BA (Hons) History of Art and Design BA (Hons) History of Decorative Arts and Crafts BA (Hons) Fashion and Dress History BA (Hons) Museum and Heritage Studies BA (Hons) Visual Culture
‘Today everything exists to end in a photograph.’ (Susan Sontag, 1977)
Welcome… …to the 2018 dissertation Degree Show, designed and delivered by students in the History of Art and Design programme in the School of Humanities. This showcase of original research encompasses five undergraduate courses: BA (Hons) History of Art and Design; BA (Hons) History of Decorative Arts and Crafts; BA (Hons) Fashion and Dress History; BA (Hons) Museum and Heritage Studies; BA (Hons) Visual Culture. For all these students, the dissertation is the fulfilment of twelve months of intensive empirical and/or theoretical research. Topics emerge from a combination of students’ own enthusiasms and the specialist knowledge acquired on their degrees, and their independent study develops through a range of supported milestones, culminating in this final presentation for members of the public. As you will see, students’ projects cut across time and place, from the eighteenth century to the present, and include local concerns as well as international case studies. The themes they explore cover gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, class and taste, politics and protest, consumption and collecting, craft and technology, structures and their subversion. The images, objects, media and sites are an equally broad field, taking in the cherished and the despised, the sacred and the profane, the elite and the humble. Students engage with painting, photography and performance art; film, music video and digital media; advertising, periodicals and packaging; architecture, furniture and interiors; historic houses, galleries and exhibitions; fashion, dress and textiles. In preparing their dissertations, students conduct original research in national and local libraries, archives, museums and collections, and through interviews and fieldwork. As their final flourish, they distil their results into various forms for the purpose of this degree exhibition. We very much hope that you will enjoy what you see here in posters and showreel images they have produced, and appreciate the intellectual endeavour of the dissertation outlines provided in this catalogue. Please take your time to enjoy the fruits of their labour; we are truly proud of what they have achieved. If this whets your appetite for pursuing a similar course of study yourself we will be very happy to hear from you; initial contact details for all our undergraduate and postgraduate degrees can be found towards the back of the catalogue. As part of our wider provision, we are delighted to congratulate the first cohort of graduating students from BA (Hons) Philosophy, Politics, Art, a hybrid degree that straddles History of Art and Design and Humanities programmes. We are also excited to announce our new postgraduate degree offer, MA Curating Collections and Heritage, which launches in September 2018, to be delivered alongside our longstanding and highly-regarded MA History of Design and Material Culture. Dr Annebella Pollen (Academic Programme Leader, History of Art and Design), May 2018
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BA (Hons) History of Art and Design
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BA (Hons) History of Art and Design
The Role of Political Representation in Art: Addressing the Sabra and Shalita Massacre (1982) through Two Different Artworks Dia Al Azzawi. Sabra and Shatila Massacre. 1982-3. Ink and wax crayon on paper mounted on canvas. 3000 x 7500 mm. Tate Modern.
Zeina Abedrabo Atrocity and unjustified murder has always been a result of war and genocide, artists throughout history have manifested their skills in an attempt to visually document and address these crimes. For example, one of the most significant paintings of the 20th century ‘Guernica’ by Pablo Picasso that portrays the devastation of Gernika unleashed politico-aesthetic energies that would be repeatedly reconfigured in the decades that followed. This dissertation will address one of the massacres that occurred during the fifteen-year civil war in Lebanon (1975-1990) in the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila in September 1982. Several written accounts were published of journalists and activists entering the camps after four days of brutal killings and crimes. As a reaction to this Iraqi artist Dia Al Azzawi created a Guernica inspired drawing that has been purchased by the Tate Modern, the drawing stands as an immortal testament to what occurred. Another artwork that addresses the horrors of Sabra and Shatila is by an ex-Israeli solider and film director Ari Folman, he created an animated documentary called ‘Waltz with Bashir’ (2008) that traces his quest to regain his suppressed memory from the war due to trauma. He does this by meeting with other soliders and conducting interviews. The film is animated since it deals with dreams and hallucinations that result from post-traumatic disorders. Furthermore it is visually magnificent with a strong anti-war message. However, it presents some problematic aspects as in all forms of representation reality can never be truly reproduced this dissertation will address these issues in terms of aesthics and ethics. Also the political context of the massacre and the war is fundamental towards understanding how these art works can still influence certain statements or inaccurate depictions. 7
BA (Hons) History of Art and Design
Outside the Frame: The Spaces of the Image/Observer Relationship Liza-Rose Burton Jeff Wall, Morning Cleaning, 1999. Barcelona. Photograph on lightbox, 187 x 351 cm. Artibune. http://www.artribune.com.
