For the past few weeks we have been doing tasks to improve our skills within research and communication. Each task allowed us to utilise our resources to find information and look harder at what we want to find and accomplish through our research. This task is an evaluation of all the others.

Task 1 and 2 was to help us know how to look for reliable sources and get into the swing of research. We had to find an image in the library to scan, then find something on a website that relates to it, then find a museum where it can broaden the informtion on the topic. With this task I chose a picture of a Greek God sculpture then went on to research about the modern day portrayals of greek mythology, then found beauty and the beast. The original story was that of Cupid and Psyche. I started off with something I personally found interesting so this task wasn’t particularly difficult in terms of being motivated. However, it isn’t always easy to find things on the internet that relate back to a random selection of a picture in a library.

Task 3 and 4 was very enlightening because I previously didn’t know how to Harvard reference. That was what this task was all about, learning how to give the correct credit to the owners of the picture or quote you are using and then putting it into practice. This task was quite simple for me since all of the information for Harvard referencing was easy to find. Now I know for future circumstances, how to properly reference what I am using.

Task 5 and 6 was one of the two that I found hard to do since I had to look for a fashion designer that fully exposed on the internet what their inspirations and references were when making one of their collections. I am not good at using the internet to the best of its ability so it took quite a long time to find the right in-depth information. Everything after that was much easier; making the mood board showing their inspirations and then picking a picture to research further into.

Task 7 and 8 was the second one that I found hard purely because I struggled to understand their academic way of writing. We had to read a text from a fashion book and then pick a part of it that interested us to write about. Then we had to relate it to another two pieces of text so that we can have evidence supporting our views. I tried my hardest to understand what was being said within the quote that I chose and therefore wrote about the importance of fashion nowadays, since I am also a fashion student. It didn’t take me long to find other texts to support my views because the importance of fashion is such a broadly discussed issue within the fashion industry.

Task 9 and 10 was an interesting task to do because I have always enjoyed sharing my views on sexism and feminism in the modern world. The ethical issue task was given to us in a form of a picture that we had to analyse. I did a lot of research for this because a lot of other people also had something to say about the same disturbing advertisement that I was analysing. It helped having other views compared to mine.

There are a few new things that I have learnt throughout this module of research and communication skills. I mostly think it helped me to slowly get back into the habit of writing and research for all of my projects, so I can continue to do it effectively in the future.

Monique Olowu

ETHICAL ISSUES TASK 9&10

What I first realised about the Duncan Quinn picture was a barely dressed woman at the complete mercy of a fully dressed man. Looking at it, I didn’t understand what he was holding but looking closer, he is holding his tie around her neck as if she is some sort of animal.

If it wasn’t a photoshoot, then the fact that he is looking at the camera means that someone else is there (considering the story they’re trying to get across behind the picture), also suggesting that the whole scenario was premeditated. This man has got her almost completely undressed outside, on the bonnet of a car which is not that discreet. It could only lead to believe she is being made vulnerable and available for public humiliation.

It is worrying to think about what kind of customer this advertisement was supposed to attract. Is it intended to appeal to men that want to have complete and unwavering control over other women? There is no equality in this picture. Only through further research made it clear to me that Duncan Quinn are actually trying to sell the tie.

Looking further, there is a dark liquid coming from the area around this woman’s head. I can only assume that it’s blood. Therefore, there is an implication of a struggle before they got to this stage in the picture and raises so many more questions; is she dead? Did this woman refuse to give him what he asked for and then get attacked so she would have no choice in the matter?

The black and white setting of the picture also helps to conceal a lot of information. We can’t see where they are or if there are anymore people around or if she actually is bleeding from her head. The background and other suggestive details disappear. However, what else we can’t see is the woman’s face. This is the unfortunately common problem in society today about dehumanising our women and objectifying them to the point where they think it’s acceptable.

“The image of the tie in our society generally signifies power and success, two strong desires of a heteronormative male audience.” I believe in this because then it leaves women to believe that they then must have to take on the role of the mistreated woman in the picture as well. Which also leads to women trying to achieve a stereotypical body image and lingerie that the woman in the picture has.

