Ugly is Beautiful
Jing Xie Graphic Design, MFA Maryland Institute College of Art Spring 2021
Copyright © 2021 Jing Xie.
6
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the designer. www.xiejingxie.com
For Mama, Grandma. For Gugu. R.I.P To hometown Yichun.
7
Abstract Introd 20 Book The Bod 28 From Mom Th 38 Are The Value 60 Lifestyle Uglie 08
10
duction 26 dy Message he Way You 58 e Healthy 70 es Magzine 10
11
ABSTRACT
CHAPTER 1
“ Ugly” is commonly used as a negative expression. However, to me ugliness has its own value. Since visual language has always been my key to opening the communication door to people, 12
Abstract
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
this thesis uses graphic design as a storytelling tool to challenge the common criteria of ugliness and launch a personal manifesto: “ Ugly Ugly is beautiful.” beautiful. It’s ok to be ugly. 13
INTRODUCTION
I thought about the future many times but never imagined my life would be like this. A 14 years old girl who’s in her middle school classroom, supposed to listen to her math teacher talking
Introduction 14
CHAPTER 2
about the formula but hiding behind a stack of books trying to fill all the empty space on the textbook with her drawings, ten years later sitting in an empty studio wearing a mask trying to
UGLY IS
type down her thesis. One thing is that the girl would not believe she is still creative, and it has even become part of her life career. Now the graphic design has become my weapon; I always believe visualization is a powerful expression
Photo collage, Home Project, 2019
BEAUTIFUL
tool that can communicate across countries, languages, cultures...even the whole universe. This time, I want to use this weapon to write down my manifesto.
15
INTRODUCTION
I can’t remember when was the first time I heard the word “ugly”. Nevertheless, it is one of the most powerful words in the vocabulary as far as I can remember. Growing up in southern China, a small city called Yichun, I hated how boring the city was. There are not many creative things going on. In the middle of nowhere, people either move away from town to a big city like Shanghai or choose to get an office job and work every day as the same, like my parents. I always see myself as an outsider – at my young age, I noticed that aesthetic rules are
CHAPTER 2
existing everywhere, and everyone wants to follow the directions carefully. Looking for exciting things happening around me has become my priority – The world is just full of details! Unlike other children who like to play with dolls and toys, I always get attracted to objects that exist around me, mostly in nature – take a look at the veins on the leaves, the scales on a snail’s shell, the transparent body of a shrimp that I found near the waterfront of Xiujiang river. When other children played a game together, I always got left behind because I was too concentrated that
16
Zhongshan Mid Street, Yichun, 2018
UGLY IS
to observe a spider making its spiderwebs (sometimes I couldn’t help myself touch the spider’s skin, to feel its tactile). How fascinating the texture was on its body. When I share those exciting details with my parents, usually their reactions aren’t as exciting as I was. A lot of the impact that my family gives me it’s imperceptible. Coming back to the present, when I first started practicing graphic design as my expressing tool. I began to notice the visuals existing in my everyday life – they are as fascinating as I explore
BEAUTIFUL
the exciting details in the environment that other people wouldn’t find compelling: the medicine posters that look like scam hang on each corner in the alley I live, that print shop decorated the front door trying to express how “profession” they are, the housing agencies use sharing bike as their best commercial strategy trying to fill every space with their advertises... they are playful, but not profound, without following the basic graphic design rules but still I found they are charming. I took those visuals as my main reference to create a series of work.
17 A album in my phone that collects all the visual references I ran into when walking on the street in Yichun (Next spread)
Yuan Shan Park, Yichun, 2016
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION
RESEARCH
PROCESS
RESPOND 1
RESPOND 2
JING XIE
INTRODUCTION
When I first share the works that I am proud of with my family, their reaction is not what I would expect: “This is so ugly! There are so many “good” cultures about China, why are you taking these as references instead? Are you going to keep making this in the future? This is not why we support you to grad school; why don’t you find a job in the print shop next to my workplace instead? Just
20
CHAPTER 2
one month, I’m sure you’ll learn everything!” At first, I was so disappointed with those reactions because their reaction was so important to me (and so true, the employee at the print shop would even make it better). I started to wonder: why am I doing the works that the people I most care about don’t like? How can I tell my story to people that are not familiar with it?
