Beauty: 'Black is Beautiful' by Eve Arnold

Above image photographed by myself from at The Sunday Times Magazine 50th Anniversary exhibition at Paintworks, Bristol (Mar 23 – Apr 3 2012)

‘This image by Eve Arnold of an unnamed model was used as a cover picture in 1969. It was seen as ground-breaking at the time, even though the Civil Rights Movement in the US had already made great strides towards racial equality. Other photographs, taken mainly in Harlem, and a report by Eve Arnold addressed the slogan “black is beautiful”, which was in widespread use at the time. It was coined by the black poet and social activist Langston Hughes.’ - accompanying caption to image at the exhibition.

I believe Arnold’s image truly captures black beauty and that beauty isn’t restricted to one race. Publishing such a controversial image (at that time) in a national newspaper was a great platform to showcase ‘other’ types of beauty and challenged racial segregation and beauty. Who are we to say one race is superior and more beautiful than the other?

Useful Links:

Paintworks - The Sunday Times 50th Anniversary Exhibition http://www.paintworksevents.co.uk/index.php?id=121&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=179&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=120&cHash=1580295d84

The Sunday Times 50th Anniversary Exhibition http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/public/magazine/article858993.ece

Magnum Photos - Eve Arnold http://www.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP=XSpecific_MAG.PhotographerDetail_VPage&l1=0&pid=2K7O3R14AZX1&nm=Eve%20Arnold

Beauty: 'Real Beauty' by Jodi Bieber

 

Image Source: http://www.jodibieber.com/index.php?pageID=17&navLay=3

Bieber’s body of work has been very inspiring and brave to challenge the concept of beauty. There has been much speculation to what beauty truly is yet there is no true answer. Everyone has their own view yet the media feeds the ‘fair-skinned, slim and sleek’ look as the typical beauty so we are forced to sallow this perception. Bieber goes against this and wants to show the real life people, not airbrushed but as beauty comes in the majority of the population; she focuses on shooting in her native country: South Africa. It is interesting to see how she addresses various themes such as race and body image in such a conservative nation. Shooting her subjects half-naked shows confident women in their entirety, not hiding their true body and shape. I am particularly drawn to the above photograph as I rarely seen a South Asian woman in just a bra and underwear, let alone being middle aged. This is due to cultural norms that don’t condone showing naked flesh as it conjures negative perceptions on the woman. I like how the woman in this image stands up for Bieber’s ‘Real Beauty’ project and that she looks proud of whom she is. The fact that Bieber shoots the portraits in the sitter’s home gives the viewer a sense of who the person is and makes the project even more personal. The little details such as the blue hanger and flower bed sheet shows how this image is constructed up to point, but the environment seems untouched. Usually I prefer portraits with a shallow depth of field and the background blurred, however in this case the background is as much in the foreground as the sitter is. Though the sitter is conscious of the photographer, in this series the subjects all seem rather relaxed and Bieber’s approach certainly eases any anxiety the women in the photographs had.

Image Source: http://www.jodibieber.com/index.php?pageID=17&navLay=3

As my current project looks at the concept of beauty and the relationship with the media, especially the fashion industry I am enthralled to have come across Beiber’s ‘Real Beauty’ project as her themes confronts the ‘ideal’ beauty and raises questions on what it is. I like how Bieber finds it within and in her interviews she states her findings that ‘most women believe that there is no real perfect body shape, and that beauty is more about being healthy and feeling comfortable in one’s own skin’; this corroborates with my survey I posted on Facebook on what my friends thought beauty in people was. See my survey responses here.

Read an article on Jodi Bieber's work discussing 'Real Beauty' on Visura Magazine.

Useful Links:

Jodi Bieber http://www.jodibieber.com/

British Journal of Photography - 'Sister Show' by Diane Smith http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/profile/1646030/sister

Beauty: Kelly Moreira by Daemian Smith + Christine Suarez

May 6 2011

Image Source: http://blog.daemianandchristine.com/post/5250496081/kellymoreira

Although this isn’t commissioned work I believe it’s one of Smith’s strongest works where he photographs models as a simple headshot showcasing their natural beauty rather than made up in unnatural poses selling garments. These portraits are like the Polaroids casting agents take when looking for models however don’t show the depth and detail that Smith captures. Much of his portraits in this style are shot black-and-white but I believe colour adds complimentary softness unlike the monochrome images which have a hint of harshness. I particularly chose to highlight this image as in the fashion world fair-skinned models dominate the catwalk and billboards so it is a rare occasion to see natural dark skinned beauty. Looking into beauty, Smith shows that modification doesn’t necessarily mean automatic attractiveness as Kelly Moreira (above) is naturally stunning. With today’s society obsessed with fair skin and sleek hair, Moreira goes against the norm and stands beautiful in her own skin. I especially like portraits with a shallow depth of field and believe this is shot on a 50mm lens to create the depth that is desirable in head shots. The soft focus accentuates her soft skin and draws focus on her dark eyes where the viewer is transfixed.

References:

Check out Daemian Smith and Christine Suarez blog 'Should Have Taken More Pictures'

Useful Links:

Check out my Sept 2010 post on my blog M.A.S.H on this photographer and their model portraits: http://mashthings.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/black-white-portraiture-by-daemian.html

More images of fresh faced models:

[Above, captions left-right]

1. The hypnotic eyes of beautiful Kristina at New York Models. Shot with the Leica S2. / 18 Apr 2012

2. TSANNA / 22 May 2010

3. Rose Cordero / 16 Nov 2010

4. The beautiful skin tone of Jenny Albright at New York Models. / 5 Apr 2012

[Above, captions left-right]

1. Enyelisa at IMG. Shot with the Leica S2. / 16 Apr 2012

2. Flawless Fanny Fournier. / 17 Aug 2010

3. The graceful and expressive face of Lise Aanes at Root Management. Shot with the Leica S2 / 22 Mar 2012

4. Our beautiful friend Nina De Raadt at Ford. / 27 Apr 2012

Beauty: Grace Bol by Toto Cullen in Full of Grace

Image source: http://fashiongonerogue.com/portrait-grace-bol-toto-cullen/

Whilst browsing through fashion blogs, in particular ‘Fashion Gone Rogue’ ^[1] I was pleased to find such a striking fashion portrait of a dark black woman. After researching race and beauty especially how dark-skinned models are scarce in the fashion industry it was surprising to see this headshot amongst the fair-skinned faces you regularly see. Though some may say she looks vacant I believe Cullen captures her intensity and how her eyes are almost squinting, but looks natural doing this. I love the splash of red on her lips and compliment the soft blue tones in the shadows on her skin. Her skin is flawless and the studio lighting accentuates her exquisite bone structure. I particularly like the fact she has little hair, like Daemian Smith’s photo of Kelly Moreira; Bol’s hair is natural to her ethnic make-up and isn’t straightened or weaved on a wig to look like Caucasian sleek hair. The beautiful soft tones are what I enjoy most in this image.

1. Full of Grace – Grace Bol (Muse NYC) stars in Toto Cullen’s striking portraits wearing a mix of colorful designs and makeup. Styled by Andrea Perini, the designs of Karl Lagerfeld, Versace and Charles Anastase stand out with her elegant poses. / Makeup by Kristen Arnett

References:

Toto Cullen (Fashion Gone Rogue) http://fashiongonerogue.com/portrait-grace-bol-toto-cullen/

Other images in the shoot: