Although Berger describes women as being depicted as passive and for the pleasure of the man, in both photos and oil paintings alike, this photograph of Donna defies gender norms of what an “acceptable woman” is with the use of her more traditionally masculine and aggressive tone she exudes from the photo.
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Sheridan Baker Thesis Machine
Blog Post #4
Blog Post #4
I’ve chosen the photograph of Donna Gottschalk for my essay. Here’s the photo of Gottschalk with a sign saying “I am your worst fear. I am your best fantasy” during the LGBTQ rights movements during the 1970’s. For my essay I’ll be further more discussing the central point of this image and my own persecutive matching burgers key points. For example who is the photographer trying to capture during this picture. Of course men, especially during those times women didn’t have much say. Just as Berger’s speaks on his episodes women were only seen as objects during the European oil paintings. They would be naked but those who painted them were men fully dressed.
In fear of women getting powerful!
I decided to write my essay on this image after having our in-class discussion. this photo holds so much meaning than someone just looking at it for the first time. at first, without reading the description I used my previous knowledge from Bergers episode 2 on how women were perceived during those times. “I am your worst fear” is directed towards men and “I am your best fantasy” relates to how women are men’s desires. in actual reality, you can say men feared women to a point that they would hate to see any women having more power over a man and also the myth of how men are supposed to be the “dominant” ones. after doing some research I realized she protesting for LGBTQ rights. this made sense to me in the way that men love the idea of seeing two women sexually involved, but hate to see them in an actual relationship and not with them. many lesbian coupes get degraded in public when groups of men want to see two women sexually involved and they get aggressive when you oppose it. a lot of LGBTQ couples get targeted for being different from the rest of society. I feel that this is a very important topic and is recent in today’s society.
Taking a Stand in Baton Rouge
The photo that I chose is about leshia Evan. In this image Evan is standing against police while protesting the shooting death of Alton Sterling, an African American man who was shot by two white policemen in Baton Rouge in Louisiana. Leshia Evan, a 35 year old nurse from Pennsylvania traveled to attend a protest in Baton Rouge on July 9,2016. The photo was taken by Jonathan Bachman in which she offers her hand to police. This photo stand up for one of the strongest images of the Human Rights movement. The women stand alone and without any fear humanize the subject and the possible cause of black lives matter movement. The scene look like of violence but Evan seem calm, confident, and poised. The police dressed like they are up to war. Evan personality show the power of resistance. The tension in the photo is the result of deaths of many African Americans by U.S. police. In my paper I will elaborate how this image shows the status between black and white people which affects their lives. In addition, the background of the photo serves the major point that will help to understand the deepest meaning of the photo. This picture is different from Berger as he show in ways of seeing but in some point, it relate to berger thinking.
September 11
Each time when I see the picture of terror attack of 9/11 my heart breaks apart. When we discuss one of the devastating moments in American history, so many heartbreaking things come to our mind. More than 3,000 innocent people died during that horrific attack. On my first paper I want to write about picture of Thomas Hoepker taken on 9/11 which conveys image of group of people relaxing in Brooklyn side while Trade World Center buildings burning.
This photo was a very controversial photo and Thomas for a long time didn’t want to publish it. Of course, this can be understood because, when we look at this photo each of us accepts the photo differently. I will further encourage this idea on my paper. In the first episode Ways of seeing Berger talked about camera. How camera influenced the paintings furthermore he said how camera signify the image. Thomas picked up such a moment in this photo: everything was beautiful, kind of smiling young people sitting close to the emerald ocean, everything is fine and against the backdrop outgoing ashes from burning buildings. This photograph once again proves how far the camera can transmit situation to us.
This or that?
The image I chose to write about is a picture that was actually taken by Diana Davies that shows Donna Gottschalk holding up a sign that reads “I am your worst fear, I am your best fantasy.” I chose this image because I feel I can make a few connections to Berger’s analyzation of oil paintings in episode 2 of Ways of seeing. The way vanity was shown in oil paintings v.s the way that the image has a woman looking at another woman. The objectification of Women as seen in the oil paintings v.s the non-existent objectification in the image by Diana. You don’t see “nude”, you see “I am your worst fear, I am your best fantasy”. You don’t see men choosing women, you see women choosing themselves. You see something much more different than the oil paintings. I’d like to also take the time to find out how the oil paintings are similar to the image and not just different. For a moment it occured to me how if people don’t know that the picture was taken at a Gay Liberation Parade, one would think that the quote is for a women’s rights march. This made me think of Episode 1 of Ways of seeing, and how the context in which you see the image can change your perception of it. I’m not sure which lens i’ll use yet, but i’m weighing my options.
She’s OWNING it and Doesn’t Give a Fluck
The photo above goes against all the traditional European oil painting norms. This woman is standing her ground and is exuding power. Power that belongs to her and only her, and not for the purpose of a man’s gratification. her head is tilted upwards, with a slight smirk, making her look confident in herself and not as if she is trying to please someone else. her feet are planted firmly and spaced apart, a commonly thought “man’s” stance. the sign she is holding is incredibly powerful, “I am your worst fear, I am your best fantasy”. this is alluding to the fact that men constantly fantasize about women, but feel intimidated when they have power or an edge over them in some way. Whatever the case may be, this photo oozes confidence, individuality, and independence. but not just independence in paying her bills, and independence that she has to speak up and not be held down by someone with opposing views. And oddly, this is seen as powerful and encouraged in much of todays society in America, in the sense that the feminist movement is urging women to speak up about their rights, and equal rights for all. Whether that be gender, sexual orientation (like what is being protested here), and race. This is all directly AGAINST what Berger spoke about in the third episode of “Ways of Seeing”, where women were always being depicted as subservient to the men staring back at her.
this video shows how a bisexual muslim women stands up for her rights to be herself, and others like her.
Smoke Signals in the City
USA. Brooklyn, New York. September 11, 2001.
9/11 the day the earth stood still. A cloud of devastation swarmed and coated buildings and everything around it in a thick ash. Everyone has a story about the day and some did not come home to tell to the story. Images and videos went on and circulated the news and internet forever solidifying the reality of the tragedy,yet altering the thoughts and feelings of the american people. Hoepker took this photo in Brooklyn on the day of 9/11 . Showing a group of youthful people enjoying their day while in the background catastrophe erupts in Manhattan. A terrorist attack hits the heart of NYC and this photo makes the assumption that no one seems to mind . In my paper I will be deconstructing with the similar eye of John Berger’s ” Ways of seeing” revealing the different perspectives that the photographer Hoepker is shown to use when selecting this moment in time to capture. From the foreground a light blue sky and lush greenery framing the photo elegantly symbolizing a nice day that everyone has experienced and enjoyed at least once , demonstrated by the Youthful people sun bathing in midst a conversation as if they enveloped in this moment yet the background shows a plume of smoke indication devastation and death. The two contradicting scenes displayed in this photos allows the spectator’s mind to be easily bend to its interpretation and begs the question “Did they know what was happening ? did they care? or worse ..did they already forget?..” All speculations cause by the forced Perspective that the artist creates and that John Berger speaks of in the “Ways of Seeing” perspective that is made specifically manipulate the viewers thoughts to form the same view that Hoepker saw in that moment that day .
Blog Post #4
Blog Post #4
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