Jenny Saville Human Body

In Chapter 3 of his book, “Ways of Seeing”, John Berger argues that in western nude art and present day media, that women are largely shown and treated as objects upon whom power is asserted by men either as figures in the canvas or as spectators. Berger’s purpose is to make readers aware of how the perception of women in the art so that they will recognize the evolution of western cultured art.

Nudity has been an essential aspect in Western art. After the Renaissance, this is when the nudity was exploited as humans in their natural state. The nude form first was conquered by the ancient Greeks from approximately two thousand five hundred years ago. The Greeks celebrated the human body and cultivated the mastery of the human body through these sculptures of David. Rubens captures the nudity of Venus and makes her seen pure and compelling. When taking a glance at this masterpiece, one is immediately fixated and dragged in, it is a piece that cannot be missed. Ruben’s expression in this piece can be defined as timeless. Historians conclude that besides the magnificent Michelangelo, no other painter had a greater knowledge of the human body and visual power as Rubens. This is how he is able to cultivate these mythological pieces, and incorporate much detail. There is much life in Rubens’ painting, through the vibrant hues and how he depicts Venus and Adonis as these massive creatures. Figures depicted in art are more often nude then one would think. It is seen the human body is at its ideal state when artist depict the figure as nude. It is seemed as heroic because humans are compelled to see how artist illustrate the human body. Hence why the male and female body is the central theme of western art. When thinking about the human form, there is nothing more compelling, which is why the theme is still prominent in modern and contemporary

To achieve this, the body must be abstracted, becoming a process of designing the ideal figure through mutating and etching away any flaws of the sitter. “[The nude is] a balance, prosperous, and confident body: the body reformed” (1956:3) conveying that a woman must be scoured of all imperfections to be confident in her own right. However, Saville contradicts this by almost aggressively painting her flaws, baring herself to all and reviling in her own nakedness. Proving further the empowerment, a woman can feel upon taking control of how others perceive her. Yet, Saville’s pride in her state of nakedness is condemned to vanity, not allowing her to feel entitled to the entity of her body. Berger agrees, calling out men for their hypocrisy in moulding women to view themselves being viewed all to justify the creation of the female nude. “Morally condemning the woman whose nakedness you have depicted for your own pleasure” (1972:51), Berger calls into question the male gaze and the liberties men have taken in portraying women nude, only for them to be shamed in their nakedness. Setting into motion the trend that women are to be ashamed of their body without clothes. Clark further creates insecurities, conveying to women that “to be naked is to be deprived of clothes…embarrassment most of us feel in that condition” (1956:3). Furthermore, to be

Positioning the body in such a way that it actively participants in the consumption and reproduction of dominance as well as subordination allows a framework through which to view the body as a text. Functioning as an agent of cultural production, possessing the power to define cultural constructions, practices, and perceptions, inevitably acting as a form of social control. Susan Bordo in her article, The Body and the Reproduction of Femininity from

Chewed gum is inherently connected to use, spit, the mouth, and a sense of foulness. The basic framework of the piece is centered around this sort of revulsion. The gum adorned on her nude body acts as a sort of distraction from the photos’ beauty and elegance. The chewed up pieces of gum represent the vulva, while eliciting bodily images of warts, wounds, and scars. The used gum acts to assign the image of the vulva with negative or even traumatic imagery. W

In David’s painting there is a clarity and crispness that is similar to a photograph, yet his figures maintain a baby like softness. Gerard’s implied texture of the clothes and environment are softer than David’s giving the painting a more realistic appearance. David and Gerard both show in these paintings that they have a very good understanding of human anatomy and form. The figures in both painting have a good sense of underlying structure and weight.

Sigmund Freud's "Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality", written in 1905, attempted to trace the course of the development of the sexual instinct in human beings from infancy to maturity. This instinct is not simply an animal instinct but is specific to both human culture and the form of conscious and unconscious life we live within it. For Freud sexuality is infinitely complicated and far-reaching in its effects and forms the basis of self-identity and interactions. His Third Essay discusses the transformations of puberty in both males and females. Part four of this essay focuses on the differentiation between male and female sexuality. Freud states in this part that 'as far as the autoerotic and masturbatory manifestations of sexuality

“Figure in interior” also shares a coincidental or perhaps synchronous comparability with artists who dealt with the figure in similar ways, such as Marcel Duchamp [see his “Two nudes” (Fig 2-5, 1910)] and Leonard Foujita [“Nu a la toile de jouy” (Fig 2-6, 1922)]. There is also a certain resemblance, albeit potentially coincidental, between Shinnors’ figures, Cézanne’s treatment of facial physiognomics, and Louis le Brocquy’s “Head” series (1979 - 1999). Like Cézanne and Shinnors, le Brocquy’s aim was not to paint a faithful representational portrait, but was informed by the way he perceived the human head as a “mysterious box” and the face as “the outer reality of the invisible interior world of consciousness”. Indeed, le Brocquy’s approach

