Physical Experiment/ Gender -
Rocio Montoya Graphic Art/ Photography:
My Photograph:
The two images displayed above are the works of the graphic artist Rocio Montoya and my physically manipulated photographs.
A few technical similarities between the above final outcomes is that both have been edited through the means of physical experimentation and both belong within the sub-group of portraiture photography. Montoya is photographic artist similar to myself and thus the process used to create the final outcomes are similar for example the use of portraits cut into sections combined with clippings from magazines and other such print mediums are layered to create intriguing perceptions about identity and more implicitly gender identity.
Furthermore, the composition of the images are similar in that both feature portraiture, although the profiles are different, which is developed through concept of dissecting one's facial identity to release the previously hidden interior of the mind and body. Additionally, the final outcomes implicitly play with ideas about the female sex and feminine gender through stereotypes of gender identity and expectations of different genders.
However, there are also a few differences in the final outcomes that are exemplified above. One significant difference being clippings used to portray the feminine gender identity stereotypes. For instance, Montoya's work, through my eyes, studies ideas about femininity through the use of pastel pink flowers, more specifically roses, and the natural elements that are associated with the female form like religious texts variations of Eve in the Christian bible. Although, I instead employed the use of a model and makeup to depict stereotypical expectations of women within modern society. I layered the face of a model over my subjects own face to suggest that many people are forced to reach towards an unattainable idea of perfection enforced onto them specifically through media sources. To further enhance this, I create a crown out of different makeup tools to show that in a modern society beauty is the ruler. Another difference is the use of colours. Montoya employs selective colourisation and black and white filters to ensure that the portrait is highly contrasted and subdued yet oxymoronically bold. The black and white portrait draws the eye to the use of colours; green and pink are important in the feature piece by Montoya and these connote femininity, delicate, growth, natural, beauty etc. I did not employ black and white as I wanted keep the similar colour scheme of green and pink and also wanted my work to have a more modern feel rather than nostalgia evoked from sepia of black and white filters.
If I was to enhance the pastiche of my final outcome then I would experiment with Photoshop techniques to include skills such as filters and selective colourisation to reflect the bold sepia/ black and white work of Montoya. I could also experiment with the composition using the real face of the subject like Montoya although I chose to use a clipping instead, for this piece, as I wanted to display beauty as a suffocating mask and also infer that gender is often perceived from the outside but instead lies inside the subjects mind.
In conclusion, there are both similarities and differences between Rocio Montoya's work and my own in that I was inspired by Montoya but still wanted my work to be individual and not rely too heavily on another's ideas. I allowed myself to create a piece of work that is inspired by others but is still my own and therefore can be perceived by an audience hopefully in multiple ways.
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