Art422- Sexuality .1

30/01/2024

(Part 1)

Sexuality is a topic that has influenced and interested artist’s work throughout history.  Examples of its use can be seen in feminist movements, media, film, the male gaze and the patriarchy.  Using critical writing provided in today's lesson, discussion and specific word analysis - I have a deeper understanding of the topic of sexuality in an art context. 

The term “Male gaze” was made recognisable from Laura Mulveyl’s writing on the topic “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”. Discussion of this term led to sharing of understandings. Examples stated were the sense of male control/ power (verbal, mental and physical) , the pressure to exist for when men want, and living up to the beauty standards set by men. Dr. Aoiffe Walsh’s essay titled “What is Laura Mulvey's Male Gaze Theory?”, mentions that “the term ‘male gaze’ has expanded beyond the realm of academia”. Showing the growing areas of society affected by this ‘male gaze. 

Film and media are areas where sexuality is a major focus. This creates issues such as sexualisation in public, male gaze in the workplace and role limitation/ representation. “The male gaze” has become part of the widespread critique of mainstream film, for its “lack of women directors” and “lack of good female parts”. Male gaze and sexist workplace behaviour has become typical within the media. Mulvey presents the idea that the male gaze is enforced on the viewer, that they’re looking in as a form of “Scopophilia”, unconscious sexual pleasure. 

The film “The Postman Always Rings Twice by Tay Garnett (1946), shows industry techniques used to sexualise women. “The slow pan up the body of a potential female love interest”, “The camera acts as the eye of the male observer”, “ the woman is not a whole entity but a series of body parts.”. These techniques are all centred around objectifying the woman, adding sexual appeal. By focusing on the woman, she is almost removed from the scene. The audience is forced to pay attention to her appearance rather than the continuation of the plot, they too now share this male gaze, she is nothing but her looks.

Mulvey acknowledges that often “women appear on screen as erotic objects”, adding visual value, whereas men are typically given roles to add value and make plot advancements. These gender role stereotypes are one example of how the patriarchy affects women in the workplace. These women become the focus of scopophilia, due to their sexualised and limited representation. The continuation to view media produced through the male gaze shows acceptance of the patriarchy and its treatment of women. 

The Oxford dictionary defines “Patriarchy”, as “a society, system or country that is ruled or controlled by men”. Mulvey states that “women are a canvas on which male desires are projected”. Agreeing with the definition above, it implies that men have control and power, that their wants are more important than any woman’s. When discussing this in class, the phrase “created by men, to benefit men”, was brought up when prompted to share our understanding of the patriarchy. A “woman still tied to her place as a bearer of meaning, not maker of meaning.”, Mulvey shows how women live by the decisions made by men. Showing womens limited freedom within a patriarchal society.

Reference list

Neilson, T. (2022). What is Laura Mulvey’s Male Gaze Theory? | Perlego. [online] Perlego Knowledge Base. Available at: https://www.perlego.com/knowledge/study-guides/what-is-laura-mulveys-male-gaze-theory/.

Oxford University Press (2022). patriarchy noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com. [online] Oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com. Available at: https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/patriarchy#:~:text=%2F%CB%88pe%C9%AAtri%C9%91%CB%90rki%2F.