The psychoanalytic theory by Sigmund Freud has always been argued to be one of the most controversial theories in the school of psychology. Critics have questioned how relevant the perspective of Freud is due to the fact that it holds no scientific basis. Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality argues that human behavior is the result of the interactions among three component parts of the mind: the id, ego, and superego. This theory, known as Freud's structural theory of personality, places great emphasis on the role of unconscious psychological

For us to understand Freud’s perspective, we must look at the structural model and psychosexual stages that he believed to be the driving forces that influences the human behaviour. Freud believed that we have a multilateral mental mechanism that consists of the Id, the Ego, and the Superego. The Id is based on the pleasure principle supplying strength for the development of mental life. The Ego is on the reality principle. It gains control over the primitive demands of the Id while taking in consideration the reality of the situation. The Superego behaves as a moral judge, when the Ego gratifies or tends to gratify the primitive

“Nude on Black Screen” is composed out of oil on screen canvas. This is a beautiful image of a woman, dancing, embracing herself and her womanhood. This image is a very good example of modern day version of women’s liberation. Constructed in very intense white, which is extremely eye catching against the black of the projection screen. The lines are a somewhat thick line, running in a horizontal direction, running parallel to the line above and appear to have a curve or wave to them, as they flow to form a cylinder like, 3-D visual of the woman’s body. The viewer will notice that the image is fairly accurate in showing the curves of the woman herself; it shows roundness in the breast, abdomen, hips and rear. It also shows off other womanly features like hair, hands and soft facial features. Even though the viewer is unable to see the expression on the woman’s face, it is easy to feel and interpret the feeling behind this image. As the lines form this 3-D visual, they also form the texture of the image. The lines allow the viewer to feel as if they are able to reach out and touch a tangible image. The woman’s body is placed off to the right side of the projection screen, but a portion of her lower left leg, and her long, flowing arm is extended to help balance out the image. With the concepts that Stanley Helms used, makes this piece full of traditional art ideas. Allowing a person viewing any form of artwork to think deeper, art is made up of all sorts of methods, and art is

The art world has been host to a vast menagerie of talent, intellect, and creativity for about as long as human culture has existed. It has grown, developed, and changed just as humanity has. Naturally, with such an impressively expansive history, various avenues of art are visited time and time again by new artists. Artists seek not only to bring their own personal flavor and meaning to timeless concepts, but to find new ways to approach them. While not every single creator and craftsman can make such a great impact on art or the world, their efforts have given birth to some truly magnificent and unique works. In an effort to create a more meaningful understanding, as well a deeper appreciation, of the nuances, techniques, and design choices employed in these attempts, a comparison will be made between Edouard Vuillard’s Interior With a Screen (1909-1910) and Henri Matisse’s Blue Nude (Souvenir of Biskra) (1907). In this essay, each artist’s approach to the subject of the female nude will be closely analyzed, compared, and contrasted, as will their styles of painting, handling of visual elements, and their use of the principles of design. An interpretation of each work and what the artist intended when creating it will also be provided.

Sigmund Freud's revolutionary ideas have set the standard for modern psychoanalysis in which students of psychology can learn from his ideas spread from the field of medicine to daily living. His studies in areas such as unconsciousness, dreams, sexuality, the Oedipus complex, and sexual maladjustments laid the foundation for future studies. In result, better understanding of the small things, which shape our lives.

Sigmund Freud’s influence on modern day thinking permeates into our lives every day whether or not we realize it. Although much of his work has either been refuted or revised, his ideas have influenced an enormous spectrum of psychology and how we view life through our own thoughts. While his influence is irrefutable, the opinions concerning Freud and his writings vary greatly throughout the world. Individuals may distinguish the great genius in his groundbreaking theories of psychoanalysis, or they may reject his writings arguing that he had pushed the envelope too far. Either way, it is safe to say that his theories still evoke a considerable amount of debate to this day. Out of all of Freud’s theories, however, it can be argued that his

Within the first argument, the author explains how the Surrealist artists drew their inspiration of the female torso from the ancient mythological god, Venus. Hoving noted that the artists explored ways which the human body can appear as fragments and how it could be used systematically. Hoving stated how the Surrealist found the female torso as a “metaphor and metamorphosis”(123). The Surrealist artist went further through the exploration of the human figure, and shocking the viewers in their depiction of mutilated, or distorted bodies. In the 1930s, such visions have had provided the artist due to the horrors that were placed upon World War I veterans, as they were left limbless or using prosthetics.