POST 3

The concept of images is extremely important. We see and recognize things before we can speak. Like John Berger says in The Ways of Seeing, “The child looks and recognizes before it can speak” (Berger 7). We see things and figure out what we like throughout life. We adapt and change through time. All of these things are projected to people who see us. These projections can be captured in pictures.

            The great thing about pictures is that things can be altered any way possible. People can choose to show who they are or who they want people to think they are. Cindy Sherman is one of many artists who played with this idea. In Cindy Sherman’s artwork she takes pictures dressed in many different costumes. In some pictures she does not even look like herself. I believe that her artworks show how easy it is to make an impression on people. You can make people think whatever you want through art, whether it is true to yourself or not. In  The Art of Self Invention talks about faux identity, Finkelstein writes “Such a character values the idea of a ‘core self’ that emanates our ethical best but also understands the necessity of the opposite, namely, being able to invent an identity to suit the fluid character of cosmopolitan life” (Finkelstein 10). We create identities for ourselves based on the things that are most popular in society.     

            This is not the only way people represent themselves in images. Some like to do the complete opposite and show that all things that are popular are not beautiful.  Orlan liked this idea. In her art she went through various plastic surgeries, but these surgeries weren’t to make her more beautiful. In one surgery, she got implants above her eyebrows to make her look more like the Mona Lisa. Once she did this there were people who hated it so much they called her a monster. The point she wanted to make to people know that just because they do not look like what beautiful is advertised as does not mean they are not beautiful.

            Images definitely hold aspects of identity and culture. Even in my own selfies I show my culture. One of the first pictures I posted on the blog I showed a part of Poland. There are many artists who show their culture in their picture, not only to show that it is a part of their identity, but also they sometimes do this to make any political issues known to other. Frida Kahlo was one of these artists. She was a Mexican artist and in her pictures she like to include political issues that were going on in Mexico.

            Art and Media can teach us many things about ourselves. When we see something we like, it tends to stick in our minds. We are introduced to new ideas every day. Looking at pictures and media shows these ideas. Even advertisements help some part of creating our identity. Finkelstein writes “It is a form of communication that reaches millions of people and promulgates shared values” (Finkelstein 148).All advertisements are created to relate to a certain group of people, it is up to you to decide whether you relate or not.

We control the images of ourselves but this does not mean we do not communicate who we are. You can put whatever you want in a picture, but there will always be people who think differently then you. All of the millions of people on Earth are not going to think the same way. Whatever you put in your pictures will mean one thing to one person and something else to another. This does not mean it doesn’t represent who you are.