Task: Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights

For my Visual Studies session, we were asked to show a video that had inspired our current project of Fugitive Testimony. Only one video came to mind as this was always at the back of my head during the duration of my project. As I wanted to show a lot of movement in my images, and had the styling planned out, the only way I could describe my vision was to show this video. 
It may be a little cliche to show this video however this was just a perfect match for my project.

Music: Beyoncé - 'Flawless' & Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi

For my current Appropriation project, I am creating a body of work from a Feminist point of view. As I began looking for inspiration, I came across a familiar song by Beyoncé. As I know she is a feminist, I began listening to her music. Flawless is only one of many songs speaking on the issue of feminism, and there is one point in the lyrics that really stands out to me. It is a quote from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi, a Nigerian Writer.

"We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls, you can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful, but not too successful. Otherwise, you would threaten the man. Because I am female, I am expected to aspire to marriage. I am expected to make my life choices always keeping in mind that marriage is the most important. Now marriage can be a source of joy and love and mutual support but why do we teach girls to aspire to marriage and we don’t teach boys the same? We raise girls to see each other as competitors not for jobs or accomplishments, which I think can be a good thing, but for the attention of men. We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way that boys are. Feminist: the person who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes."

This quote is a very compressed version of the 30 minute speech Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi made, which I very much encourage you to watch and listen to below. This speech filled me with inspiration, and along with the powerful music of Beyoncé's Flawless, gave me a clear indication on what I wanted to portray in my work.

Music: Marina and The Diamonds - Froot

I wanted to share something on my blog as I have become completely enchanted by this music video. 

When I first watched this video, I was completely taken in with the lighting and styling. It very much reminded me of Gregory Crewdson, with the very staged and posed shots of Marina and another man. The blue, spotlighted lighting also reminds me of Gregory's images. I have always wanted to create something very Gregory Crewdson, and with the visuals from Marina's music video, it has inspired me to want to experiment further from my previous experiments with spot lights and gels, and to see what he outcome will be and the effects it can have.

Gregory Crewdson

At around 0.48 seconds, The video seems to have a Kate Bush inspired quality about it. The choreography section of the video screams Kate Bush, another inspiration of mine. Her unusual dance moves, combined with the slight haze throughout the video creates an 80s vibe, and the spotlight as the choice of lighting is very Kate Bush. Take Babooshka, Breathing and Wow for example.

This music video was directed by Chino Moya and the director of photography by Jake Scott. 

The Way We Live Now: Manic Street Preachers

My main inspiration for my The Way We Live Now project came from this music video by the Manic Street Preachers. The song Nat West-Barclays-Midlands-Lloyds is from their album Generation Terrorists. The whole album is a politicised focused theme with the album's songs regularly incorporating a critical focus on global capitalism and the struggles of youth. For a lot of my research, I have focused on many areas of the 'status quo' such as political issues, rioting, big brother, social division, poverty and economical issues.

What I find most inspiring about the album are the lyrics of Richey Edwards. I'm often drawn to his work and also himself as a person. One song that stood out to me in particular was Nat West-Barclays-Midlands-Lloyds. Apart from its obvious title, the lyrics are very much questioning the banking system, and how we are controlled by them and money.

Carried away with useless
advertising dreams
Blinding children, life as
automatons....

Black horse apocalypse
Death sanitised through credit....

They give then take away,

repossess and crucify
The more you own the more you
are, lonelier with cheap desire 

"Black horse apocalypse" speaks volumes. Its an obvious link to the logo of Lloyds Banking and also is a metaphor for the 'hypothetical' apocalypse we are currently in. How much we are controlled by the banks and how they affect our own lives and lifestyle. This lyric is also very relevant to the news today as it was recently announced that Lloyds Band will be closing down a number of branches, with a loss of 9,000 jobs. "They give then take away, repossess and crucify"

This is also echoing the downfall of the banking system and the recession, the 'apocalypse' we are currently in.

"The more you own the more you are, lonelier with cheap desire" Suggesting the poor are only valuable to the rich if they are profitable to them.

The visual to this video was just as inspiring for me. I think the use of the Gas Mask is visually captivating, as well as how they use the surroundings and use of clothing. A gas mask is a very clever object to use for metaphorical purposes. This video tells a very symbolic story.
At the beginning of the video, we see a man in an all-white suit, washing his hands and looking at himself in the mirror. He seems to be washing himself. Maybe to destroy something, something of contamination or stain. White represents purity and fresh, something he may want to keep, or become. This is a very interesting concept, considering the song is an anthem against capitalism.
The man is then seen in a derelict town center where the words 'CLOSING DOWN' and 'LAST DAY' are seen on an empty shop window. He is surrounded by other similar buildings while he is dressed in a suit, and paired with a gas mask. This can either be a statement that the man in the suit, surrounded by a broken down society is protecting himself from this world he is not familiar with. Or rather the opposite. He is protecting himself from the surrounding destruction, which arose from the government. 

Gas Masks

For my project, I want to create a series of images with Gas Masks in some way. Their symbolism can be very particular, however can also be quite broad. Symbolism:
Fear of getting gassed, fear of being beaten down for standing up for truth, and freedom, and the constitution.
A gas mask can represent war and anger. Police often wear them during riots while shooting tear gas. During the war, people wore them in protection of the gasses dropped by the government. It can be a symbolic message oppression, free speech and human rights. It can be a shield. A shield from the government gasses/pollution surrounding you, a shield from society as it can be very alienating from covering your face/identity. A gas mask is iconic and visually stimulating. It can emote various feelings and thoughts. It can also change symbolically due to its surroundings. Pair it with a man in a suit, it represents the government. Pair it with a naked body, it can suddenly ask questions as to why the subject is protecting their face/identity and not their body. It can symbolize being controlled by the government, and being stripped of personality and being. 

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