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: Supermodels Supernaturals by Peter Lindbergh

 Harper’s Bazaar Sept 2009

Image Source: http://models.com/feed/?p=3747

Peter Lindbergh is famous for his ‘classic’ approach to fashion photography and is on hot demand in the fashion industry. His shooting style is high-end glamour making the fashion instantly irresistible however from for this shoot he has stripped bare the made-up glamour and shows the real beauty in ‘supermodels’. In an industry fixated on youth which in turn reflects on wider society, the older generations are left behind and only a select few ‘mature’ models representing the whole age group. Adolescent models that have barely grown full breasts are being cast to model ‘adult’ fashion yet they are not adults themselves. This is confusing for the consumer and contradicts the true population, especially the target audience which is the older generation who are rich enough to purchase expensive designer clothes yet society is obsessed with youth and associates this with beauty. This particular shoot in Harper’s Bazaar shows that models over 30 are still beautiful and is ridiculous to think otherwise. The viewer can see their experience and Lindbergh captures this wonderfully. It’s refreshing to see non-airbrushed models that dominate the beauty and glamour market; Valletta, 35 (above) doesn’t need these digital touch ups as she is naturally beautiful. I like how her eyes are sincere and her simple expression. Usually I’m not fond of overly grey portraits as the tones are rather dull however the subject matter is so strong, the beauty shines through the dullness and shows that high contrast isn’t needed. Like Avedon and Daemian Smith I like the simple approach and that this method works best to show beauty as it is. Nadia Auermann (below) says ‘"I think women look best when they're natural,". I completely agree with this statement.

More photos from the editorial:

[Left – right]

1. Kristen McMenamy, 44 / 2. Helena Christensen, 40 / 3. Nadia Auermann, 38 / 4. Shalom Harlow, 35

References: 

Harper's Bazaar Supermodels Supernatural http://www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/makeup-articles/supermodels-without-makeup-0909#slide-1

Models.com http://models.com/feed/?p=3747

Useful Links:

Peter Lindbergh http://www.peterlindbergh.com/

Fashion Gone Rogue - Peter Lindbergh http://fashiongonerogue.com/photographer/peter-lindbergh/

Beauty: My Generation by Andreas Laszlo Konrath

2004-2010

Image Source: http://andreaslaszlokonrath.com/story.php?id=4

I enjoy discovering new art and Konrath’s work was found by chance after a succession of internet links ^[1] all connected by the world wide web but every HTML unique in its code. Like the human race, we are all made up of different genetic codes but all belong to the same species. Celebrating differences and uniqueness is a popular subject amongst modern artists including Konrath’s ‘My Generation’ series. Like many photographers before him he has adopted this style of a plain white background, studio style set up and opted for black-and-white portraiture, reminiscent of Richard Avedon and David Bailey. Despite being relatively unknown Konrath embodies youthfulness and instead of having the privilege to shoot celebrities focuses on shooting his own generation and their distinct style. Like Scott Schuman states in ‘The Sartorialist’:  ‘That is why young people, or the young at heart, are those that inspire or move fashion forward. They are still struggling to find themselves: ‘Am I a rocker? A footballer? Or a little bit of both?’ These contra-dictions produce the most interesting looks’. ^[2] Konrath shoots beautiful, sincere portraits of his young generation showcasing the diversity. ‘Sheryl, 2007’ (above) is particularly engaging as I am first intrigued by her ethnicity however I don’t believe this is the main focus; her individuality is what Konrath is trying to show rather than her representing a whole race; she is being photographed representing herself only. The tattoo on her shoulder adds to the uniqueness of her character and her fresh face shows she isn’t hiding behind a mask of make-up. Looking through ‘My Generation’ has been inspiring and I enjoy realizing different styles to emphasize individuality within a similar age group. I also like the ‘grunge’ effect on the borders making the ‘clean’ images smudged with imperfection. This reflects youth where many people make mistakes and are learning. Not only does this series look at youth but the beauty within. I believe this portraits are very beautiful as they’re simply shot and captures people as they are, natural.

[Left – right]

1. Max, 2006 / 2. Sean, 2006 / 3.Vala, 2010 / 4.Erin, 2008

References: 

1. Discovered on http://www.nutopiaforum.com/magazine.html [accessed 06/05/12], an online magazine showcasing photography from emerging artists created by Platon, renowned for his portrait photographs of well-known world figures. His work has featured on magazine covers such as Time, Rolling Stone and Esquire. 

2. Schuman, Scott; ‘The Sartorialist’; published: Penguin (Sep 3 2009)

Useful Links:

Andreas Laszlo Konrath http://andreaslaszlokonrath.com/index.php

Check out my Sept 2010 post on my blog M.A.S.H on Scott Schuman: http://mashthings.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/photograph-of-day-on-street-oxford-st.html?zx=e330694b695153c2

The Sartorialist http://www.thesartorialist.com/