All Walks Image Analysis:
What is Beauty? Unfolding the Prototype Figure 1
Contents
By Natasha Stock
The Vitruvian Man
I.D Number: N0451075 Course code: FASH20031
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Test Shoot
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Final Images
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Portrait 1
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Portrait 2
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Portrait 3
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Portrait 4
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Portrait 5
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Historical Notions of Beauty
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References, Bibliography and Images
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The Vitruvian Man The inspiration around displaying subcultures in their simplistic forms, began by looking into the Vitruvian Man by Leonardo Di Vinci (also known as The Cannon of Proportions, and Proportions of Man) specifically, the way humans have physically evolved since circa 1487 when the Vitruvian Man drawing was created, to now in the 21st century. As the Vitruvian Man is an iconic figure, mapping the body as specific proportions which became set as an ideal, it became interesting to see how that ideal body could be challenged. As described by Lester (2012): ‘At a superficial level, [Vitruvian Man] is simply a study of individual proportions. But it’s also something far more subtle and complex. It’s a profound act of philosophical speculation. It’s an idealized portrait in which Leonardo, stripped down to his essence, takes his own measure and, 3
in doing so, embodies a timeless human hope: that we just might have the power of mind to figure out how we fit into the grand scheme of things.’
Considering this, exploration began into the elements of varying ideals. Societies’ subcultures enabled a clearer view of individual beauty. Subcultures are brought about by interests, upbringing, lifestyle and much more. We cannot say there is an ideal for each one, or that there is an expectation of what they will be, we can only produce our individual interpretation of how we see certain individuals. Subculture or no subculture, no two people are the same.
This is indeed a valid quote as it enables us to reflect on the historical meaning that Di Vinci provided of how, or even why, we ‘fit’ into society. It is also interesting to note that it is not necessary for us to ‘fit’ into society. A 21st Century view of the Vitruvian Man depicts that there is much more than the limitations of proportion, we can imagine a human form outside of Di Vinci’s ‘perfect circle’. It is known today that we cannot produce a singular ideal, we can only give examples and estimations to body shapes and sizes, but we can no longer begin to describe an ideal.
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Figure 3
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Test Shoot
Final Images
When doing test shots consideration was given towards which angle and pose would best reveal each subculture in their greatest form. Clearly taking inspiration from the Vitruvian Man’s direct and powerful pose, these were the main features to recreate. As there is no simple way to represent beauty, it was thought that to display each subculture in a natural and confident aura was to display them in their most beautiful form. Having each model gaze down their arm, or to the ground stopped the viewer from seeing a direct representation. It was found that by changing the angle to the direct poses, captured the intense shot that was necessary to create an impact on the viewer.
As the inspiration for the poses was drawn from the Vitruvian Man’s wide stance, it was intentional to represent and reproduce this pose to some extent for a greater understanding of how different, yet not dissimilar, each person can be. However, the result of the images was not to reveal a direct representation of the Vitruvian Man, rather to display a series of images which became a snapshot of each person’s beauty in a form whereby you are mainly drawn to their face, their features, and almost their internal thought. This is to create a sense of freedom between viewer and subculture, where there are no direct assumptions according to which subculture they are, or how they have represented the subculture.
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Portrait 1
Portrait 2
This portrait is one of the most successful in consideration to inspiration, the representation of the Vitruvian Man and beauty combined. A sense of the Vitruvian Man’s stance is mimicked by the way the subject is holding herself. The symmetry of the image is strong and as suggested in Vitruvius’s theories of beauty: online ‘a timeless notion of beauty could be learnt from ‘the truth of nature’, that nature’s designs were based on universal laws of proportion and symmetry’.
This portrait is slightly different as there was input in terms of styling the look, however, she looks natural and compliments her features allowing her to appear confident and hold a powerful gaze. The colours are much darker compared to portrait 1 to suit the atmosphere. The images are purposely unedited as not to take away from the true beauty of each subject.
The eye is drawn to the face immediately which is what makes the image so striking. In capturing the beauty of the shot it has been successful due to her presenting herself in a natural form with no interference through styling. 7
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Portrait 3
Portrait 4
Portrait 3 is similar to 1 as the colours and tones allow for her natural features to stand out. Both portraits sit well together as they compliment the natural beauty and confidence displayed by the subjects revealing their natural forms.
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This portrait turned out to be partly unsuccessful in that the subjects gaze is too high in comparison to the others, and the concept of displaying her natural a form has not been achieved. Perhaps the intervention of styling is to blame, as the subject does not exude the same level of confidence and strength of the others.
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Portrait 5 This portrait is similar to 4. It was initially chosen to play on the notion of subculture extremes, however, after this photo shoot the message became more apparent, to show the subjects in their most natural form. In reflection it would have been good to re-shoot as it stands out in comparison to the others and almost conveys an alternate message to the viewer.