Overall, I think that this advertisement is highly disturbing and unhealthy for anyone that sees it and thinks it’s something they should aspire to. What would happen to all of the young and impressionable children that see this advertisement? Unless they’re taught differently, they are going to grow up believing this is the right way to treat each other or themselves. I do not understand the need to use violence, abuse and sexism to sell ordinary products like clothes or perfume. The greater body of the public look up to high fashion brands only to have their collective views spoilt.

Monique Olowu

FASHION MEDIA: PAST AND PRESENT

“The moot of the question to be asked at this point is whether this unprecedented link was the result of the ideological revolution brought about by the Enlightenment or simply an attempt to elevate fashion above its existing status – hitherto relegated to the world of merchants, tailors and shopkeepers – to a subject worthy of intellectual pursuit.”

Here, I realised it is explaining the link between the concepts of fashion and taste. When the link first began it was a foreign nature to link the two, especially with French fashion magazines. Therefore, in the quote above they are debating whether the link was made because of gradual understanding of the fashion industry or if it was because fashion enthusiasts forced the connection to help the fashion industry rise above its previously unworthy reputation. Also mentioning that most people did not see fashion as something that deserved their interest.

In Adorned in Dreams: Fashion and Modernity, Elizabeth Wilson states that fashion has had to constantly justify itself as a subject of honest and serious pursuit. I agree, as someone studying fashion, that there are times where the fashion industry has to be explained as something needed in the world. She also continues to say that fashion writers other than her have to explain exactly why the fashion industry is such an vital pathway to express people and culture; “..adornment of the body pre-dates all other known forms of decoration..” Wilson is trying to address that fashion has been wrongly assigned a category in people’s minds where it is not to be taken seriously.

Personally, studying fashion is extremely important to how people are portrayed whether it is their mood, status, personality or ethnic background. Although fashion is rising as an acceptable career path and subject, there are still debates and decisions that are making it hard for creative subjects (not just fashion) to be studied well and taught well.

It is clear when on the article Is Fashion education selling a false dream? they talk about students that have either been satisfied or dissatisfied with their studies. The survey showed that everything within the courses they were on were good, they had sufficient materials and support but none after they left. The students did not have the training or experience or even the help they needed to get started on their career in the fashion industry.

This would definitely be a problem for me since I have chosen this career path and I need to be able to get a job and understand my place within the industry. Yet, if there is an issue with the follow up of fashion education then it will threaten my career.

Monique Olowu

References:
Bartlett, Djurdja; Cole, Shaun; Rocamora, Agnes; 2013, Fashion Media: Past and Present, London, Bloomsbury
Wilson, Elizabeth, 1985, Adorned in Dreams: Fashion and Modernity, 2003 edition, London, Virago Press Ltd
Amed, Imran; Mellery-Pratt Robin; 2017, Business of Fashion, https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/education/global-fashion-school-rankings-2015, September 28 2017

Zeng Hao – Oriental God Artist

 The main inspiration of Yiqing Yin’s Fall 2012 collection is the legend of Nüwa. A chinese goddess of nature. She used the artist, Zeng Hao to portray her inspiration in her own moodboard.

The way Zeng has painted her is in a very serene and beautiful way because most of the legends show her a serpent goddess. Either way she influences nature therefore he seems to have latched onto that aspect instead.

He painted her painted her perched on a large stone, the details of which are intricate yet blurred at the same time, forcing us to focus on Nüwa herself. The way her head is tipped draws the eye to follow onto the flower she’s holding, then naturally our eyes will follow from there to her torso then eventually down to her feet. Her eyes being closed also makes it seem much more intimate.

 Zeng’s artistic technique allows us to appreciate her whole position slowly and methodically. He turned an originally quite sinister deity into a ethereal, distant being. His style is very realistic, adding to the intimacy of her being real.

Looking at more of Zeng’s work, this one being an example, he seems to never have their eyes open or looking directly in front of them. It gives the impression that he’s not supposed to be capturing them. He does it in a way where they look in the middle of something mythical. All the goddesses are sat down on the same sort of stone chair, which I have started to view as a throne. They also have same flowers.

This last picture is also one of the goddess Nüwa. This painting is much more of an traditional and ancient Chinese painting. She is portrayed as just a head on the body of a snake. Which makes it seem less enticing than the work of Zeng Hao. Especially since she doesn’t seem to have a particular place to be like the thrones. However, the place around her looks healthy and alive and that is supposed to be because of her since she is the goddess of creation. Chinese people who grew up on this legend may see this painting in a much different way.

