Images in context.

Degas.
Although the painting appears dark and of male dominance, it is only when we see the title of the painting 'The Rape' that our gaze on the painting changes along with our feelings and interpretations.
...explore

Meltin Pot.
In todays society this piece of photography is associated with pornography and the subject matter along with the setting conjure a strong image of brothels and sex houses.
Although when we understand the ad is for a jean company we feel easier about looking at the image, it is less sinister.
...explore

Meltin Pot Image Analysis

Meltin Pot is a male's retail company selling jeans and other denim products, they target young men in the 20's and 30's... have used a series of photography for an ad campaign which explores the idea of male fantasy and sexuality.This image is very telling of the society with live in today, the 'advertising industry dominated by men' (Coward, R. The Look. ), made be men for men it is there to reinforce the power and dominance of men in society and shows women to be subordinate sex. The photographer has thought about every aspect in the image, from location, colour, arrangment and the story it is protraying. Using a set This image is particularly interesting as we have numerous intra-digetic gaze's happening in the same image. At first glance we are drawn to the woman in the centre of the image bound to the chair, her gaze stretching the the far left of the image away from us, her gaze is very strong and although she is helpless as she is half naked bound to the chair there is a sense of power through the use of her body, power in her appearence. We follow her gaze to the person in the chair at the fair left we can see his appearence in the mirror, half hidden it appears dark and dirty part of the male fantasy that is explored in secret. Then we look to the man on the right, his jeans first as the rest of him blends into the background of the image ...(talk about the idea expressed about the jeans how it links in)... the man on the right is exploring his own fantasy, it is his gaze we see exploring the idea of 'sex at a distance, the only complete secure relation which me can have with women'. He is the only man in the image that is able to move, showing the dominant male, he has full control over the woman and his fantasy empowering his feelings of control.

Curtains & Mirrors.
Within this photograph mirrors and curtains have been used to mask and reveal parts of the set and people, it is interesting to see how the man with the pig mask can only be viewed by ours and the man on the right's gaze of the image through the mirror. The mirror allows the photographer to create a 'double of the self, a second figure who can be examined more closely than the original-  a double that can also be alienated from the self' (Lutz & Collins 1994 -376). We view the man in the mirror as an object and this makes him a more subtle component of the scene allowing the person to be more explicit. It is a part of the male fantasy that he is trying to hide from us, a dark fantasy, the mirror gives us as insight into this but only through another means, something beyond the mans control. Or is the man in the chair infact himself both men are to the side of the photograph and can be seen together in the mirror in the middle, is he looking at his own fantasy where he plays a role within it. If he is the man in the chair then this shows another gaze and .... he watches over the fantasy as the stronger sex the one in power and control but himself in the fantasy in the chair has less power than the woman, if we look carefully at her gaze onto the man it is very powerful and strong staring not necessarily seducing.

How do we feel looking at his fantasy?
The Gaze of the bystander (highly charged when the text is erotic)
When i first glanced at the image i was very aware of the sexual context and its explicit nature and I, as the viewer, questioned whether this is something i should be looking at, are people looking at me looking at this image?  Until i explain that the photograph is in fact an advert for a jean company then it becomes acceptable in todays society for me to view it... it shows how explicit and ... advertising can be in todays society. We are growing up around seductive, picture perfect women pasted on billboards and magazines , ready and waiting for a male view that this image has now become the norm.

COWARD.

NARCISSISTIC DAMAGE
-situation where women are forced to scrutinise themselves and other women, mental control

Men needing the idea of being controlled.

We the consumer of an advert are viewing the image from a direct gaze, representing a demand which makes us enter a 'parasocial relationship' (Kress & Van Leelwan 1996 122ff) with the people depicted within the photograph, the relationship in which we engage with them is determined by their facial expression or body language.

Are we then part of it?

Key Quotes from Rosalind Coward

'For looking is not a neutral activity'

   -we don't all view things in the same way

'the look is largely controlled by men' 

'the film and television industries are dominated by men, as is the advertising industry'

'the camera in contemporary media has been put to use as an extension of the male gaze at women on the streets'

   -media is the modern way of gazing at women. More visable. Cements the idea of lack of power. Repeated male        interpretations of women everywhere.

