Often in Art History, it was
inappropriate for women to draw images of man, whether they were naked or nude.
While this ideology is depicted in John Berger’s “Ways of Seeing,” it was
general knowledge for women not to make such a mistake of doing so because they
were the vulnerable ones and lived under the power of man. The reason I address
both terms is because they are both meant to represent two different forms of
artistry. ‘Naked’ refers to an awareness of oneself, while “nude” refers to
naked to others and not recognizing oneself. (Berger 54). However, men were
free to portray women in any means, even if that meant they treated women as
objects. The quote “Men act and women appear,” from John Berger’s “Ways of
Seeing” symbolizes that men look at women while women watch themselves being
looked at. The male gaze focuses on the surveyor of women creating an image to
determine how that female looks to others. The artist draws a portrait of a
woman to produce sexuality, and sexual pleasure to the audience, convincing
them that this is how women are seen from a male perspective. In several
paintings women are posed in certain ways to show or (not show) women at a
specific angle to create an appealing image that shows these ‘objects’ as a
tease. The male gaze signifies a dominance that men hold in society and it
allows them to empower over women who have no control of what is happening to
them or their bodies. “She has to survey
everything she is and everything she does because how she appears to others,
and ultimately how she appears to men, is of crucial importance for what is
normally thought of as the success in her life (Berger 46).” Regardless of how
these women present themselves, men are given the opportunity to transform
these images to intend what women are like and design their “presence” through
their artwork.
The concept
of male dominance in society has existed from the beginning of time where men
were always in control and women were to do as they said. This relates to how
men are able to depict women in the male gaze, as an idea of patriarchy.
According to Bell Hooks in “Understanding Patriarchy,” gender roles were
assigned from birth to determine the rights of women and men in society (Hooks
18). “Patriarchy is a political- social system that insists that males are
inherently dominating, superior to everything and everyone deemed weak,
especially females, and endowed with the right to dominate and rule over the
weak to maintain that dominance through various forms… (Hooks 18).” This quote
implies that men have the power to do anything, which is an idea that all
people in society live by- men are more powerful, dominant and rule over women.
It has been taught to be the “norm” in society; as if any other way would just
be wrong.
Because
history has always taught society that male dominance is the way of life, it is
a concept that has continued to follow through even today. Although women now
have more power in society than they did before, they will never be able to
outdo a man. The male gaze goes to show how little power women are given in
this world, but how incorrect their perceptions of these women are. Since men
have the concept of superiority embedded in their mind, they will do all that
is in their power to completely transform the ideal of what is “women”. Because
women are inferior to men, and society is reminded of this everyday, the
paintings drawn by artists give their audiences an impression. Women are
dehumanized and made to be perceived as objects based on what these drawings
portray. However, in reality these preconceptions of women are incorrect but
men will continue to recreate these images excluding specific features and
flaws every women has to create “the perfect women.”
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| Jimmy Choo Campaign, 2009 |
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To learn more, please visit:
The link above discusses women as objects in society and how their depictions are able to appeal and "sell themselves" to the audience.
References:
Berger, J. (1973). Ways of Seeing (pp. 45-64). London: British Broadcasting Corporation.
Hooks, B. (2004). Understanding Patriarchy. In The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love (pp.17-33). New York: Atria Books.
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