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Historical Notions of Beauty It is difficult to pin point a singular definition of what is beautiful, what we see as beauty. Some say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, an age old saying which could be seen in an art form. For example, an artist will paint and produce a piece of beauty, which goes on to be critiqued by those who do not visualise it in the same way. In another way, it could be said that the beauty is not a piece of art, but a single object, there is no limitation to how far one can go to describe beauty. It could also be said that how we see beauty is partly determined on how others see it, we want people to agree with our views. It is said that when we see something beautiful we gain a feeling of hedonism and seek pleasure from it. We may want others to harbor mutual feelings, yet this cannot always be possible. Everyone in the world cannot agree on 13
“Beauty in things exists merely in the mind which contemplates them.”
David Hume’s Essays, Moral and Political, (1742)
one thing. However, if we were all to find the same things beautiful and we were all to agree, then how could the world function lacking individuality.
he has looked at him, his chill gives way to a sweat and a high fever, because the stream of beauty that pours into him through his eyes Šres him up and waters the growth of his soul’s wings.... Nothing is more important to that soul than the beautiful boy. Mother, brothers or friends mean noth- ing to it; it willingly neglects everything else and couldn’t care less if it lost it all for his sake.’
Early theories discovering beauty are found in the Middle Ages where beauty was seen as a direction by God, a form of God’s characteristics. This was mostly documented by Augustine (354 - 430: De vera religione) a researcher of the time and seemed to be a common thought among theorists as Plato (b. 428/9 BC) wrote (Source Nehmas 2001: Online)
It is almost as though philosophers of those time periods have come to influence the general notion of how we see beauty, and it has merely grown and stemmed from original thoughts by theorists like Augustine and Plato, who characterise beauty as being an almost heavenly form. Whereas, in recent times, with advances in technology we have become a generation of non-believers and
‘When someone sees a godlike face or a bodily form that has captured Beauty well, he shudders and a fear comes over him...; then he gazes at him with the reverence due a god.... Once Figure 4
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the beauty that we once saw is seemingly lost in adolescence.
References
Alexander Nehamas. April 9 and 10 2001. ‘A promise of Hapiness: A Place of Beauty in a World of Art. Available at: http:// tannerlectures.utah.edu/lectures/documents/Nehamas_02.pdf. Accessed 25th November 2012.
Nehamas A. April 9 and 10 2001. ‘A promise of Hapiness: A Place of Beauty in a World of Art. Available at: http://tannerlectures.utah.edu/lectures/documents/Nehamas_02.pdf. Accessed 25th November 2012.
Lester T. 2012. Da Vinici’s Ghost: Genuis, obsession, and how Leonardo created the world in his own image. New York, London, Toronto, Sydney, New Delhi: Free Press.
Popova M. ‘Da Vinci’s Ghost How The Vitruvian Man Came To Be’. Available at: http://www.brainpickings.org/index. php/2012/02/08/da-vincis-ghost/. Accessed 30th Novmeber 2012.
Martin G. 1996-2012. ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’. Available at: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/beauty-is-inthe-eye-of-the-beholder.html. Accessed 22nd November 2012. (Reference: David Hulme Essays Moral and Political, 1742)
Routio P. 2007. ‘Early Theories of Beauty’. Available at: http://www2.uiah.fi/projects/metodi/15k.htm. Accessed 22nd Novmber 2012.
The British Library Board. ‘Vitruvius’s theories of beauty’. Available at: http://www.bl.uk/learning/artimages/bodies/vitruvius/proportion.html. Accessed 22nd November 2012.
Turner F. ‘An Evoultionary/Chaotic Theory of Beauty and Meaning’. Available at: http://frederickturnerpoet.com/?page_ id=131. Accessed 1st December 2012.
Bibliography
The British Library Board. ‘Vitruvius’s theories of beauty’. Available at: http://www.bl.uk/learning/artimages/bodies/vitruvius/proportion.html. Accessed 22nd November 2012. ‘Vitruivan Man’. Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitruvian_Man. Accessed 15th November 2012. ‘File: Anatomical Male Figure Showing Heart, Lungs and Main Arteries’. Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Anatomical_Male_Figure_Showing_Heart,_Lungs,_and_Main_Arteries.jpg. Accessed 18th November 2012.
Books: Lester T. 2012. Da Vinici’s Ghost: Genuis, obsession, and how Leonardo created the world in his own image. New York, London, Toronto, Sydney, New Delhi: Free Press.
Images
Websites: Borghini A. ‘What is Beauty?’. Available at: http://philosophy.about.com/od/Philosophical-Theories-Ideas/a/What-Is-Beauty. htm. Accessed 1st December 2012.
Figure 1-3. Available at: http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/120/8/2/vitruvian_man_by_aaron_john_gregory-d3e8gp4.jpg. Accessed 3rd December 2012. Figure 4. Available at: http://collgallagher.tumblr.com/. Accessed 4th December 2012.
Martin G. 1996-2012. ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’. Available at: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/beauty-is-inthe-eye-of-the-beholder.html. Accessed 22nd November 2012.
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