Good Afternoon all!
I've had a rather literary day, doing some reading and time lining the development of my art practice.
I have also had VH1 music channel on all day, with the Top 100 Ultimate 90s & 00s Girl Pop Anthems on. This not only provided me with great music all day and made me long for my childhood years, but it also made me think and take pen to paper on one music video in particular...
I promise you it is all light-hearted fun!
Christina Aguilera and the turmoils of teenage sexual experiences expressed in 'Genie In A Bottle'
'Genie In A Bottle' is a song that, lyrically, sends out a message that any sensible teenage girl should follow; yes you're horny but this guy only wants to get into your pants and will break your heart if you give it all to him on a plate.
The line 'If you wanna be with me, baby there's a price to pay. I'm a genie in a bottle, you gotta rub me the right way' suggests that the guy in question has got to make some kind of effort if he is to earn the privilege of getting into her pants.
What I don't understand is why the music video is full of sultry looks and sensual dance moves if the song contains such an important message for the youth? Surely it undoes any education of self respect and integrity the song sent out? Any clever woman of the 21st Century could tell you that if you dress with your cleavage and midriff showing, then go dancing like a lady of the night, guys are going to expect you to put out. Then, when you don't and give the excuse 'my heart is saying no', you will inevitably be labelled a 'Prick Tease'.
Then there is the issue of a large number of teenage girls admitting their rise in sexual urges. Aguilera may be giving out the 'parent-friendly' message that their daughters should keep their knickers up, but her admission that her 'body's saying lets go' does in fact lower the taboo barrier of young people openly discussing a perfectly natural urge to copulate. Another positive to the songwriter's catchy, lyrical genius.
The song dishes out sensible advice on one of the most prominent worries for teenage girls in the Western world. However, the music video industry fails to strengthen the message by styling and shooting a video that suggests to the viewers that sex 'sells'. Ultimately, the video for 'Genie In A Bottle' undermines an otherwise empowering message to young women, of self respect and the importance of their control over the physicality of a relationship.
A-Thank You! xx
20 January 2012
5 January 2012
2012 - The Year of Craft
Good day Reader!
Firstly, can I wish you a slightly belated, very happy New Year! I hope its a year of happiness and prosperity for you all :)
I know that the Christmas break has led me to neglect my blogging, but I'm back and have a couple of things to back date. First of all I have some images for you of my pots, I decorated the plain ones with imagery from two Edgar Allen Poe stories.
I used porcelain paints on the pots' glazed surfaces and they gave a really fluid feel to the imagery. I'm really interested in the bodily shapes, they can be interpreted by the viewer as unclear and that element of uncertainty interests me.
After a term of investigation and exploring the basics of ceramics, I feel like I've made a lot of progress in my ideas. Over the Christmas break I have definitely managed to straighten my head out a bit in terms of what direction I'll be going next.
There are a few ideas I'd like to work on, firstly the relationship between the horror stories and the ceramic surfaces I work on. Another development to my work will be the shapes of the ceramics I make, I'm quite interested in developing the figurines and making vessels less 'pot-like'. Then there's the issue of display, I'd like to see how the things I make sit with paintings I do.
It's a lot to try and work my way through, but it's made me quite excited to find out where my practice goes!
Last night marked another new start for me, I had my first pottery evening class at City and Islington College! I enrolled so I could learn a bit more about the medium of clay, get to grips with throwing some pots and find out about glazes and firing techniques. There was only myself and another lady in the class so tuition is completely one on one, the facilities are really good too! Hopefully a few more people arrive next week, it gets awfully quiet with only a few of us in the workshop.
That's 2012 for me so far! I'm looking forward to getting back into the studio on Monday and I'll be sure to keep you all well-informed of my progress!
Happy New Year everybody! Xxx
Firstly, can I wish you a slightly belated, very happy New Year! I hope its a year of happiness and prosperity for you all :)
I know that the Christmas break has led me to neglect my blogging, but I'm back and have a couple of things to back date. First of all I have some images for you of my pots, I decorated the plain ones with imagery from two Edgar Allen Poe stories.
'Masque of the Red Death'
'The Black Cat'
I used porcelain paints on the pots' glazed surfaces and they gave a really fluid feel to the imagery. I'm really interested in the bodily shapes, they can be interpreted by the viewer as unclear and that element of uncertainty interests me.
After a term of investigation and exploring the basics of ceramics, I feel like I've made a lot of progress in my ideas. Over the Christmas break I have definitely managed to straighten my head out a bit in terms of what direction I'll be going next.
There are a few ideas I'd like to work on, firstly the relationship between the horror stories and the ceramic surfaces I work on. Another development to my work will be the shapes of the ceramics I make, I'm quite interested in developing the figurines and making vessels less 'pot-like'. Then there's the issue of display, I'd like to see how the things I make sit with paintings I do.
It's a lot to try and work my way through, but it's made me quite excited to find out where my practice goes!
Last night marked another new start for me, I had my first pottery evening class at City and Islington College! I enrolled so I could learn a bit more about the medium of clay, get to grips with throwing some pots and find out about glazes and firing techniques. There was only myself and another lady in the class so tuition is completely one on one, the facilities are really good too! Hopefully a few more people arrive next week, it gets awfully quiet with only a few of us in the workshop.
That's 2012 for me so far! I'm looking forward to getting back into the studio on Monday and I'll be sure to keep you all well-informed of my progress!
Happy New Year everybody! Xxx
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