“Your identity is your most valuable possession. Protect it.”

I am involving my whole project on identity.
In todays society, identity is a huge thing, especially finding out who we really are. People try to be like others, their friends maybe, or celebrities. The world is surrounded by images and advertisements on how we should be, how we should change ourselves to look better, hair colours, plastic surgery, makeup, anorexic models, but deep down, we have to ask ourselves, who am i?
I came across a tumblr page which really inspires me, especially the quote below. The link is at the bottom of this page. The quote in my opinion, truly explains what this world is coming to, and how people really feel about themselves.

"I don’t know why it is or where it came from, but it seems like, at least in north american culture, there is this obsession with identity, with labels, putting a word, a definition on who we are, what we are. Most of us become confused. Growing up is a strange thing, as we become self-aware, as we recognize where our bodies end, where our consciousness ends, we ask ourselves who we are - not who we are right now, but who we are now and forever, who we truly are - as if there is an answer to that question, as if there is any kind of constancy to an individuals perception of himself, as if we could just pin it down once and for all, put a sign on the desk, and say “there it is, that is who i am.”the confusion is natural, certainly, but the way we combat it, a little less so. we fight it by defining ourselves, identifying as this or that, creating a box for ourselves with, for example, these dimensions:gay, black, fat, brunette, antisocial, cute, slutty, etc. admittedly a strangely shaped box, but once its made and we are inside it, the confusion subsides. at least we fit in here, at least we don’t have to think about these things anymore. this is who i am.we are not gay or straight or bisexual or pansexual, transexual, black, white, asian, latino, liberal, conservative, libertarian, communist, anarchist, fat, skinny, petite, big-boned, blond, ginger, bald, cute, annoying, funny, kind, odd, boring, as a rule. Ultimately, all we are for certain is human. We are fluid, and we are not constant. We are who we are moment to moment, someone slightly different one second to the next and maybe that is confusing at first, but also, to let that be, to exist within that uncertainty. Instead, what if you were to experience who you are this instant, let each moment define itself, but let go of the next, it is a little excessive to define that moment when its not even here yet.We are not certain. we are only human." -Nathan 

References-
Just Another Misguided Attempt at Originality, Nathan, Sun Oct 20th. 
http://growingirons.tumblr.com/post/64554519091/i-dont-know-why-it-is-or-where-it-came-from-but

What is Beauty?

We were given the assignment to find out what and who is our ideal beauty.
I feel that beauty comes from the inside, and especially in a woman, her strength, power, self belief and confidence.
Beauty and attractive are completely different things;
Beauty-

"a combination of qualities, such as shape, colour, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight."

"The quality that gives pleasure to the mind or senses and is associated with such properties as harmony of form or color, excellence of artistry, truthfulness, and originality."

Attractive-

"pleasing or appealing to the senses."

"(of a person) appealing to look at; sexually alluring."

"having qualities or features which arouse interest."

Anyone that is beautiful is attractive, but not everyone that is attractive is beautiful. However it is all a matter of opinion.

Angelina Jolie for me, is beautiful! She is an inspiration, not only for me, but for many other women.

Her teen years were very dark and difficult, just like a lot of teenagers nowadays, often being depressed, and having the need to self harm.
She got the attention of the public and press of the issues in Africa and Asia especially with the young children, and this had a profound affect on Angelina, leading her into adopting orphaned children from these third world countries. She's a mother of all, having her own children with Brad, and also loving others and treating the children like her own.

Recently Angelina discovered that she carried the 'faulty' gene BRCA1, and had an 87% risk of developing breast cancer, so she underwent a preventive double mastectomy, being an inspiration to many women in this position. It is said that breasts are a part of a woman's identity, and just like her doctor said,

"Jolie, who has always been admired for her beauty, touched so many women who are struggling with the surgery." 

"When someone who is arguably the most beautiful woman in the world removes the part of her body that is symbolic of femininity and sexuality, you have to say, 'Why would she do that?'" Funk explains.

Also in my opinion, her love life with Brad still stays strong, which is very hard in todays society. It is hard to find someone who will stick by you no matter what happens, and who loves you for who you are, not what you look like.
Angelina still comes out fighting strong, looking as beautiful as ever.

References-

• Alyssa Toomey, Aug 16, 2013,  http://uk.eonline.com/news/449797/angelina-jolie-s-double-mastectomy-surgeon-says-actress-waited-to-find-the-perfect-timing

• http://www.biography.com/people/angelina-jolie-9356782

Studio Session

In class we used supra-colour and aquacolour in a form of expressionism on the face. I loved the colours i used, and am hoping to use these in my final piece. Working in an abstract way is my thing, so i really enjoyed this session, and am looking forward to designing my final images.

It reminded me of using acrylic paint and oil paint on a canvas. Acrylic paint dries a lot quicker just like the aquacolour and the oil/supracolour takes forever to dry, yet blending is much easier.
Also with supracolour, texture can be formed by overlaying the paint on the face, and building it up as you go along. Thicker lines can be made, helping to contour.

