DIVERSITY NOW! Evaluation
This project theme is called DIVERSITY Now! Not only is it a project, but a competition to achieve any kind of work whether it’s photography, collage, illustrations, film or a poster. This project is about demonstrating the engagement and respect for diversity as well as understanding the role of battling disruptiveness through the admiration for cultural range. This is the only way to express and stop the ‘fake’ beauty but in an artistic way by stepping out the typical stereotypes, and redefine the restrictions and revels in a wider variety of exquisiteness and body standards in age, size, gender, race, disability and physical ability. Besides, contributing to the narrative/story of the generation today, meaning hearing the voice of a new generation to create a new international perception in spite of eras of growing corporatisation. Diversity project is an interesting project to do and to complete because as a photographer it is a challenge to defeat and to demonstrate something different but with a meaning behind the image.
What I enjoyed the most in this project is to produce something that represents and to create a story or statement that defines diversity. My project is about is dreadlocks suitable in a suit? As the world today seems to have an issue with having the right hairstyle for work. I had these images since last year in first year of university however I decided to work on it a bit more on creating collages and developing my editing techniques on photoshop. The 4 main artists research for the project were Getty Images, Ellen Von Unwerth, Adam Jacobs and Patrick Cariou. Although, these photographers have influenced me to develop on these images and look at it in depths of what’s different about than the other images that I created, what strikes me the most is the skin colour, hair (dreadlocks), textures on clothes and also the culture behind the model in wearing formal smart wear. Adam Jacobs is probably the only photographer that created a wide range of diversity of men in suits which helped for inspiration. However, understanding the concept of dreadlocks in a suit leaves a sense of curiosity on why it would be an issue today in society, most people would consider it cultural appropriation for dreadlocks male or female though it’s more pressure on them.
Not only I developed on the images, I created 8 different collages to demonstrate a variety of colours, patterns and sense. Most of the collages do not have any association which I personally think makes it more interesting. Nevertheless, overcoming the issues during the diversity project was more brainstorming what kind of theme to present but if it wasn’t for reading or researching more about the definition of diversity it would not have been choosen for my work project. If I was to do this project again, I would definitely make it differently such as grannies doing graffiti or have a rebellious character in them throughout the years they been through. Another example would be girls doing men’s sports like football but include Japanese or African women in them to illustrate that anyone can play sports regardless of their race or gender.