UGLY IS
Do they really look ugly?
BEAUTIFUL
21
INTRODUCTION
22
CHAPTER 2
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
23
Project I did before starting the thesis 01 Chinese Too Cool, 2018 02 AKA Niu Niu, 2020
INTRODUCTION
In the mid-summer of 2019, on an airplane flying to Baltimore from Changsha, my adventure has officially started; during the transit, I was reading a little book that I carried with – Tao Te Ching,
24
CHAPTER 2
written by Lao Zi. The book is concise but covers a lot of deep philosophy that still applies to the present. There was one chapter that made me understand the question I kept thinking in my head:
“ The whole world beautiful as the b is only the ugly, th recognizes the go yet this is only the TAO TE CHING. CH.2 , LAO ZI
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
道德经 第 二章 功成弗居 天下皆知美之为美，斯恶矣。 皆知善之为善，斯不恶矣。
recognizes the beautiful, yet this he whole world ood as the good, 1 e bad. ”
25
INTRODUCTION
Like something just unraveled. Based on Lao Zi, if everything is beautiful, no beauty exists. Because beautiful and ugly balance each other. I realized that my question would never have an answer. My works to my parents are something they have seen around them every day. Growing up in a town like Yichun, fewer changes are happening around the neighborhood. When people live in the same environment for over 20
26
CHAPTER 2
years, the objects around them are all becoming invisible (Or things they would call “normal”). This “aesthetic fatigue” explains why my parents see my work as “Ugly.” I did the following practice to keep creating ugly work because the object itself isn’t ugly to me. How I change people to see it in a standard way is what I’m exploring through my thesis.
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
I mixed the idea of corny pick-up line quote with a low-quality CD that sells on local farmers market in rural Chinese area.
INTRODUCTION
The first thing I did was talk to people. Those people are of different ages, gender, skin color, from different cultures. Having the conversation with them gives me a chance to
28
CHAPTER 2
know why other people are having those negative impressions towards to ugly. I categorize the information that people inspired me into two parts. Which is:
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
29
Message From Mom The Way You Are
THE BODY
30 CHAPTER 3
UGLY IS
When speaking about ugly, it doesn’t surprise me that people would first connect to the human’s body. As a person who grows up in local Chinese
BEAUTIFUL
culture, I hear many of the stereotypes that our society told us about being a beautiful girl.
31
THE BODY
32
Message From Mom
CHAPTER 3
UGLY IS
The first person who I have a thousand questions to ask is my mom. Growing up during the one -child policy period, the generation has always performed the role of mom’s best “shopping buddy”. For me, I remember every time in the fitting room. I can’t tell how many times I heard my mom criticize her own body (and mine as well): “the color of this dress makes my skin color look tanned, it’s awful.” “You should never wear yellow since your skin is dark enough”, “I hate my neck wrinkles” Those comments have shaped my idea of being a beautiful girl. Under these society’s norms, I understand the “beauty anxiety” has become the leading standard – even though we were born in this way and the facts, they’re also irreversible.
BEAUTIFUL
I used to argue with her a lot about hiding my “weakness” of myself. Instead of following the rules, I choose not to care that much. Thanks to the World Wide Web (WWW), the connection to the world has changed how the Gen-Z generation recognizes beauty in a multicultural way. I realize the standard of beauty is more diverse than my mom thinks. It doesn’t matter what skin color you were born with, what body shape you have, what imperfection on your skin, or even just pimples on your face. We should feel proud of the way we are.
