TASK 5 - THE GAZE


‘According to usage and conventions which are at last being questioned but have by no means been overcome - men act and women appear. Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at’ (Berger 1972, 45, 47)

Discuss this quote with reference to one work of art and one work from the contemporary media.

Le déjeuner sur l'herbe (English, "The Luncheon on the Grass") Édouard Manet 1862–1863

In Luncheon on the grass, Manet confronts the viewer by placing the gazer of the nude female in the cener of male activity, focusing straight out upon the voyeur. Manet painted at a time when paintings were painted for the male viewer (past puberty, white male) to gaze upon and appreciate. At the same time the female models painted in Manet's era were prostitutes as most artist's models were. The men in the painting appear to be upper class and with the female model posing nude can only suggest that it makes the woman feel like a replaceable object rather than an interesting or unique subject. The female nude aknowledges the vouyer's gaze directly and also aknolegedes herself as a model being painted.

I thought I'd go through an alternative route into finding an example of The gaze in popular media. Instead of gender exploiting advertisements i shall be looking at this madmen poster. Madmen is a program set in a fictional New York, advertising agency in the 1960's but the poster promoting series 5 of the program is what intrigues me the most.

If you deconstruct it in terms of "The gaze" it's make up becomes clear.
The male in the poster is Don draper.His high quality suit suggests that he is successful in what he does and is idolized by many. As he walks along the street, he glances into a shop window. Doing so, he views two mannequins. The male mannequin sitting in the arm chair displays traditional values. The smoking jacket alludes to a world led my social and wealth status. He then looks at the reflection of himself in the glass. The male maaquin assures Draper of his own aspirations and everything he wishes to be whereas he looks flawed and himan.

To the left of the seated male mannequin stands a nude female mannequin. Note the mannequin is nude and is being looked upon by two men. She is the symbol and figure of sexuality and availability. The series (Madmen) is famously known for showing an an accurate depiction of 1960's New York. A time where women were objectified and placed in the office for the male superiority to look onto.

The fact that two men are gazing at the mannequin undoubtedly seals the status of the female character. As the old-fashioned mannequin and mid-life crisis ridden ad man look on, it is the woman at the forefront, and clothed or not, she’s going to make an impact.