Today we had an etching workshop and the objectives were to continue to develop mark making through the engraving process, using primary/secondary research images relating to the theme ‘Gendered objects’ and then create a series of prints incorporating colour & extending our visual language.
We were set a task to research 'gendered objects'. After doing a mind map I chose to research online gendered armchairs and find a feminine one and a masculine one. This was so I could show the difference between a 'male' specific object and a 'female' specific object. I found it quite intriguing how I chose floral for the feminine one and a leather one for the male one. Something I would like to dig deeper into finding out.
The idea was to print them off and place them side-by-side like they were having a conversation with each other by using the intaglio process.
After cutting them out, I masked them onto the back of a Rhenalon plate. I realised then that my idea of them facing each other having a conversation didn't really work compositionally, therefore I went with the best composition of them facing away from each other and actually having an argument instead!
I began etching the outline with my scribe adding in different marks, lines and cross-hatching. I found that the pressure I put on, the direction I was engraving and the length and width of the lines was important to achieve texture, tone and detail to the print. This process is hard work on the wrists but I really loved the finished etching. I felt I achieved the right composition between the two armchairs, having them facing into each other. The detail on the floral armchair and on the leather chair I felt were beautiful, and I had some promising feedback from the group.
We had already prepared our paper by soaking it in water and storing under blotters/newsprint to become damp. This allowed the ink to be easily released when it was put through the etching press, as the paper was forced into the etched ‘grooves’.
Once the plate was drawn out I put it on an inking up slab and I worked up the ink to ensure a smooth consistency. Using card, I applied the ink to the etched areas. I finished cleaning the plate with scrim and cleared any fingerprints around the side and gave it a further wipe with tissue paper. I registered my plate and used printing fingers to prevent fingerprints.
I then placed it face up onto the print machine and onto some newsprint, took my dampened paper to put over the top, which would be used to print onto when rolled through the press and folded another piece of newsprint over the top. I turned the arm of the press and rolled it through.
The first print that came out I really loved! It came out a lot better than I expected it to. This was my proof. Developing this process further I considered how I could incorporate colour using Chine colle, variations with a collaged background and adding coloured ink rather than black.
The process of chine colle by adding bits of coloured tissue to parts of the plate with glue on the back face up after inking up, was really lovely. This changed the whole dynamic of the print. It made it pop! These ones felt more feminine to me.
I tried different colours to see which worked well. Green and blue on one which made it feel summery and purple and yellow on the other which made it feel genderless. I went for colours that weren't typically specific to a gender and I feel that both worked well. By using the colour theory wheel of complementing colours I felt they turned out to be a lovely series of prints. I felt it would be even better if I progressed this further by using collage of the original images to challenge the gender norms in society as I felt that the series so far hadn't really grasped that yet.
Lastly I tried red ink and added collaged bits of the original photographs to the opposite armchair. This was to tie in my theme of tackling the challenging gender norms that I wanted to portray. What worked really well was that when looking at the stereotypical 'male' armchair you could see areas of floral and then when looking at the stereotypical 'female' armchair you could see areas of leather. I really loved the way these turned out. By doing this process I feel I turned them into gender-neutral arm chairs!
All in all, I really loved this workshop and enjoyed the whole process. Through this process I felt that I applied, integrated and contextualised research methods and activities within a creative practice by researching gendered objects. I identified, selected and safely used appropriate materials, methods, media, tools and technologies in relation to a variety of creative practices. I then developed my ideas and applied learning strategies within the context of a range of diverse creative practices and I now understand the conventions and application of critical evaluation and reflection for a range of audiences and purposes. Looking back over the process the only problems I came across were the amount of ink I was applying to the Rhenalon plate, I needed just enough to fill the grooves but not so much it would take along time wiping it off with the scrim. Another issue I came across was making sure that my finger prints were wiped off the plate before putting it through the press as I found some lurking in one corner of the the purple and yellow. I solved this by making sure they were completely clean before putting it through the press for the next print.
To take this further I would try more collage over the arm chairs adding both floral and leather to one and floral and leather to the other so they would keep their original shape, however they would be completely mixed in texture, tone and colours. Thus depicting even more so mixing genders!
Further Research on Gendered Objects
Feminine words
Goddess
Queen
Princess
Mermaid
My first thoughts on gender...
What does gender mean to me?
I wanted to be a boy when I was younger.
I don’t think it matters what gender you are.
I don’t agree with gender specific toys.
I like what I like.
