PROJECT: "Is it female, male, or what?"
OBJECTIVE:
Aside from the obvious physical differences, there are many aspects of attitude, behavior, and personality which separate people. One of the most basic categorizations is by gender. This project is concerned with defining gender on the basis of visual associations.
REQUIREMENTS AND CONSIDERATIONS:
This project is concerned with the concepts of gender identification. There are many associations with each sex that arise from cultural, educational, behavioral, psychological, and physical considerations. Many of these are quite easily observed, hence lend themselves to be use as part of your "visual vocabulary". The project is then to produce pictures whose SUBJECT or CONCEPT are concerned with defining some aspect of sexuality; what SUBJECT MATTER you choose to use to make your statement is the central objective of this project.In order to do this project, you must decide on exactly what you want to "talk" about in your picture. Defining gender would be on the order of showing how people establish their sexuality with other people. You may choose to show masculinity or femininity on purely physical terms. Or imply gender with objects. Or by behaviors and activities associated with each gender.
As usual, the truth of the image is not important. Nor is it necessary that the treatment of the subject be serious. A humorous, absurd, or farcical interpretation is just as valid. Work with ideas that can be expressed in just a few words. Keep your concepts simple, your intents direct, and your images will usually come out clear and easily understood.
Try to expand you own perceptions of how attitudes, behavior, and personality are related to sexuality. Be aware that sexuality is not the same thing as sex, nor is it the same as sensuality. Sex and sensuality have to do with the physical aspects of gender, whereas sexuality can be concerned with genders in a more encompassing and referential manner.
The most prevalent examples of these concepts of ideas and things associated with gender can be found in advertisements. Take particular note of how images used with ads for products actually have little to do with the product. Cigarette and car ads are particularly adept at presenting gender orientated images to be associated with their products. The ads use images which utilize widely understood (in a selected culture) visual clues to express ideas of masculinity or femininity. (Consider how a car advertisement tries to associate the car with a type of person, and how it is also understood that this type of person would want this type of car.)
Trivial solutions ("no-brainer-type images") to this project will probably be of little credit towards your grade.
Submit at least two images, each of a different concept or idea. You may submit several variations of each idea if you desire. Variations of the same idea are options like changing point of views or composition style, exposure values (darker or lighter), or other camera/darkroom techniques. Different ideas could be as simple as change of place (same subject matter in different situations) to as complex as doing one of each gender.
Return to top