'women's inability to return to such a critical and aggressive look is a sign of subordination'

'subordination' 
1. Belonging to a lower or inferior class or rank; secondary.
2. Subject to the authority or control of another.


'Those women on billboards, though; they look back. Those fantasy women stare off the walls with a look of urgent availability'


'In this society, looking has become of crucial aspect of sexual relations, not because of any natural impulse, but because it is one of the ways in which domination and subordination are expressed'
   -socially constructed


'appropriate sexual behaviour for men and women.'
   -link between how people appear and ways we believe they should act. The look should echo the way they act. Visual look of weakness


'obsessive recording and use of women's images in a way to make men comfortable. Clearly this comfort is is connected with feeling secure or powerful'


'distanced view of the female body'
   -allowing to fantasise and dominate. Men need these images to reinforce their own power and strength in society to make themself feel better and to reassure their control.


'sex at a distance, is the only complete secure relation which men can have with women'


'Voyeurism is a way of taking sexual pleasure by looking at rather than being close to a particular object of desire'
   -this way men can always stay in control, men's anxiety of not being good enough as the image. Image replaces reality.


'advertising in this society builds precisely on the creation of an anxiety to the effect that, unless we measure up, we will not be loved'


'fascination and damage'


Ideas
Photography seems to be neutral but never is.

Series of Meltin Pot ads, exploring men's fantasies.

In all the ads the male is the dominant sex except the final ad where he is under the woman's control.. yet he is still in control as it is 'his' fantasy.

Meltin Pot ads

Meltin Pot, jean clothing company have made ads that create the idea of male dreams. Lots of the ads use females within the dreams as the weaker sex, damsel in distress. Showing the men looking onto them, as the stronger sex, the hero but also the source of the fantasy.

The Gaze and Women used in Advertising

'Meltin Pot' -Jeans advert
Interesting use of the gaze of the people within the ad and how the man in the chair is hidden from view yet can be seen in his reflection. I would like to look further into this piece and evaluate it properly.

KPIA- Child Abuse Ad Campaign
Similar use of looking onto a scene, we are spectators, makes us want to help and stop what is about to happen. Interesting to see how the meaning can be changed so quickly when put in a different context to one above.

Abusive relationships- Home Office Ad
I thought this was a really interesting and different way to campaign about abuse, instead of showing the woman who has been abused showing the man, but his gaze turned away from the camera implies that he is embarassed and guilty. If we were guilty of this we would easily but ourself in his shoes.

Ads for Jewellery and Perfume
Two similar ads using beautiful actresses, stars of the screen. The use of the reflected image through the use of mirror is very important here... suggesting vanity, women watching themself being watched.

Bluefly.com ad
The use of focus within this image is very important, we look directly at the woman and ignore the other people. If this image was in focus i still think our eyes would be drawn to the naked woman.

Task 3: Essay Ideas

I have looked back over my lecture and seminar notes and i feel that the the subject i enjoyed the most was 'The Gaze'. I found this the most interesting and engaging it is something i would like to explore further. I would like to look at the use of women in advertising and ad campaigns, to see how they are used to sell, promote products aswell as promoting campaigns and the similarities and differences in the techniques used to do this. I want to explore how the gaze is used in modern advertising and also show how strong the male gaze still is. Looking at the subject matter i think popular culture would also link nicely with this.


I have a few books out on loan over the christmas break and some reserved for when i get back, these are:


-Sexuality the Female Gaze and the Arts. Dotterer, Ronald (ed.)  &  Bowers, Susan (ed.)  (1992)


-Wunderkamma: the female gaze objectified. Schwab, Linda & Gaffney, Sheila, 1994.


-The Female Gaze- Women as viewers of popular culture. Gamman, Lorraine & Marsham, Margaret, 1994.


-Feminism, Femininity and Popular Culture. Joanne Hallows


-Advertising: new techniques for visual seduction.  Stoklossa, Uwe  &  Rempen, Thomas (ed.)  (2010)