Every time I think of gender, I don’t relate to it, I have never thought about being a gender specifically, I have always just known that I’m a female. I didn’t get bought gender specific toys. I liked Aladdin, duplo, I wore gender neutral clothing, like animal dungarees and bright colours. I have always liked bright clothing and not particularly been interested in just girls things. I had my ears pierced when I was 9 and then climbed a tree and ripped them out. I have always thought of myself as a tomboy. I had a short hair cut as a child and I didn’t differentiate myself by wearing girly stuff or boy stuff. I wore whatever I liked and what felt comfortable. I think things changed as I got to secondary school and I hung out more with girls to try and ‘fit in’. I started to wear make up and dress to impress. Or so I thought! But I didn’t dislike boys or boy things still. I think it’s really silly how society pinholes children into two catorgories. Boy things and girl things. Because surely kids should be able to determine what they like and dislike naturally rather than ramming it down their throats in toy stores; this is the girl isle where everything is pink and fluffy, where you have toys such as ironing board, kettles, cooking things and dolls and then this is the boys Isle where everything is blue and you can have toys relating to violence, super hero’s and trucks!
Brief research on gender neutral toys..
Although this research made my heart sing that there are gender neutral toys out there, I felt that this wasn't the route I wanted to go down as I felt more drawn to looking into the idea of men and women being able to express their own identities whether they are females being more masculine or males being more feminine.
A brief look into Hermaphroditism...
Naturally I wanted to extend my research by asking fellow friends about their take on gender. One person mentioned to me about fish and them being both genders at the same time. This did fascinate me, and it is something that I would like to look into at a further date however I am finding it quite hard to stay focused on one thing at the moment. There are so many different routes I could go down with this brief and feel that I need to do something that I feel strongly about. However I do feel strongly about humans being able to express who they are, and with fish they are able to do just that. This is something I would like to take through as a theme in my work. That people should be able to feel free enough to express what gender they are, whether it is female, male or both at the same time.
Gender Norms Articles online
- 'In one new study, a majority of millennials surveyed argued that gender shouldn’t define us the way it has historically, and individuals shouldn’t feel pressure to conform to traditional gender roles or behaviors. Enforcing norms can even have health risks, according to another study. '
- 'Finucane and Coon, as well as many other millennials, say they find traditional notions of gender too confining, even ill-fitting. They are challenging the idea that men must dress a certain way, and women another. And they are rewriting the rules and refashioning clothes so that they can dress and accessorize in whatever way feels right to them.'
- “this constant effort to manage one’s everyday life in line with gender norms produces significant anxiety, insecurity, stress and low self-esteem for both boys and girls, and both for ‘popular’ young people and those who have lower status in school.”
- 'Cultural norms and expectations are related to the meaning of being a man or woman and are closely linked to appearance. In Indonesia, parts of West Africa, and in traditional Scottish dress, men wear an article of clothing that closely resembles a Western definition of a skirt. In Indonesia, both men and women wear the sarong, a length of cloth wrapped to form a tube. The wrapper, a rectangular cloth tied at the waist, is worn by both sexes in parts of West Africa. The Scottish kilt, still worn at many social gatherings to establish a social and cultural identity, represents the height of masculinity (Kidwell and Steele 1989). In North American culture, the sarong, wrapper, or kilt would rarely be seen on men except within the theater, film, or in the context of couture or avant-garde fashion. For example, the grunge style of the early 1990s had fashions for men designed to be worn with skirts. However, there was nothing particularly feminine about these styles; rather, they were purely a fashion statement.'
- 'Norms governing gender-appropriate attire are powerful. Gender-specific attire enhances the internalization of expectations for gender-specific behavior. Through the subtle and frequently nonverbal interactions with children regarding both their appearance and behavior, parents either encourage or discourage certain behaviors often related to dress that lead to a child's development of their gender identity. When a boy decides he wants to play dress-up in skirts or makeup or a daughter chooses to play aggressive sports only with the boys, it would not be surprising to find the parents redirecting the child's behavior into a more socially "acceptable" and gender-specific activity. Even the most liberal and open-minded parents can be threatened by their child not conforming to appropriate gender behaviors. Research has shown that children as young as two years of age classify people into gender categories based on their appearance'
- 'For many women, veiling is resistant to certain prevailing social norms and an assertion of their personal and social identity (El Guindi 2000)'
- 'How significant of a role do these gender norms play in your life? Do you feel pressure to conform to them? Or do you feel free to be yourself around your friends, family, classmates and others?'
- 'Boys seem to have been largely left out of the conversation about gender equality. Even as girls’ options have opened up, boys’ lives are still constricted by traditional gender norms: being strong, athletic and stoic.'
- 'Do you personally feel constricted by gender norms — the ways girls and boys are expected to look, act and be? If so, how and why? If not, why not?'
- 'Where do you get messages about how girls and boys should behave? From your friends, family, social media, teachers, coaches, classmates, teammates or others? Do you feel like the people around you are accepting of those who don’t adhere to traditional gender norms?'
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