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My dissertation explores the power of the relationship between images and observers and the spaces in between. When we look at pictures, a transformative relationship is forged, more powerful than the sum of its parts. We don’t all see art in the same way and, as contexts change, so do our perceptions. The art of photographer Jeff Wall (1946-) and painter Édouard Manet (1832-1883) have been compared and analysed in order to illustrate this. Centuries apart, these two artists ask similar questions about seeing, but they frame these questions differently. Manet made his paintings on the threshold of modernism amid a radically changing Parisian landscape. Manet is often dubbed the ‘painter of modern life’ because he apparently managed to capture fleeting moments in paint. He infused them with an ambiguity which remains potent today. Wall does something similar but different to Manet, he turns the photograph into a careful composition that disavows the camera’s capacity to capture ‘moments’ or candid snapshots, swinging between the factual and the fictional, his staged, ‘near documentary’ photographs underscore the fine line between truth and reality. Wall himself has explained that Manet’s ‘high level of pictorial invention’ can be ‘an interesting take on the now.’ In looking back to a time when the very idea of observation was changing, we reflect on the shifts of ‘the now.’ We’d like to think that we have control over images, but can we choose how we see them? The French philosopher Michel Foucault has said that Manet always directed the viewer to a ‘blind spot outside of the canvas’. This is an invitation to explore that space ‘outside the frame’.
BA (Hons) History of Art and Design
Transgressive Notions of Beauty in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) Lily Chadwick
Photographer Unknown, Tim Curry posing in front of Michelangelo’s David, 1975. Image Courtesy of: https://www.imdb.com/
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is well known for its subversive plays on gender and sexual identities, presenting ‘camped-up’ characters that provide endless possibilities with its audiences for the exploration of non-normative and ‘othered’ identities. Rocky Horror is difficult to confine to a single genre as it borrows tropes from a number of different cinematic styles such as the musical, the science fiction film and the horror film, largely my reading of the film is one of camp parody. A connection can be seen therefore between the camp elements and the gothic elements the film portrays, as well as links with horror, grotesque and cult elements all of which are parodied in the film. This dissertation seeks to examine the ways in which the film presents transgressive notions of beauty and to what extent these transgressions are successful in representing the subversion of ‘normative’ identities. Using the analytical frames of ‘normativity’, cross-dressing and bodybuilding, supported by theories of gender performativity as presented by Judith Butler. Butler’s concepts of gender identity constituting a plethora of unconsciously performed acts that solidify an imagined ‘original’ gender binary is important to my overall argument regarding subversive, performative identities that can be seen in Rocky Horror (unconsciously performed or otherwise). However, an analysis of the construction of identity, particularly masculine identity, reveals patriarchal undertones that disrupt the film’s overall transgressive nature.
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BA (Hons) History of Art and Design
From Hugh Hefner to Terry Richardson: Constructing Heteronormative Male Desire in a ‘Pornified’ Culture Ella Clamp
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Terry Richardson. Front cover for Richardson’s special issue titled ‘California Dreamin’’. Photograph. Playboy magazine, Feb. 2015. ‘Terry’s Diary Archive’, Terry Richardson, Feb. 2015. Web. www. terryrichardson.com/diary.
