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John Berger

Is Berger Burning, Still?

I find Abstract 3 the most interesting. I would like to read more about it because it mentions representation in the media, specifically queer representation. This is an issue that has been gaining attention recently. It is an area that I am interested in and I would hope that it is expanded on in the full article.

Also, this piece suggests that Berger isn’t up to date with cultural issues, which goes against what I’ve read in other articles that portray Berger as being relevant to modern issues.

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The Current Phase of Participatory Culture

I believe that the current phase of participatory culture is mainly about interacted with technology. As a society we benefit every day from technology and how it has progressed. It is now much easier to connect and share with the rest of the world; we are no longer bound by distance when it comes to interacting with people we never would have previously. 

Specifically, platforms such as Facebook have become essential commodities that most people access daily. This gives people a means of seeing news and current events instantaneously; live broadcasts keep people, who are potentially on the other side of the world, update with events happening. I believe this promotes a new kind of wide spread empathy that wouldn’t be possible with previous phases where news spread more slowly.

Another element which I think has come about in the last few years is crowd sourcing and online petitions. Due to a large majority of the world having access to the internet, there has been a rise of websites dedicated to change via crowd funding and petition signing. It has been common place for projects and protests to be support by people on the internet that may have never known of these events previously.

Overall, I believe the fifth phase is all about instantaneous connections that promote empathy and support throughout modern society.

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Molly Goddard - Goddard’s designs involve lengths of tulle and extensive flocking. Her bright coloured, playful pieces contrast with the dark, sleek clothing seen on the high street.

Petra Collins - A multimedia artist who depicts girlhood, sexuality and internet culture. As a photographer she often uses coloured lights and soft filters. Her work shows her subjects, mainly young women, in candid moments.

Brooke Candy - Candy is a performance artist and musician. The image she has created is very sexual and explicit. She is against artistic censorship and is an outspoken feminist.

Yeha Leung - A lingerie designer who creates custom pieces out of materials such as PVC, metal and fur. Her work is very modern with its harnesses and chokers made from leather and clear PVC but she still includes the ‘classic’ elements of lingerie such as lace, tulle and ribbon bows. Leung’s pieces are a perfect example of new, innovative ideas regarding femininity.

Manuela Soto - A self taught Swiss tattoo artist who creates anime alter egos for her clients. Has recently collaborated with Left Hand to turn her work into a clothing collection. She is unapologetic about her work promoting self love and has created her own aesthetic by herself. She started questioning what counted as ‘love’ after being sexually abused and uses her designs to look at how bodies are sexualised. Soto wants her work to be meaningful and have something to say rather than just be ‘pretty drawings’.

Marie Yat - Makes male-gaze-resisting lingerie. She has embraced modern ideas of gender neutrality to create comfortable underwear for women that isn’t made for the male gaze. Yat designs based on her own needs and what she believes lingerie should be. She combines feminine sensuality with the comfort of wearing unisex underwear.

Pansy Co - Their underwear designs are simple and comfortable, they use organic cotton to make their pieces in California.

Thinx - Thinx is a company that creates ‘period proof’ underwear. It is innovation in regards to the cost and availability of sanitary products and also combats waste. It is designed to replaced pads and tampons. It is a modern idea that tackles a problem that has been typically a taboo subject and therefore ignored.

Emma Mulholland - Her pastel prints evoke a feeling of being on the poolside of an American motel in summer. She makes her fabrics using images related to internet culture and cyber punk in in a very modern way.

Gucci - Their AW17 collection was made up over 100 outfits that were each unique but, overall, came together as a collection. There use of embellishment complimented the busy patterns and fabrics.

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What is Visual Culture?

Over the years there has been many social and cultural shifts with regards to visual culture. One of these is the rise of social media. There is increasing popularity of apps such as Instagram, Snapchat and Tumblr that centre around the sharing of images. As a result of this the visual elements of modern culture has overtaken the textual in comparison to 20 years ago when sharing images online was more difficult and most people used phone calls and text messaging. This shift has accelerated in the past couple of years due to the boom of social media apps.

