Identity: Final Submission

After two months, the Identity PDF book is finally finished!
Below is the link to the file.

Identity: Michel Foucault

French philosopher, social theorist and literary critic Michel Foucault’s theory on identity is one that does not correlate with D.W Winnicott’s view of the true self and the false self, but is one that complements it and works to amplify my understanding of this concept.

foucault5
“For Foucault, people do not have a ‘real’ identity within themselves; that’s just a way of talking about the self — a discourse. An ‘identity’ is communicated to others in your interactions with them, but this is not a fixed thing within a person. It is a shifting, temporary construction.”

This theory suggests that identity is a spectrum of ever shifting truths, meaning that the two sides of Winnicott’s identity are not two separate entities, but are, according to Foucault, two opposites on the same spectrum.

Source: http://www.theory.org.uk/ctr-fou1.htm

Research and Inspiration Recap

In order to get a clearer, more organised perspective on the main influences behind my project idea and execution, I decided to put together the research I’d done in one blog post.

Theoretical Influences

1.The True Self and The False Self – D.W Winnicott

The concept of the true self and the false self, introduced by D.W. Winnicott into psychoanalysis in the 1960’s, is a basic analysis of the two sides to one’s personality. The first side, the True Self, is described as a sense of self based on spontaneous acts, a sense of integrity and a feeling of being alive. In contrast, the False Self is one that appears when a person needs to comply to external, socially constructed rules such as being polite or adapting to another person’s demands.

This psychological theory inspired my work in a fundamental way, where I decided to use my photography as a way of exploring the two identities of the same person. The interesting aspect of this concept is the fact that, despite the false self being labelled as “False”, both ends of the complex identity spectrum are true to a certain degree. Even the false self carries on features of the person that make them who they are. Realising this fact made me decide against the idea of adding props, masks, or lighting effects to the false self in order to accentuate how the person is still true to themselves, but only through mannerisms and facial expressions can the audience see that a different side to them is hidden beneath the surface.

References:

Winnicott, D. W. (1965). “Ego distortion in terms of true and false self”. The Maturational Process and the Facilitating Environment: Studies in the Theory of Emotional Development (New York: International Universities Press, Inc): 140–157.
http://changingminds.org/disciplines/psychoanalysis/concepts/true_false_self.htm

2.Color Psychology

The theory of colour psychology is based around the idea that colours and hues are a determinant of human behaviour. “Colour is a form of non verbal communication. It is not a static energy and its meaning can change from one day to the next with any individual – it all depends on what energy they are expressing at that point in time.”

The use of colours in marketing when trying to decide on a product’s colour scheme and logos was the inspiration behind my interest in this theory.

The way that colours indicate the emotions and personality of a person was a vital part of the composition of my studio photographs. I used different coloured garments worn by the five models as subtle indications to their general emotional state and true identity. This theory was drawn upon in the studio photographs and not in the second, more natural photoshoot as the black background and sombre facial expressions in the studio presented a stark contrast to the colours the models wore.

References:

http://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/meaning-of-colors.html
www.serialsjournals.com/serialjournalmanager/pdf/1435299483.pd

3. The Psychological Portrait

“Psychology examines the relationship between behaviour and mental processes. The science of psychology originated in philosophical questions posed by thinkers across cultures, including China, India and Greece.”

The earliest example of a psychological portrait is that of J.P Morgan taken by Edward Steichen (posted earlier in the blog), where Steichen’s perception of Morgan was transferred through the photograph, making the photographed subject look menacing and evil. Drawing on this concept, I used photoshop to edit the photographs I’d taken to portray the models in the way that I intended for them to look. This meant altering lighting and enhancing parts of the photographs that would not have been very evident otherwise.

References:

1. http://www.portrait.gov.au/exhibitions/inner-worlds-2011

2. http://prestonpagephotography.com/2011/04/06/portrait-theory-the-psychological-portrait/

4. Double Exposure

The concept of double exposure in photography came along halfway through the creation of my project. As my understanding of the complexity of identities developed through research and through experimentation with the photographs I’d taken, I realised that putting the two versions of the self on two separate pages creates the illusion of a dual identity. This was against the idea behind my project, as I wanted to portray the interlacing of identities and not their separation. My main inspirations for this concept are Wanda Wulz and Duane Michals.

Click to access 1435299483.pdf

Asset Hand-In Feedback

The asset hand in was very useful, as I presented my near-finished design and photographs to Nigel and guest lecturer Claire Levy, and got helpful feedback on my work so far.

The two points that came up were:

I need to work on the theories behind my photographs.
Becky’s photograph is visually stronger than the other four.

For the first pointer, I will compile the research that I’ve done so far, as well as any other that I find I need to do in order to have a clearer look at the theories and ideas backing up my project before I start writing my evaluative essay.

For the second pointer, I’ve decided to take the photos back into photoshop and try and re-edit them so they’re all equal on a visual level. I adjusted the visibility of the overlayed layers, as well as adjusting the levels so that the whites of the faces is are more visible. This makes the final result look a lot less washed out.

Contact Sheets

The contact sheets below are to show the details behind the final photographs I compiled together. As I opted to overlay more than two photographs in order to get the idea of the spectrum of the true self and the false self across more clearly, I wanted to show the processes of picking the most suitable photographs as well as trial and error of editing.

Becky Trial and Error Editing

ContactSheet-001