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Playboy is a magazine famous for the nude women in its centrefolds, but this dissertation approaches it as much more than solely pornographic entertainment for men. I argue that Hugh Hefner, its founder and editor-in-chief until his recent death, created the framework for the magazine centred around his own notorious identity as ‘The Playboy’, using its pages to sell his readers a desirable version of his lifestyle. By questioning what the ‘Playboy Lifestyle’ is, I examine how Hefner constructs heteronormative male desire, and what this reveals about the changing culture of the late twentieth century. Referencing the work of Foucault, Attwood and Paasonen et al., I centrally study the theory of ‘pornification’, using Playboy as an example of a new sexual discourse that represents liberal attitudes towards sexuality. By immersing the centrefold in a world of male consumerism, Hefner created a cultural phenomenon that represents a stylish, pleasure seeking version of masculinity suited to a culture that was becoming more ‘pornified’. Though Playboy is now outdated, it was crucial to the cultural mainstreaming of pornography. To connect its philosophies to the new ‘pornified’ aesthetic in contemporary media culture, I use the work of controversial fashion photographer Terry Richardson. His work for Playboy, Sisley and his own publication Terryworld are highly explicit, reflecting the liberalisation of the mass-media in Western culture in the twenty-first century. By reviewing the use of pornography from the centrefold to fashion advertising, this dissertation argues that pornography has been mainstreamed through the lens of mass-marketed media. Ultimately, it studies how these different versions of pornography construct and appeal to masculine identities. that comment on different eras, owing their successes to the cultural visibility of Hefner and Richardson.
BA (Hons) History of Art and Design
Tales of Globalisation in Moomin Valley: How Finland’s Cartoon Icon became a Global Success Story Wendy Fraser
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Tove Jansson attending Moomin merchandise promotion at Stockmann department store, Helsinki in 1956. Photograph: Reino Loppinen/Rex.
The Moomins, a family of cute anthropomorphic creatures, are the central characters in a series of books created by the Finnish artist and author Tove Jansson (1914-2001) in 1945. Finn Family Moomintroll, the first book translated into English was published in 1950 and a daily comic strip in London’s Evening News propelled the Moomins to international fame in 1952. This dissertation traces the commercialisation of the characters from the first wave of Moomin-themed merchandise designed by Jansson, produced by some of Finland’s principal manufacturing companies and sold in the Nordic countries. Following the global dissemination of the Moomins through animation series made in Japan and Poland, there has been a boom in the manufacture of products from licensed images from 1990 onwards. This manufacture has been typified by globalised sites of design and retail and manufacture moving from Finland to low-cost countries in Europe and beyond. The trajectory of these products is contextualised through sociologist Arjun Appardurai’s theories on ‘global cultural flow.’ While originally produced for children, Moomin products have increasingly been aimed at the adult market with ranges of homewares and luxury fashion and this theme will be explored by linking this innovation to Japanese consumer culture and by using theories on contemporary nostalgia. The Moomins have become unofficial symbols of Finland yet have been assimilated into the cast of cartoon characters in Japanese popular culture and are ever-present on the British high street. These themes are explored using branding and national identity theories to try to account for the paradoxical meanings behind the material culture of the Moomins.
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BA (Hons) History of Art and Design
“Young People in Love are Never Hungry”: Comedy, Escapism and Reality in It Happened One Night (1934) Lydia Gray
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Film still from It Happened One Night. Frank Capra. 1934.
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The Great Depression left the country in a disastrous socio and economic crisis. The country went into financial turmoil – unemployment skyrocketed and pay plummeted, leaving people to wander the streets in search for work. Tenant farmers in the southern states were forced to abandon their land and migrate to the cities to find work, which caused hostility among the city dwellers leading to a shortage in jobs and higher competition. This resulted in class division and a split nation. Movies acted as an escape and allowed viewers to forget their hardship. This dissertation focuses on the ‘screwball comedy’ genre which consisted of tough, biting humour between a male and female lead. It mocked gender stereotypes and often presented the female protagonist as overpowering the male as she was from a higher-class and used her femininity to get her way. This genre was created by the incredibly successful director, Frank Capra, who dominated the 1930s with his formulaic narratives, promoting love as the answer to all. Capra found a short-term answer to combat the suffering of this era. The film It Happened One Night (1934), directed by Capra, has been argued as the first screwball comedy. It revolves around a spoilt heiress, Ellie Andrews, who is on the run from her disapproving father to marry her betrothed. She meets a journalist, Peter Warne, on her travels who is desperate to find a story. He assists her on her journey in return for a story, but results in them falling in love. This dissertation explores how It Happened One Night acknowledges reality. The film presents characters on the move, this mirrors the migration of the farmers. It depicts individuals from different classes together, symbolising the need for the nation to unite in happiness and hope, to combat the hardship of the Depression.