33
“HIDE YOUR FLABBY ARMPIT FATTIES. THEY LOOK FAT.”
THE BODY
34
CHAPTER 3
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
Spread from Uglies Magazine. Pictures I posted on a Chinese social media called “Red”, after 48 hours I received more that 100 comments relates to the outfit I wore, because they don’t follow the main stream aesthetics, some suggest that I should do some makeup to look “more like a girl”.
35
THE BODY
36
CHAPTER 3
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
Spread from Uglies Magazine. I asked mom to style me from head to toe.
37
THE BODY
38
The convosation was a fun process, because usually when my mom is trying to correct me how I should dress or doing makeup: I used to ignore it, for me applying brighter shades of foundation on the skin wouldn’t change anything, it just keeps reminding me the restrictions, after the process, I realize what I really need to be reminded, is to challenging myself feel confident of accepting my body and face.
CHAPTER 3
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
39
THE BODY
The Way You Are
40
CHAPTER 3
UGLY IS
By facing the problem, I started my own “meditation.” By taking a series of photoshoots of my shortcoming body parts based on an earlier conversation with my mom. I used these pictures to make a series of flipbooks, as repeating the same photo imitating how people would look at
BEAUTIFUL
body parts. On one of the pages, a sentence of the real comments I’ve received from other people is hidden in one page. This project is a critical articulation of response.
41
THE BODY
CHAPTER 3
42
It puts me in an uncomfortable position, but practicing makes me facing those shortcomings.
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
43
THE BODY
44
CHAPTER 3
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
45
THE BODY
46
“ The color spot on your chest looks bad”
CHAPTER 3
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
47
THE BODY
CHAPTER 3
48
“Why don’t you shave?”
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
49
THE BODY
50
CHAPTER 3
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
51
THE BODY
52
CHAPTER 3
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
“ Should you plug your eyebrow? Please show some respect.”
53
THE BODY
54
CHAPTER 3
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
55 I made a series of flipbooks.
Try fliping this whole book faster and keep your eyes only focusing on this area and you’ll see.
THE BODY
56
CHAPTER 3
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
This project is a critical articulation of response. By repeating the same photo but imitating how people would take a look at body parts. It puts me in an uncomfortable position, but practicing makes me facing those shortcomings. In one of the pages showing as a hiddent sentence of the real comments I’ve received from other people.
57
THE BODY
58
Exhibition Design (Imaginary)
CHAPTER 3
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
59
THE BODY
60
Exhibition Details
CHAPTER 3
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
61
Healthy Lifestyle Uglies Magazine
THE VALUE
62 CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
Nowadays, people love to put price tags on everything. Sometimes, beauty and value are the very essential elements to define the aesthetic.
BEAUTIFUL
Does that mean if something is not that beautiful, it should be of less value?
63
THE VALUE
64
Healthy Lifestyle
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
Based on this question. I started making a motion video inspired by the aesthetics of Chinese infomercials, which are usually considered cheap and low quality. When I visited my grandparents’ house every weekend as a child, I was impressed by how well executed the advertisements were on TV. At times, the medicine advertisements lasted 30 minutes which included the physician
BEAUTIFUL
giving a lecture. My grandparents loved to watch these advertisements like an authentic TV show. Because of its duration and brain-washed content started to create a negative effect (which in the Chinese culture background is usually defined as an ugly aesthetics).
65
THE VALUE
66
Screenshoots from one of the infomercials: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1nE411t78P
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
On the contrary, the content is authentic Chinese medicine advice. As a reference, the content is from Chinese medicine research posted in my high school English textbook – the motion video is my interpretation of how my family and friends
BEAUTIFUL
believe this content is ugly. To achieve that effect, I borrowed a low-resolution camera from my friend and shot myself in different characters.