Here are some images from the session;
Aquacolour:

Supracolor:

We had inspiration from Otto Dix's self portrait painting. With supracolour, the brushes need to be changed more often as the grease will sink in.

francoise nielly and art

I am a huge fan of the french artist Francoise Nielly. Her paintings are expressive, exhibiting a brute force along with vital energy. Her paintings are known to be sexual, sensual, and the colours she uses are free and exuberant, even explosive.
She combines oil and knife work to sculpt her images, whether it be the human body or portraits.
Nielly inspires me because she takes risks, she expresses her feelings with vibrant colours and daring strokes to create a beautiful image. Im in love with her colour palette, and as you will see, i am also a fan of wild, wacky colours.

Below are some of her paintings;

Nielly also inspired me throughout my A-level art project, 'Non-Verbal Communication.' I was a big fan of colour and expressionism on the face, and i felt i could really connect my love for makeup with this lady. As you can see in her painting above, with the use of darker lines and thicker strokes, she contours the face and the cheekbones. With only the use of grays and pinks, the image is so powerful. The fierceness in the mans eyes attracts the viewer. I did indeed copy her image for my project last year, and then i did my own interpretation. Photos will be up soon.

I am so excited for this project. Looking at the picture above has given me the idea to use a man in one of my final images, maybe as a drag queen, relating it to Weimar Berlin.




http://www.thecoolhunter.net/article/detail/1603/francoise-nielly

Gingers are hot too.

This exhibition is showing how gingers can be hot too. They don’t have the best reputation as their usually depicted as being nerdy.

Anita Berber

Anita Berber is a huge influence for this project, as she lived during the Weimar period. Everybody knew about her being the rebellious cabaret dancer in Berlin.
She was born on the 10th June 1899, and by the age of 16, she had moved to Berlin and made her debut as a cabaret dancer. She was famous for her bright red bob and her boundary braking performances, with their androgyny and nudity. Her drug addiction and her bisexual relationships were also a big talk of Weimar Berlin.
Berber reminds me of Sally Bowles in Goodbye to Berlin. Brendan quoted that,

"She wore heavy dancer’s make-up, which on the black-and-white photos and films of the time came across as jet black lipstick painted across the heart-shaped part of her skinny lips, and charcoaled eyes."

This will be taken into consideration when creating my final images.

References-

• Anita Berber, Brandan, Sep 24 2010, http://www.cabaret-berlin.com/?p=365
• http://emblah13.wordpress.com/2013/09/06/anita-berber-cabaret-dancer-and-actress/

artists

The German Expressionist movement was not bound by a single logic or aesthetic, but by the desire to turn the lonely city streets into a site of color, transformation and creation.

• Otto Dix
• Max Beckmann
• Lovis corinth
• George Grosz
• Paul Klee
• Erich Heckel
• Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
• Franz Marc
• August Macke
• Hermann Max Pechstein

Goodbye to Berlin/Weimar Berlin

Goodbye to Berlin is a book written by Christopher Isherwood,with 6 sections which chronicle the evolution of the German mentality towards Nazism.  However, while the characters and their stories may indeed be products of his imagination, the city and the political climate in which they take place are quite obviously not. The lines between novel and autobiography are further blurred by his use of a first-person narrator who bears his own name. 
Weimar Berlin-



References-
http://missdarcyslibrary.wordpress.com/2011/07/31/goodbye-to-berlin-by-christopher-isherwood-1939/

Quote

I absolutely love this quote, it expresses my feelings and what i want to portray with this project.

“Diversity is not gender, sexual orientation, race, weight, background, or home residence. All of these things are innate within us. We cannot change these things nor should we try or feel forced by others to do so. We should not feel forced to contort ourselves into a standard that is deemed socially acceptable. Diversity is not what you are given. Diversity is how you live and what you choose to do with whatever is at your disposal. Diversity is those personality traits that are different in every single person that breathes. Diversity is within the soul, not an element of one’s self that is “different” and not considered “normal”. Who are we to deem what is normal and what isn’t? How would those who fit in the so called norm feel if someone was saying they are different, discriminating against them, or saying their disgusting or going to hell. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes. If you’re not hurting yourself or someone else by what you’re doing, it’s fine. Diversity as it is defined today should not be acknowledged, but merely accepted. The true quirks of a human being are the ones that deserve to be in the spotlight. Not things that cannot be changed, things that are discriminated against without a reason; because they defy the “norm”.” -anonymous 

Diversity meets Me.

This term i have been given the project 'Diversity Now', based on the book by Christopher Isherwood, 'Goodbye to Berlin'. It is inspired about the  late 1920's-30's, mainly Weimar Berlin and how there was so much controversy within the city. In my following post i will be explaining this book in greater detail.

I am so excited for this project, as lots of expression and experimentation can be shown.
I can put forward my opinions, my thoughts and feelings, and trust me, i have many to do with this topic. It also gives me time to actually sit down and think, ask myself questions, what is the perfect woman that many people expect? why are we surrounded by illusions of how we should be? why cant we just be how we want, and not forced to being someone else? I honestly cant wait to research and read more into this.
My main concentration will be on how beauty is unique, and how we are all individuals, no matter what age, size, race or shape, including our ability skills.
3 diverse images will be created, with 1 being sent to the 'Diverse Now 2014' competition. The idea is to create an image that is not what we see as normal, being different, just how the people of Weimar Berlin expressed themselves in this era.

Diversity Now 2014 -   /http://www.allwalks.org/2013/08/diversity-now-2014/