BA (Hons) History of Art and Design
Stardo by the Photo: An Exploration of Victorian and Edwardian Photography of British Gypsies Lisa Hinkins
Francis R Hinkins. Dōsha. c1915. From the book Romany Life by Frank Cuttriss (London: Mills & Boons, 1915) b/w photograph.
Stardo is a Gyspy Romani language word for imprisoned. This dissertation will analyze images of British Gypsies to investigate if stereotypes and myths imprisoned them. The basis of this thesis is the book Romany Life: experienced and observed during many years of friendly intercourse with the Gypsies by Frank Cuttriss published in 1915. It was written by father and son; Francis R Hinkins and Ralph Cuttriss Hinkins, who were my Great, Great Grandfather and Great Grandfather respectively. An autoethnographic approach is applied; an intersection of three genres of narration and critical reflection on the photographs within the book, the impact of the Hinkins interaction with the Romany Gypsies and the resulting marriage of Ralph to Romany Gypsy, Rhoda Wells. German sociologist Georg Simmel described the Gypsy as, ‘Stranger in society from elsewhere;’ a people who settled among other inhabitants, though were treated with suspicion and ignorance as they represented an exotic other that was difficult for many to understand. A critical understanding of Gypsies within the material culture of the photographic medium during the period 1870–1915 is undertaken by examining photographs within the location of the book, moving outwards to contextualize them within the period to examine the social and cultural views towards them. The rapid growth of photographic technology enabled photographers to capture images of Gypsies in urban and rural environments. The dissertation explores whether photometric instruction adopted for ethnographic classification of colonised peoples within the British Empire influenced how photographers approached image making of Gypsies referencing photographic history research by Elizabeth Edwards. 13
BA (Hons) History of Art and Design
To What Extent did Consumerism impact on Pop Art and Design During the 1960s? Guy Johnson
Andy Warhol, 1962. Synthetic polymer paint on thirty-two canvases, Each canvas 20 x 16” (50.8 x 40.6 cm). Overall installation with 3” between each panel is 97” high x 163” wide, MOMA, New York City.
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This dissertation explores the different impacts that consumerism had on Pop Art during the 1960s, primarily in America, touching upon contemporary examples of today’s society that support the ‘consumerism’ image of today. It goes into the deeper thoughts of how the ‘consumer culture’ (that was prominent during the time period, mainly because of the credit that was so freely available) especially around the time of the 1960s had such an impact on the art that was being created; I delve into the advertising market which heightened the Pop art success of the time, especially with the likes of Rosenquist basing predominantly basing his work on the billboard-advertising-style, the celebrity culture in which artists at the time were celebrities in their own right, how race and ethnicity played an part in the heightening success of Pop art, this is where I will bring in some contemporary examples of how the world has progressed in the acceptance of other countries in part of a major art movement. As well as having the main focus of theory as the consumer culture, this dissertation also addresses the theory of the historic context of certain time periods and how this will have an effect on markets such as the advertising, and the art market, I explore tools used such as films, film posters and uses of political propaganda, and how this affects a perception on the way the public can view something, depending on which way an artist portrays an image. In conclusion I analyse that it wasn’t just the consumerism that majorly affected the progression and the ever-growing success of Pop art.
BA (Hons) History of Art and Design
The Morris Aesthetic in the Twenty-First Century: The Use of William Morris’s Patterns on the Commodities of Today Isobel Jones
Bag representing William Morris’s Willow Bough (1887) design. From the William Morris Gallery gift shop. Personal photograph by author. 16 April 2018.
