When Art Goes Viral

An interesting piece about an all too predictable reaction when comment is open to all.
 
The most fascinating part for me is not the reaction from the wider internet, which sadly was entirely predictable, but the email conversation with the photographer at the bottom of the article. That is the second time in 12 hours I have read about how things are seen with a 'male gaze' and being one of those women that generally doesn't get riled up and jump up and down on the 'equality for women' band wagon, I have found this thought an interesting one. The other article btw was concerned with how Sweden changed it's prostitution laws and has slashed prostitution to a minimal amount, so not art related at all, but comparable in the sense that both are topics where you could conceivably claim a certain amount of 'seen from the male perspective' theory.

Was she she right to take the photos down? Possibly, but a part of me can't help but think it simply enforces the perception that the art world is a very small bubble that is struggling to get it's point across to the rest of the world and will continue to do so if those that are 'in it' can't predict the likely outcome of such images venturing out there and be prepared for it, ready to counteract it.
 
@Yv I think the reaction from this forum would generally correspond to that of the "wider internet". Someone trying to explain the effects of male gaze to me asked me to look at a photographs of women and and ask myself how it would look if the subject was a man. If a photographer presents a photo of a "powerful female nude" but when you imagine the subject as a man you think it would look like he was a complete tit, then it suggests the description of "powerful" might be defensively-optimistic on the part of the photographer presenting the image.
 
Alastair said:
@Yv I think the reaction from this forum would generally correspond to that of the "wider internet". Someone trying to explain the effects of male gaze to me asked me to look at a photographs of women and and ask myself how it would look if the subject was a man. If a photographer presents a photo of a "powerful female nude" but when you imagine the subject as a man you think it would look like he was a complete tit, then it suggests the description of "powerful" might be defensively-optimistic on the part of the photographer presenting the image.
Click to expand...

I am not necessarily disagreeing with you Alastair, I am a bit undecided on her representation of the photos, it is just my curiosity has been piqued by two very different subjects choosing very similar takes on how we [as a species] 'view' certain areas of life, what our expectations are. I can't help but agree that the reaction here on the forum may well be the same as on buzzfeed, albeit possibly toned down to remain within the rules ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top