Ex 2.2: Artistic Styles

Exercise 2.2: Artistic styles

Write up to 150 words about an issue that you feel worthy of comment. It can be immigration, finance, social deprivation, domestic violence or any contemporary issue that you feel strongly about. Then make an image that expresses your concerns in one of the three artistic styles listed below. This is not an easy task and you may have to do some research before you start.

Once you’ve completed your first image, have a go at a second image in another style. Try and make time to attempt the third style – or at least make some notes outlining how you’d go about it. You could then come back to this exercise later and put your ideas into practice.

Q: What are contemporary issues?

A contemporary issue can be defined as any event, idea, opinion or topic in a given subject that is relevant to the present day. Contemporary issues can be found in almost any matter of interest.

One social issue that I feel strongly about is that on equality of the sexes.  For too long women have been seen as inferior in society and right back to the 19^th century they have been pressured into managing the household budget, child raising and supporting husbands or siblings.

During and after WW1 and WW2 women proved themselves capable of holding down complex work situations.  Women over 30 were given the vote in the 1920s and gradually the voting age for them became lower and lower.  Now, similar to men, the age for voting is 18 and it’s now under discussion to reduce it for both sexes to 16, an age when people are considered capable of choosing to marry or smoke, etc.

Some things have changed for the better in that both sexes expect to receive compulsory education up until their 18^th birthday.  Whether they want to pursue further or higher education is now up to their own expectations and financial situation. 

Women still have to make a decision as to whether they want to follow their dreams and make a name in their chosen career and wait to have a family or choose a lesser job and follow their hearts into marriage, family and paying off  the mortgage first.  Some women choose the option to have a marriage and a family early in their lives and then develop their chosen career later when their families are adults.  Whilst all women think things have changed, it seems that history repeats itself and we go round and round the Ixiom wheel repeating the same pattern of life in perpetuity. 

Exercise 2.2: Artistic styles part 2

Then make an image that expresses your concerns in one of the three artistic styles listed below. This is not an easy task and you may have to do some research before you start.

Once you’ve completed your first image, have a go at a second image in another style. Try and make time to attempt the third style – or at least make some notes outlining how you’d go about it. You could then come back to this exercise later and put your ideas into practice.

Constructivist: Produce a composite image from several images that you feel fully express your argument or position.

Surrealist: From the same position statement, produce an image based upon surrealist notions of how the issue stands from your position. Why or how do you affect the issue? Is it ‘unconscious’ – just instinct that things should be different – or is it ‘repressive’ in order to provide what you see as a natural order of things? Produce an image that delivers your feelings from a surrealist viewpoint. (Re-read pp.281–82 in your reader if you need a reminder about what these terms mean.)

Conceptual: The issue you’ve written about may be able to furnish you with a concept. Try making a précis of it in about 15 words. Once you’ve realised your concept, plan a way of expressing this in an image. Think in either a literal or non-literal manner – logically or illogically. Anything goes provided that your methodology visually supports the concept and the idea is illustrated through the imagery. 

I've put this image together showing a woman endeavouring to puncture the 'imaginary' glass ceiling that men say doesn't exist.

 

Imaginary Glass Ceiling in Conseptual style

I need to produce an image using the surrealist style so I have gone for the same subject but included a stylized Barbie doll face as men seem to feel that blond women have no more brains than said doll.

I had a bit of fun with this image and tried to make it look as though the woman was actually breaking through but included some stylized imaging as well. See what you think?

Breaking through the glass ceiling

Write the three tasks up in your blog alongside illustrations of constructivist, surrealist and/or conceptual photography