William Morris (1834-1896): a nineteenth century designer that has received extensive interest in the forms of published literature, galleries and exhibitions dedicated to various aspects of his career. However, the relationship between Morris’s designs and the twenty-first century is less discussed. Today, the floral, colourful and complex patterns produced by nineteenth century Morris & Co are utilised frequently in order to decorate a range of what shall be referred to in this dissertation as ‘everyday’ and ‘gift’ commodities; for example bags, notebooks, pens and so on. Therefore, this dissertation aims to explore the representation of these patterns in today’s commodity form and to analyse reasons as to why these products are appealing in the twenty-first century. Chapter one provides a historic and contextual understanding of the original nineteenth century patterns and discusses the extent to which these new ‘everyday’ and ‘gift’ products represent Morris’s ideologies surrounding the availability of art and the production of commodities. The locations in which these items are sold today is also integral to understanding the consumption of these products. Despite various retailers selling these objects, it is the museum, gallery and heritage sites that are of particular interest in chapter two. The Victoria and Albert Museum and the William Morris Gallery’s products are used as case studies, in order to determine whether these locations produce a class-based consumption of Morris commodities. Finally, chapter three considers various reasons as to why these items are bought today. Furthermore, it debates whether the consumption of these products is based solely on the aesthetically pleasing patterns or, if instead, Morris products establish and represent a particular identity when purchased. 15
BA (Hons) History of Art and Design
Breaching the Taboo of Pregnancy: How Patriarchal Representations and Expectations of Pregnancy Became Embedded in 1970s Society and to What Extent Were They Challenged by Feminist Artists
Susan Hiller, 10 Months 1977-79.
Lucy Kearney
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After the initial burst of political activism that took place in the 1960s, political debates surrounding women in society carried on with as much drive into the 1970s. The women’s movement sought to breach the system that had historically branded men and women as unequal and in such create a new society where each sex could work freely and be who they desired to be. The debates that fuelled the women’s movement also gave rise to a wealth of feminist artwork that sought to attack the patriarchal idealisations of women that had become embedded in western culture. One ideal that has often been overlooked, was the idealisation that once a woman became pregnant, she would become modest as seeing the pregnant stomach would risk revealing the sexuality and passion that had created it. This dissertation studies the historical foundations that were embedded in society during the 1970s, and how this prohibited any form of sexualisation being associated with the pregnant figure. By looking at appropriate representations of pregnancy, this dissertation outlines how the representations of pregnancy were then challenged by feminist artwork during the 70s, in particular by Susan Hiller, Mary Kelly and Ruth Bernhard and how in turn their works of art were a rejection of the way society had historically and culturally coded pregnancy. In doing so this dissertation forms an emphasis on the impact of their work during a time when there were still strong patriarchal ideals held in society.
BA (Hons) History of Art and Design
Communist-era Monuments in Bulgaria: the Unwanted Cultural Heritage Zlatina Krandeva
The House-Monument of the Bulgarian Communist Party – Buzludzha. Personal photograph by the author. 27 August 2017.
Following the end of the Second World War came the rise of the Soviet Union and subsequent establishment of the Iron Curtain, dividing Europe in two – East and West. Most eastern countries fell under the new Soviet regime, with its ideologies and beliefs becoming swiftly and firmly integrated in all spheres of public life, thus isolating themselves from any western influence. As with every historical era, the fields of art and culture can best reflect the political and social processes. That is why this dissertation investigates the cultural heritage of this regime and its impact on the Bulgarian nation through three of the most controversial Soviet monuments in the country – “1300 Years Bulgarian Statehood”, “Monument of the Soviet Army” and “Buzludzha”. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and dawn of democracy in Bulgaria, the nation made serious attempts to eradicate all ties to the communist past by destroying and abandoning most physical evidence of its existence and propagating a new mind-set towards it. That is why many valuable literary and non-literary resources for this topic disappeared, making the research process an increasingly difficult task. On the other hand, connections can still be established with key people tied to the regime in a political or artistic manner. Thus, while this dissertation includes interviews of such artistic and political figures, it strongly favours the objective approach towards evaluation of information and opinions. The provoking title: “Communist Era Monuments in Bulgaria: the unwanted cultural heritage” is chosen as it best signifies the problem and approach used to solve it – by considering the exceptional value these monuments bring in regards to history and art, despite proving a controversial topic of discussion in the post-soviet societies. 17
BA (Hons) History of Art and Design
The Dark Art of Dance in a Modern Impressionist Space Chloe Lawrence
Edgar Degas, L’Etoile, 1876-77, Pastel over Monotype, 58 x 42cm, Musée du Louvre, Paris.