67
THE VALUE
68
Sketches
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
Logo
Script
Storyboard (Left)
“ There is a long history of Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese doctors believe we need a balance of yin and yang to be healthy. For example, are you often weak and tired? Maybe you have too much yin. You should eat hot yang foods, like beef. Eating Dang Shen and Huangqi herb is also good for this. But, sometimes, people who are too stressed out and angry may have too much yang. Chinese doctors believe that they should eat more yin foods, like tofu, mung bean, and kelps. Chinese medicine is now very popular in many western countries. It is easy to have a healthy lifestyle, and it is important to eat a balanced diet.”
69
THE VALUE
Shooting process (Below)
70
Animatic frame (Right)
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
71
Animatic storyboard
Motion Video: https://youtu.be/mGJ5IIBsZNc
THE VALUE
74
Uglies Magazine
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
Since value is another perspective of ugliness, I notice people brought up a lot in our conversations too, is how mainstream media have shaped our aesthetics. They always show us beautiful pictures in a fashion magazine, the good-looking models
BEAUTIFUL
wearing luxury brands in a well-set environment. In that case, I chose to use a magazine as a format that would demonstrate what I want to express to people:
75
THE VALUE
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
77
THE VALUE
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
79
THE VALUE
80 Magazine Information Integration
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
81
THE VALUE
Covers
82
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
83
THE VALUE
Branding Process
84
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
85
THE VALUE
86
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
87
THE VALUE
88
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
89
THE VALUE
Magazine Spreads
90
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
91
THE VALUE
92
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
93
THE VALUE
94
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
95
THE VALUE
96
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
97
THE VALUE
98
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
99
THE VALUE
100
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
101
THE VALUE
102
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
103
Logo Culture
THE VALUE
104
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
105
THE VALUE
106
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
107
THE VALUE
108
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
109
THE VALUE
110
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
111
THE VALUE
112
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
113
THE VALUE
114
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
115
THE VALUE
116
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
117
“LESS ARMPIT HAIR? DOESN’T SOUNDS HEALTHY TO ME.”
THE VALUE
118
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
119
THE VALUE
120
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
121
THE VALUE
122
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
123
THE VALUE
124
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
125
THE VALUE
126
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
127
THE VALUE
128
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
129
THE VALUE
130
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
131
THE VALUE
132
CHAPTER 4
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
133
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
CHAPTER 6
Million Thanks
136
THESIS ADVISORS Ellen Lupton Jennifer Cole Phillips Bobby Joe Smith Annaka Olsen
THESIS MENTOR Tracy Ma
FACULTY ADVISOR Kristine Woods Asad Pervaiz Sean Dong
WRITING ADVISOR Sukyun Lee
UGLY IS
BEAUTIFUL
NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE SUPPORT FROM THOSE PEOPLE.
GDMFA COHORT ‘21: Akshita Chandra Ana Tobin Bang An Celi Monroe Charlie Michael Decong Ma Dev Valladares Elizabeth von Oehsen Matt Hennessey Meredith Zerby Monika Reddy Ruichao Jiang Sarah Tan
Shoshana Schultz Sora Pak Soyeon Kwon Tavishi Sahu Xing Mu Xizhong (Chauncey) Zhang FAMILY & FRIENDS Jianzhen Peng Hongbo Xie Shuihua Xu Gugu Yiyi Peng Connor Osborn
137
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Bibliography
138
CHAPTER 6
UGLY IS
01
T ZU, LAO, AND D. C. LAU.“CHAPTER TWO.”TAO TE CHING, REPRINT, PENGUIN BOOKS, 2000, P. 6.
02
二 乃是我刘某的.“熊氏老方原版鬼畜素材（为虚假广告，绝勿相信）.”BILIBILI, UPLOADED BY 二乃是我 刘某的, 2 NOV. 2019, WWW.BILIBILI.COM/VIDEO/BV1NE411T78P?RT=V%2FYMTLOU4OW%2FY 4XXNWPUZ3EAESL%2F7KZ5LMTQ6UHOESS%3D.
BEAUTIFUL
139