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The Male Gaze

I thought John Berger’s Ways of Seeing was the most interesting piece I read. Although it wasn’t named in the text I believe it was an early exploration of ‘The Male Gaze’. Berger looked at how women are presented specifically with a male observer in mind and how they must always consider how they will look to men before doing anything. This idea is very relevant to modern society, especially in art and fashion. Women’s fashion has been made with the male viewer in mind for, probably, as long as fashion has existed due to the patriarchal nature of human society. But, recently designers and artists have sought to rebel against this. For example, Marie Yat has designed a collection of underwear that, first and foremost, aims to be comfortable to the wearer and disregards the idea of being appealing to men. This is important when it comes to challenging the way women are objectified because it doesn’t seek to cover women up and turn them into formless, sexless beings. There is still femininity and sexuality, but it isn’t for the male observer. Valerie Phillips is another artist who challenges the male gaze through her work. Phillips subverts the male gaze in her photography. She documents girls’ passage from childhood to adulthood, but she doesn’t over-sexualise them. John Berger’s Ways of Seeing is still very relevant today, artists still need his ideas so they can continue to change the way women are portrayed in society particularly in art and fashion.

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Aura - the distinctive atmosphere or quality that seems to surround and be generated by a person, thing, or place. E.g. If you put a lot of time, money and effort into a garment it will have an aura of being high quality.

Banality - the fact or condition of being banal; unoriginality. E.g. to appeal to a wider audience, high street fashion has a certain banality to it.

Beholder - a person who sees or observes someone or something. E.g. Retail fashion is design with the beholder in mind.

Calculated - (of an action) done with full awareness of the likely consequences. E.g. Designers often take calculated risks.

Connive - secretly allow (something immoral, illegal, or harmful) to occur. E.g. Some manufacturers connived to use sweat shops because they benefited from them.

Conventionalised - using artistic forms and conventions to create effects; not natural or spontaneous. E.g. Many aspects of design have become conventionalised over time

Derives - obtain something from (a specified source). E.g. A collection often derives from a different culture or custom for inspiration.

Embodies - be an expression of or give a tangible or visible form to (an idea, quality, or feeling). E.g. Fashion embodies current trends, wider context and the designers personal likes.

Envisaging - contemplate or conceive of as a possibility or a desirable future event. E.g. Catwalk shows are often envisaging future trends.

Etiquette - the customary code of polite behaviour in society or among members of a particular profession or group. E.g. Clothing and appearance are a part of social etiquette.

Fabricated - construct or manufacture (an industrial product), especially from prepared components. E.g. Toiles are fabricated to test the design.

Ingenuity - the quality of being clever, original, and inventive. E.g. Ingenuity is essential to being a modern designer.

Intrinsic - belonging naturally; essential. E.g. Creativity is intrinsic in the fashion industry.

Manifold - many and various. E.g. The different styles and techniques presented at fashion shows are manifold.

Moralising - comment on issues of right and wrong, typically with an unfounded air of superiority. E.g. People often try moralising cultural appropriation in relation to design.

Narrative - a spoken or written account of connected events; a story. E.g. Collections sometimes present a narrative for the observer to interpret.

Permissible - permitted; allowed. E.g. Creative experimentation is permissible in the fashion industry.

Profound - (of a state, quality, or emotion) very great or intense.  E.g. Some designers such as Alexander McQueen have a profound influence on the fashion industry.

Puritan - relating to the Puritans. E.g. A percentage of the older generations have puritan ideals when it comes to clothing and appearance.

Signify - be an indication of. E.g. Pattern markings signify how a garment should be constructed.

Simplicity - the quality or condition of being easy to understand or do. E.g. The key to an iconic silhouette is simplicity.

Spectator - a person who watches at a show, game, or other event. E.g. Designers often have the spectator in mind when creating their work.

Static - lacking in movement, action, or change, especially in an undesirable or uninteresting way. E.g. Without new designers entering the industry with fresh ideas fashion will become static.

Subservient - prepared to obey others unquestioningly. E.g. a fraction of consumers are subservient to popular brands.

Supplanted - supersede and replace. E.g. Modern machinery has widely supplanted traditional ways of sewing.

Transcended - be or go beyond the range or limits of (a field of activity or conceptual sphere). E.g. Contemporary designers have transcended traditional fashion ideals.

Yield - give way to arguments, demands, or pressure. E.g. Designers may have to yield if they want to sell to a wide market.

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