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Correlating to the rise of the bourgeois class during the 19th century, Paris’ social structures altered providing an inner-city space catering to the bourgeoisie. Favouring the sanitised inner city-space, the fully established class formed a cultural identity and a distinct set of values. The bourgeoisie would monopolize entertainment environments such as theatres and cafés. The city’s most renowned ballet company the Paris Opéra provided a tremendous point of inspiration for the Impressionist artist Degas. The environment fused classical with contemporary, rich and poor, becoming a distinctly Impressionist scene. As one of the first modern art movements, Impressionism turned to such modern scenes and spaces as points of inspiration, the metropolis Parisian crowd being a popular one among the group. These spaces however often led to exploitation of working class women by bourgeoise men, the ballet became a place of institutionalized prostitution. Degas depicted hundreds of pastels, oil paintings and sketches of the Opéra. The focus of these images being the working-class ballerinas performing in front of a largely bourgeoise metropolis crowd or conveyed during intimate undisclosed moment within the rehearsal studios. Degas’ experimental techniques would adhere to the social structures audaciously cropping the abonnés (the wealthy male patrons who would often prey on the ballerinas) and applying radical anonymity which enhances certain attitudes of secretive scandalous transactions. Within my dissertation I explore Degas’ images of ballerinas within the urban modern environment. Degas’ images act as visual narratives depicting the relationship between gender and class structures of the working-class women and bourgeoise men in 19th century Paris. My research concentrates primarily on Degas’ unconventional technique, the privileged male gaze nurtured by modern spaces and the Impressionist artist’s role as the visual narrator.
BA (Hons) History of Art and Design
Aesthetics of the Document in 1970s Feminist Art An Nguyen Ngoc
Mary Kelly. Post-Partum Document: Documentation III – Analysed Markings and Diary – Perspective Schema. 1975. Perspex units, white card, sugar paper, crayon. 13 units, 35.5 x 28 cm each. Collection, Tate Modern, London.
Historical narratives have associated the 1970s with a prevalence of both conceptual practices and feminist tactics. Nevertheless, the diversity of strategies employed by feminist producers to problematize images of ‘woman’ are often flattened under a canonical category of ‘feminist practices’, whereas with the contemporary proliferation of semiotic and phenomenological thinking, as well as the accelerating incorporation of photography into visual studies, a rich and diverse body of works has resulted, representing women in not only pictorial but also non-pictorial, performative and cultural perspectives. This paper has identified within this historical context a line of textual practice focusing on a disembodied femininity, drawing on both documenting and documentary strategies to reconstitute gender in representational and theoretical studies. This research begins by providing a historical background, focusing particularly on the September 1985 exhibition ‘Difference: On Representation and Sexuality’ at the Institute of Contemporary Art in London – one showcasing several works of the category identified and one which has garnered critical attention from the like of Griselda Pollock. Identified from this showcase are two artists from two distinct disciplinary approach: Mary Kelly and Marie Yates. In investigating their works, both in the context of and independently of the exhibition the paper will explore the document as form, as well as ways in which documenting practices and documentary productions have been referenced. Reflecting these approaches are Kelly’s ‘Post-Partum Document’, a five-year record of the development of mother-child relationship between Kelly and her son; and Yate’s ‘Field Working Papers’, produced as a series of photographs and texts exploring woman as a social category through landscape photography. Through these works, the paper will assess how textual practices have relocated the construction of gender in lived experience, evidencing the contradictions of socially produced difference often criticized in more recent gender studies. 19
BA (Hons) History of Art and Design
Punk as Protest: Anarcho Punk in the Thatcher Years Jim Rhead
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Cover art for Crass’s 7” single, ‘You’re Already Dead’. Designed by Gee Vaucher, 1984.
