Faculty of Arts and Design
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Item NSFW contextual influences on perception : representations of the nude in public and private spaces(2017) Knudsen, Dane; Roome, John; Wasserman, MarleneThe aim of this research is to investigate the influence of context on the artistic exploration of the nude figure, in the work of selected artists. Qualitative research methods were used. The research is practice-led, as my art making plays an essential part in guiding my research. An outline detailing the various influences and changes to artistic practice surrounding the nude – from ancient Greece to the development of feminist ideas - provides an historic context to the study. I look at major sociocultural and technological advances to examine the relationship between artistic representations of nudity and context. This includes a look at the terminology, naked and the nude, and how these shape understanding. Contextual influences are narrowed down to how they have affected the work of selected artists’ whose work utilizes the nude as a communication tool. The selected artists that I investigate are Jenny Saville (1970-), Erin M. Riley (1985-), Vinz (1979-), and myself. In my own work, issues of public and private space are interrogated by looking at aspects of social networking and online behaviour. This exploration focuses on issues relating to the overlap of these two spaces that where once seen as dichotomous. Through this research I showed that contemporary artists still make use of the historic subject matter. By including symbolism taken from contemporary sociocultural surroundings the nude’s communicative value is continuously updated. This supports the idea that context effects the artistic exploration of the nude.Item Fault lines : homophobic visual perceptions of masculinity(2017) Thomas, Nathan; Kethro, Philippa; Carey, PiersThis study explores connections between masculinity and homophobia in a Faculty of Arts and Design at a South African university. Connections between masculinity and homophobia may have consequences for the visual representation of the male body in graphic design. Literature suggests that gender is socially constructed and performed, and that masculinity and homophobia are connected. As such understanding this connection might assist graphic designers who are often tasked with visually representing gendered bodies. The study uses critical theory as the research orientation for inquiry, which is then related to masculinity studies. Photo elicitation using context-free images of male body language in focus groups is the main data generation strategy. Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis with particular reference to participants’ personal stake and interest in masculinity are employed as analytical tools. Overall, the research data reveals four discursive ‘positions’ in relation to visual perceptions of body language: human or situational performance of masculinity, socially gendered performance of masculinity, effeminate or ‘gay’ performance of masculinity, and homosexual performance of masculinity. However, in the data these positions overlap and combine when participants manage their stake or interest in masculinity. The thesis of this study is therefore that homophobic visual perceptions of masculinity may permeate gender performance as ‘fault lines’. Although the study finds these homophobic fault lines in visual perceptions of masculinity, there is also evidence of acceptance of non-mainstream forms of masculinity.