An Analysis Of Self-Portrait

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Female or Male: Please Pick One Identity; the meaning of which can represent a number, a name, or an origin. It can be concrete and documented on a social security card or birth certificate. Quite the opposite is the quality of fluidity it offers. Simply from how one presents themselves, their identity can be interpreted and assumed from a passerby’s glance. Femininity characterized by long hair and makeup. A smile projecting happiness, while a scrunched brow displays distress. “Self-Portrait” by Robert Mapplethorpe sets out to illustrate how varying traits, even while on the same subject matter, can change how one perceives another’s gender. However, without the obvious attributes that are stereotypical for one gender, the harsh line dividing masculinity and femininity dissolves. Nancy Burson does an excellent job of demonstrating such in her project “Portrait” by causing the observer to be unsure as to what the gender of each model is. At first glance, a clear difference in composition between the two projects is seen. The six …show more content…

Mapplethorpe’s project exhibited that gender stereotypes are strongly rooted in the public’s mind and distinguish how the world perceives a person just based on a handful of characteristics. Yet, he also showed how these genders are flexible in the sense that by applying a few of those stereotypes to someone of either gender, it can result in them being viewed in a new light. He for example manages to depict himself in a feminine nature even though biologically he is male. On the other end of the spectrum are Burson’s images. Lacking clear gender confinements and displaying androgynous qualities represents how such gender stereotypes are unnecessary. The overwhelming similarities that are found between the models unifies society by establishing that everyone starts off from the same blank slate of

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