“Distorted Faces”

 

 

Wes Naman used this series as his own entertainment and interest, where he wrapped multiple candidates in tape so that various features became more prominent and some less noticeable. Although this wasn’t actually declaring a point of beauty standards, it has now been recognized as a portrait series that helps identify various standards of beauty in a light-hearted way. I was quite interested in this idea of distorting a face to outline this issue of beauty, however, i would rather play around with the clothing and make the theme revolve around garments somehow, instead of beauty in faces. However, i could still do a test shoot for an idea similar to this but maybe using an exaggerated amount of make up that will then become squashed together with the use of tape. If it doesn’t work out for this specific shoot, it could always be used for an advert in my magazine as it still shows very unconventional results that will run within my entire theme.

“Women Wearing Trousers”

 

 

After developing a further understanding on the importance of Raphael’s paintings and his depiction of perfect figures, looking into how modern day artists and designers use deconstruction to manipulate a body. Or, in this case, how a designer has conceptulised the idea of what is female beauty. Hannah Carter’s collection is based around the difference of gender roles and how there are very unrealistic beauty standards for women now, and for past generations. This idea relates to my research into both Raphael and the pre-raphaelites because of the major change in defining a perfect woman and Carter is aiming to show the pressure that women throughout history have been faced with in presenting themselves in an ideal way.

This collection started from the first wave feminist movement in the late 19th century, also known as the Rational Dress Reform and overall explores the concept of female restraint. I was drawn to the textures she has made using the fabric, including the lumps on the tops and jackets and the shell patterned collars. It could be useful in exploring these factors that actually deconstruct a full body of garments instead of completing the perfect image, which is the styling technique i want to develop on. I think that maybe the rope and these unusual rope like textures may be relevant to explore this topic of female restraint as the models seem as though they are being held back from possibly individualising, therefore all looking the same. This could also be what the nude and very basic colours are for – to represent that women are made to all feel the same and if they do not conform to this perfect image then they are not beautiful. I should definitely look into other forms of work that explores deconstructing a perfect image as it can help lead me to possible styling techniques through ways that do not just mean the clothing.

The pre-raphaelites were a group of English, male painters, poets and art critics in the Victorian period, specifically founded in 1948. The term comes from “before Raphael” which is why their work could possibly be very effective in helping me analyze Raphael’s painting and the concepts within it. At their time, Raphael was still commonly classed as one of the best paintings to have existed. However, they wanted to contradict everything society was taught from Raphael’s techniques, becoming a very controversial art group. They believed art should be less fantasy like, of which Raphael would produce and much more realistic to current environments or people. A known idea was for them to religiously incorporate 19th century realism – a lot of attention to details within types of skin, hair etc with their interpretations of female beauty, sexual yearning, mindfulness, consciousness and artistic introspection.

 

I feel they are relevant to the movement of Raphael because of how much they wanted to change the standards of which he had previously made for society and in particular, women and beauty. They repeatedly painted women who they perceived as beautiful, with ginger, long wavy hair and pale, rosey skin. But obviously, beauty standards have changed multiple times from then until current day and today, we know of many different beauty standards – not just one. I think this idea of constructing a perfect person could be really useful in terms of styling techniques as the concept will become very obvious. However, i dont think using the main focus of beauty standards should be taken from this directly. I am quite interested in this idea of how they both have constructed their ideal female through various elements and putting them together, like a puzzle. I could use this to maybe deconstruct a perfect person through the styling and make up with various garments being used on the body which have been maybe destroyed or taken apart like a deconstruction. Remembering this theme of ideal beauty standards throughout, the types of clothing i could use could fit within current trends or ones that we know as a social norm to reflect an ideal style. Overall, reflecting an ideal standard through exaggerated layers and unusual garments in dysfunctional ways which could then also link to Raphael’s technique of creating an exaggerated or messy composition.

“The Importance of Raphael’s Paintings”

 

Raphael was considered to be one of the most important artists to have evolved from the era of the Renaissance. Overall, he is known for changing the way people viewed art and specifically, the visions of the Renaissance paintings and the typical characters involved. Raphael’s techniques focused on concentrating on the smallest of details specifically in the body and face of his characters or portraitists. His style combined subtleties that created greater clarity of form and softer shading to create a more realistic approach, this being the basic notion as to how he supposedly changed the Renaissance art movement. To use more realistic approaches to his paintings was an initial technique that wasnt very considered in the Renaissance art movement at his time and reportedly he used females in particular to showcase a change in more apparent and fluid expressions.

This could be an element of his work that could be useful to define for me to continue my own interpretations of his painting as this could have been a development or a change in the beauty standards of woman – linking to the concept of the previous painting i have showed. But obviously, these standards he may have created were made entirely down to his own opinions of what an ideal female is.

He is typically compared to Michelangelo, another iconic painter of the Renaissance period, for their extreme differences in painting techniques. Although he used Michelangelo’s work as a key inspiration when developing a certain characteristic, he progressed from similar techniques and developed a very original, changing style. A typical trait of Raphael’s paintings would be conveying high energy and dramatic overuse of characters involved. Figures would seem calming and harmonious, but also sometimes very exaggerated through their expression. Considering the previous chosen painting, it is very packed out with various elements and narratives being shown but he harmoniously balances the painting out but careful positioning. So his work may initially seem messy through composition, but after studying the paintings for longer, it is obvious of his careful placement of figures and dream like notions.

 

“Galatea”

This painting is one of Raphael’s most iconic and most popular paintings to this date. It was made for an on going series that never actually did get completed, but for the Villa Farnesina who a wealthy banker of this period owned and used when Rome summers got too hot. The image depicts Galatea, who was a sea nymph – a very common mystical character pictured in the Renaissance art movement – and she is being chased in this scene by Polyphemus, who is cut out of this specific segment of the large scale painting. It is very clear of her muscled torso that Raphael had painted and from my research, it is very clear that Raphael had a great knowledge of the human body. I also know that Raphael was a painter that developed a very strong style for an ideal figure of this time and this is why he is one of the most famous painters of history. The posing is of very typical Renaissance forms with the slight twist of the nude body, whilst her hair is blown to the opposing side, very fantasy like. The composition also adapts on this, where the various sea nymphs and cherubs are being pulled one side and again on the other side which actually creates a very busy and over whelming aesthetic. Because of his tactical skill in painting such loud movement, it is clear that this was a high Renaissance painting especially because there is so much going on, but there is still sense of clarity and order. When undergoing research, this idea of balance and how Raphael has portrayed so many different characters in an almost triangular shape is such an important aspect and i should definitely consider this recognized positioning and playful movement when developing my own ideas.

Another idea that kept coming up was how Raphael did not mean to paint Galatea as any one human being or person, but to represent an entire kind of his ideal beauty. A beauty that everyone should also agree with. He had only created this perception from his own mind and this is a reason why his views may be somewhat controversial. I have also discovered a group from the Victorian period named the ‘Pre-Raphalites’ who contradicted everything Rapahel taught society about the ideal being so i will look into the differences as this idea of standards in beauty or women or fashion – to relate to my discipline more – would be a very effective concept to bring from this.

         

“Styling Board”

“S/S 19”

   

 

“Resort 19”

 

“Fall Menswear 17”