Whilst looking through notes, I came across a performance/video by Marina Abramovic that tells of feminist conformity. In this video, starring herself, Abramovic repeats a saying "Art must be beautiful, Artist must be beautiful". Through this repetition, the audience is almost put into a trance of reflection upon the words she speaks, and as a result, you can begin to see the psychotic murmurs within herself.
Here you shall see an image which is essentially a 'contact sheet' of clips taken from the video she has produced:
FRAMES OF THE VIDEO - Marina Abramovic brushing her hair
After this repetitive process has had time to sink in, you notice the subtle messages of 'conformity' leak out onto you. Her hair is continuously brushed in an effort to remain relevant among society. The process of repeating this implies an insanity that many females have to deal with in their own individual way on a daily basis. Abramovic sustains this intensity through constant brushing, and with a cycle like this, you can never find a resolution.
This attitude and behaviour saddens me, the idea that females must present themselves on a repetitive basis creates needless effort for an audience who may or may not be asking it of them. Those who are expecting such things should reconsider their values and why it matters, and as for those who aren't they can easily speak of their indifference towards make-up and 'dress up' in general. When a girl goes out thinking 'dress to impress', they promote the visual presentation without making room for the inner personality to shine through.
Aesthetically speaking, the underlying message isn't immediately available, and I like that. The imagery is calm and constructed, yet the message builds up over healthy reflection. This practice is something I shall aim to incorporate within my final images.
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