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In the mid-1970s, punk exploded onto the scene. The main catalyst for the birth of this new subculture was the sorry state of the UK economy. The recession had made the United Kingdom appear a terribly depressing place to be, especially for the younger generations. Unemployment was rife, strikes had become commonplace, and the shortfalls in the British education system were becoming apparent. Part youth rebellion and part artistic statement, punk proved to be the perfect medium for protest, principally given its emphasis on class politics. Punks utilised the tactics of Situationist International, specifically the technique of détournement, “rerouting” or “hijacking” in French, in an attempt to turn articulations of the capitalist society against itself. Although the original punk movement could be said to have dissipated even before the decade was over – in part due to the commodification of the punk aesthetic – its influence could never be ignored. Enraged by the victory of Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government in the 1979 general election, with her policies favouring the white, middle classes, the ‘Iron Lady’ soon became public enemy number one. Anarcho punk emerged in the late-1970s, led by a band called Crass, even though they would be hesitant to admit it themselves. Crass sought to eschew the commercial tendencies that materialised from the previous generation of punks, wanting return a sense of autonomy to the scene. Records were sold, and shows were put on at as close to cost price as possible, and everything was done in a solely do-ityourself manner, with no help from major labels. Crass, as well as other anarcho punk bands were firm believers in direct action – they did not want to create anarchy just for the show of it, they wanted to create real change.
BA (Hons) History of Art and Design
Model, Mistress or Muse? Roles and Representations of the Female Model in the Paintings of Dante Gabriel Rossetti Grace Roberts
Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Lady Lilith. 1867. Watercolour and gouache. 51.3 x 44 cm. Painting. Metropolitan Museum of Art.
In order for Pre-Raphaelite painters to achieve their ambition to faithfully ‘paint from life’, the use of a model as a subject to paint from was essential. In Victorian society, the role of the model evoked a certain stigma, especially for female models. Due to models frequently hailing from the lower classes, many believed the female model to be of looser morals, especially when their career existed within the private space of the male artist’s studio. The Pre-Raphaelite artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti frequently used female models to create his sensual and beautiful paintings of women. In this dissertation, I will analyse and explore Rossetti’s most frequently used models; Fanny Cornforth, believed to be his mistress, Elizabeth Siddal, his sickly wife, and Alexa Wilding, his beautiful muse. Through looking at each of these women individually, and explaining their own personal histories, important themes are explored and applied, such as the male gaze, separate spheres, Victorian attitudes to women and the idea of the ‘fallen woman’. The very unique relationships Rossetti had with each of the women are extremely significant, and these individual and profound relationships affected the content of Rossetti’s paintings. These paintings are direct reflections of Rossetti’s personal and emotional life, and through the images of these female models, we can gain insight into their relationships, emotions and subconscious feelings. Throughout historical discourses, these models have almost always been discussed and analysed as relative to Rossetti, and this dissertation argues the faults within this, and aims to create a fuller picture by analysing a wider scope of work from both male and female Pre-Raphaelite artists, giving the models an identity not just created through Rossetti paintings. 21
BA (Hons) History of Art and Design
The Nature of Football Identity and How it is Manifested through the Symbolic Meanings behind Tattoos Luca Spanu
Photograph of tattoo depicting Rangers F.C. Found on Google Images Posted by “Pinterest. co.uk”.
