it the focal point of the whole advertisement, which in itself sexualizes
females as a group. The conforming factor in the advertisement that confirms
that the advertisement is trying to use women in a sexual way to gain the
interest of possible male customers is a statement they use alongside their
logo. The statement is as follows ‘You know you’re not the first, but do you
really care’. This statement instantly states that males shouldn’t care how
many men have had sex with a women, that they should want to do so themselves regardless.
Despite the last advertisement empowering
women is also used in photography through the male gaze. Opposed to viewing
something in the male gaze photographs are good for showing it all within one
frame similar to the still from rear window.
The photographer Jeff wall created the photograph entitled ‘Picture for
women’ in 1979. The camera is set up to take a photo of a mirror capturing the
entire room including the camera; you can see a female looking into the camera
through the mirror and Jeff wall the male is also looking into the mirror the difference
is Jeff appears to be looking off centre suggesting he was looking at the
female at the time this was taken not the mirror itself. This is an example of
the male gaze used in photography that is not in a sexual way; instead it makes
the women the focus.
Another example of modern photography that
has been used in advertisements that does showcase a more sexual male gaze is
an advertisement for Dolce & Gabbana. Shown to the right.
You can clearly see a beautiful women on her back in a revealing swim
suit; there are 4 men stood around her all making her the main focus point of
the entire shot. This is again an
example of the male gaze being in the viewer’s eyes. Dolce & Gabbana is
using the female form to advertise and gain exposure for their brand.
Jonathan waiter is a photographer that takes
photographs primarily of the human form both of males and females; he uses semi
nude or nude models in the majority of his work. He doesn’t always seek to
advertise products in his work therefore his photographs on a whole are shown
as pieces of art similar to Jeff wall opposed to advertising images. The image
to the left is an example of a piece of one of his many pieces in this style of
work.
Using a young attractive model that is nude from the waste up, he is able
to instantly capture the attention of the male gender. Although Jonathan
Waiters intention was to capture a piece of art with this photograph like many
other image he has created. The male gaze still applies. Along with the female
being nude, she also has an alluring look on her face drawing the eye into the
subject of the image. This factor makes the image a lot more sexual to the
viewer. Images such as this one blur the line between a pornographic
photography and an artistic photograph.
As well as males enjoying the female form through the male gaze,
refereeing to Laura Mulvey’s statement on women having to put themselves in a
heterosexual male’s mind-set, women also like to look at women in a non sexual
way despite the images possibly being sexual, this is because, women being
their own worst critics like so see images of beautiful who they aspire to be,
in order to get motivated. This is also a good thing for people like Dolce
& Gabbana and any other clothing/ make up brands because it makes the women
themselves want to buy the product as they think it will help them achieve the
same appearance as the models used for the advertisement.
Otherness and the gaze
in paintings
Paintings in the visual culture have a longer historical meaning in the
art world. Similar to the differences in gender equality in the 40’s/50’s and
now. Paintings from hundreds of years ago show how the society of the time viewed
the male and female gender.
The image to the right is a painting by Thomas
Gainsborough, painted between 1748 and 1750. It is entitled Mr and Mrs Andrews,
a couple with time on their hands. The painting itself was painted in order to
show the wealth of the couple depicted within the image like many images around
the time this was created. It shows their vast amount of land, expensive
outfits, a dog and a rifle. The idea that females are weaker than males is
evident within this painting also. 
Paintings around
this time period would show otherness between males and females by placing the
males in a physically higher position within the painting. This is evident in
this case. Mrs Andrews is seated and lower in a feminine position, showing the
delicate and weak nature the stereotypical female. Whereas, Mr Andrews is stood
up over Mrs Andrews in a masculine position, whist holding his rifle.
Similarly this painting by Sabastiano Ricci entitled Venus and Cupid,
shown to the right, also shows otherness through males being situated higher
within the painting. Although Cupid is famously know for being a child he is
still viewed as superior to Venus because he is a male.
The gaze is also
played upon in this image. Paintings around this time often depicted naked
women, fictional and real. Showcasing the female form.
Portrait of Madame Recaimer by Jacques-Louis David. This image shows
similar characteristics to the photograph shown above by photographer Jonathan
Waiter. The gaze between the camera or
painter and the subject, in both cases the female. This lets the female gaze at
the viewer of the piece of art both females look alluring with their body
language. The female in this painting is dressed quite revealing in the top
half and is in a position that looks enticing to the viewer, which in return
draws them in, through the gaze.
The image to the
right is entitled Diana and Actaeon by Titian. This image shows a scene of
women bathing, all nude or semi nude. You can see a male drawing back a make
shift curtain to reveal the bathing women to him. Showing that the gaze
depicted in this painting was not a Voyeuristic
gaze. There is also a female possibly of African decent who appears to be a
slave in the right hand corner; this could signify that the females have wealth
in order to have a slave.
After analyzing the four paintings above it is clear to see
that there is a common trend around the subject of the gaze. They all appear to
seek to show off the female form. By showing naked women in order to sexualize
the gender as a whole.
Throughout this essay the meanings of otherness and the gaze have been
explored in detail and explained, with references to various, films,
photographs and paintings from various times in history. In conclusion to the
research show it is clear that otherness and the gaze is an attribute that is
used in visual culture particularly in cinema, photographs and paintings. Over
the past 70 years society has changed its views on gender equality, the male
and female gender roles are almost non existent and with it so has the cinema,
the obvious gender roles represented in films in the 1940’ s-60 are no longer
involved in films today, a female can now play a role that used to be typically
played by male leads however the gaze and sexualising women still exists.
Similarly in photography it is evident that older styles of representing the
gaze within photography show a more modest view by showing males admiring
females opposed to modern day photography and photography used in
advertisement, where sexualising women and the female form is a common practice
in order to sell a brand or product. In the case of paintings, contemporary art
has always sexualised the female form and made it clear to the viewers the
higher power of men over women. Both otherness and the gaze in the case of
painting has always been around and continues to still exist within art.
Bibliography
Bibliography
Websites
3. www.slideshare.net/fleckneymike/the -male-gaze-laura-mulvey
Books
1.
Art and otherness: Crisis in
Cultural identity
2.
Desire and the female
therapist: Engendered Gazes in Psychotherapy and art therapy
3.
Visual and other pleasures –
Laura Mulvey
4.
A Picture for women – Jeff wall
5. Eyes of Love: Gaze in English and French Paintings and Novels
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