What You See is Beauty

What You See is Beauty

The subject of my art work is a self-portrait viewed through a mirror. The content of the image is inspired by the spectacle, media, and the advertisement of self. All three of these subjects affect the image of self. There is a general idea of how a female should look. This mirror has quotes written on them that support the individual, even if the individual is breaking social norms. Finkelstein stated, “Yet there is a sense of menace and anxiety as if this very ordinariness was in jeopardy. The impact of the images rests on the shock of the crimes wrongly attributed to upstanding citizens (122). Society especially in self-identity, does not know how to react when the norms are broken.  

I made a collage on part of the mirror that the individual does not use. I used all kinds of material that grab the woman’s attention. Sparkles, glitter, 3D stickers, ink, and makeup were all used on the mirror. These items impact women because it has all been pushed on them to like for years.  Finkelstein stated, “At those moments when fashion and commerce, style and luxury intersect and become inextricably linked, and the modern idea of fashion can be identified” (191). Fashion is set for women.  

The processes and steps that I took to make this decision came from my own life. I was the kind of girl that liked blue instead of pink. I did not like wearing dresses and putting on makeup. I was forced to conform to the spectacle and media because if I did not, then I was criticized. I was left feeling weird and uncomfortable with myself. Relationships with peers also was impacted because they do not want to associate themselves with individuals that are different. Finkelstein stated, “He rightly identified both the content of the mass media as well as the technology of the media- its distribution, ease of access and availability- as two influential forces that would directly shape social life” (149). People are so caught up in the media that they are not themselves. They take on the role of others because it is viewed as popular and they long for popularity.  

I categorize my work as a collage. Two artists influenced my collage. Martha Wilson’s photograph I Make Up the Image of My Perfection/ I Make Up the Image of My Deformity (2007) was the first one that influenced me. This image shows a woman with her makeup and her hair done fitting in the spectacle’s view. This image shows another side of the woman. It is the same woman except in this photograph of her, she is rebelling against the spectacle.  She does not fit into the expected image. This artist emphasizes humanity.  Another artist that influenced my work is Shoshanna Weinberger. She shows a lot of different body types of woman that are less favorable in the media’s eyes in a different way. She recognizes them and makes them seem just as important. 

The spectacle is produced by the audience. The audience should expand their views of beauty and not be so harsh because under all of the makeup there is an imperfect human being. No one is perfect so the media should not be focused on perfection. No human being is the same nor likes the same style so the advertisements should not be focused on certain looks and taste.  

There is a slight difference between the first self-portrait and this one. The focus is expanded to society’s gaze rather than specifically the male gaze. Women’s esteem should be higher and boosted because men will hold them to lower standards, but the women should not care. The standards are changing so woman should be happier that they are all starting to be included. The spectacle and media impacts society as a whole. Changes in the spectacle and media are improving society. The majority of society makes up the media and spectacle, which is why it is so influential. This influences advertising, which also impacts society. They all go together, but happiness and beauty starts with the person looking in the mirror.   

Media and images influence identity and self-presentation. Media is limited to certain ideas in society. The body types and body images are limited on media. Women have to look, dress, and act a certain way in order to fit media’s expectations. This impacts self-presentation because people want to look like celebrities and models and are not themselves. Recently, this has been making progress. The various body types and appearance of women is expanding. People that do not fit the original media and spectacle specification are finding it easier to. The mirror is for people that are battling society and are pushing the movement further. They should know that they are beautiful no matter what and that one day they will fit the spectacle and media. 

            Finkelstein, J. (2007). The Art of Self Invention Image and Identity in Popular Visual Culture. London: I.B. Tauris.