By Monique Olowu

Contributors – Adamson, Glenn; Lee Alter, Linda; Burko, Diane; Chave, Anna; Cozzolino, Robert; Gardner-Huggett, Joanna; Haveman, Anna; Herzog, Melanie Anne; Mileaf, Janine; Moriuchi, Mey-Yen; Throckmorton, Jodi; Wallace, Michelle – The Female Gaze: Women artists making their world – published 2012 – published by the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia

Website – Stanford encyclopaedia of philosophy – Michaelian, Kourken and Sutton, John – Available from: plato.stanford.edu/entries/memory – April 24, 2017

News article – Tran, Cindy – published 2017 – Woman, 27, who can recall everyday of her life – DailyMail – issued 24 April

My theme throughout this research is memory and it’s qualities. The book I chose clearly states that memory is not an accurate recollection of historical events. Which I then researched further and found that there are in fact different types of memory that each human could possess. I understand that sometimes the human brain can trick itself into believing something was there that wasn’t or something happened that didn’t within their memories. However, it counteracts the fact that history books and facts were sometimes written by memory. It is not to be assumed that everything was recorded immediately until much more recent times. It is true that by now, people of newer generations would have proved or disproved said historical events but if they were proved right does that not mean that the original discovery, written from memory, was an accurate account?

To oppose my original picture from the book in a more drastic way, I found an article of a woman who remembers everything that has happened to her since she was 12 days old. Which is a rare condition that only 80 people in the world have called Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory. She shared that she had the ability to remember unnecessary details like what she wore or what she ate or what the weather was like.

Considering memory as being somewhat of an unstable thing, I think it’s unfair to believe that it’s a completely inaccurate account of historical events. Even though, having an autobiographical memory is rare, people without the condition can still recall events as precisely as is necessary.

By Monique Olowu

The marriage of Zeus and Hera, The birth of Greek Mythology, photographer unknown, sculptor unknown.

Zeus and Hera are most commonly portrayed as the couple that rules Olympus and everything on earth beneath it. However, that is not the case. Zeus had had many wives before Hera.

When Zeus and his brothers, Poseidon and Hades, defeated Kronos, it left the three of them to rule separate parts of the world. Zeus, the god of the sky and land, Poseidon the god of the sea and Hades the god of the underworld. Zeus was so powerful that he was ruler over Olympus and naturally all of the other gods too.

Therefore, it left him to seduce every being as he pleased and no one or thing could resist him.

I looked into other Greek gods and goddesses that had their own love stories and problems and found many that are still being retold today as different things.

Beauty and the Beast 2017, photo courtesy of Disney, fashionista.com, costumes by Jacqueline Durran.

The story of Beauty and the Beast is in fact a retold version of the story of Cupid and Psyche.

Their story however follows a similar story line to the original storyline of Beauty and the Beast. Both women are sent or ‘exiled’ to a far away place, in Belle’s case it was the castle and for Psyche it was the mountain top. They both went up there because of their fathers, Belle went because her father was trapped and Psyche was dragged up by her father because he was told to do so by the gods, Aphrodite was jealous of Psyche’s beauty.

Psyche was told she was to be in love with a serpent-like man and then was taken to a house where she was to live with him in the dark without being allowed to see what he looks like. Belle was also left to live with the Beast, who she didn’t know had a true man living within. Despite the fact that both women didn’t know what their lovers truly looked like, they fell in love with them.

However this is when the two women differ a little. Belle had to break the spell she didn’t know about in order to live happily with the Beast but Psyche didn’t know what her lover looked like at all and, when she fell pregnant, she became curious as to what he looked like. When she found it was Cupid, it destroyed their chances of being together.

Psyche was determined and Aphrodite gave her a set of three impossible tasks to complete, which she completed up until the third task. She was too curious and fell into a sleep from one of the tasks. Cupid rescued her and persuaded his mother, Aphrodite, to change her mind about Psyche and the gods transformed her into an immortal.

The Uffizi museum in Florence has the famous statues of quite a few of the Greek gods and their children, including Cupid and Psyche, Perseus killing Medusa and Zeus in the woods with children.

By Monique Olowu