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This dissertation explores the concepts of identity, football fandom and the emotional qualities exerted by the tattoo, with a particular emphasis on underpinning how football identity is expressed through this unique art form. The tattoo, deriving from the traditional Polynesian word “tatau” meaning “striking”, has been a seminal component of visual art for thousands of years and encompasses the practically universal themes of love, belief, unity and even solidarity through a myriad of elaborate designs. These emotions conveyed by tattoos also reside within the expression of fandom, especially in football in how it perhaps holds a unique position in contemporary society with its presence as a global phenomenon. This dissertation will also give an insight in to the prominent theories as to how the idea of football identity and the general behaviours “performed” by fans in general is constructed, including the approach taken by Pierre Bourdieu, the heavy weight of cultural theory. Another theory this dissertation takes under analysis is the Interaction Ritual Chain or “IRC” theory which attempts to explain how fandom identity is formed over time. This relates to the nature of football identity and how it is manifested in our culture as it is perhaps unclear whether it is intentionally or unintentionally “forced” down proceeding generations of football fanatics. A declaration of love towards a football team expressed in a tattoo is indicative of how the tattoo is used as narrative; a window in to an individual’s personal psyche where it can be described as a performance of sorts.
BA (Hons) History of Art and Design
A Study of Hipgnosis: Are the Design Group Responsible for Disseminating ‘Good’ Design, or Kitsch? Rachel Wooley
Hipgnosis, A Nice Pair, Pink Floyd, 1974, Harvest SHDW 403.
In this dissertation, I investigate the role of the design group Hipgnosis within the established framework of the high-art and design hierarchy. Hipgnosis - who designed the album covers for Led Zeppelin, Wings, 10cc, Peter Gabriel, Black Sabbath, and hundreds of others - are particularly well known for their cover for Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd. However, this infamous imagery is conducive to hyperbolic discourse surrounding the subject. In this dissertation I investigated the reasons for this emotional language, and seeked to study these works as objectively as possible. To be able to do this, and distinguish whether the objects are ‘good design’, I had to engage in the wider theory surrounding this type of design, involving definitions of ‘good’ design from Dieter Rams, notions of ‘design art’ from Joe Scanlan and Neal Jackson, Tomas Kulka’s requirements for kitsch, and Gillo Dorfles analysis of kitsch. This accumulation of theory on the concepts that apply to Hipgnosis’ work helped to then inform the wider argument. Before engaging in formal analysis of some album covers produced by Hipgnosis, I had to confront previous sleeves, and in particular those designed for the Beatles. The relationship between high-art and design within this context became particularly evident with Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, designed by Peter Blake. These covers often conveyed anti-industry or existential themes and laid the groundwork for Hipgnosis to build upon these concepts in the following years. I investigated Hipgnosis’ work and scrutinised concepts ranging from ‘ironic’ or ‘knowing’ kitsch, to the term ‘design art’. While Hipgnosis are now dissolved, this dissertation established why their ‘good’ or successful designs still have a lasting impact.
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BA (Hons) History of Art and Design
Pull My Daisy: Analysis of the Beat Generation’s Individual Identity Chiay Yang
Still from Pull My Daisy. Robert Frank and Alfred Leslie.1959. Copyright G-string Enterprise. New York
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There have been many changes in America after World War II. The population of middle-class increased, urban cities were developed and consuming became easier and better than ever. As the living circumstances changed, Americans started to focus on individual’s identity; one’s own success, desire and freedom. This dissertation will examine the America individualism found in Beat Generation; an underground movement in New York in 1950s with their film Pull My Daisy (1959). Pull My Daisy is a 30 minute blackand-white film directed by Alfred Leslie and Robert Frank and members of Beat Generation participated in making the film. Jack Kerouac, the writer of On the Road (1957), had written the script and did the narration and Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso and David Amram had volunteered to be actors. The storyline is based on real event that Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg experienced when Bishop visited the Neal Cassady’s house. In the first chapter, I will lay out the connection between post-war America society and Beat Generation’s spontaneity with Chandra Gray’s theory of American Dream and Frederic Jameson and Grant MacCracken’s theories on modernism. The second chapter will be focused on introduction of Beat Generation and misinterpretations found in 1950s mass-media and current theorists; Bakalářská Práce and Yonghong Zhang. The final chapter will focus on analysis of film Pull My Daisy. While some censorship of directors can be found in shooting and editing of the film, it still represents Beat Generation’s philosophy. From analysing the structure of the film and Jack Kerouac’s poetical narration, we will examine Beat Generation’s individual identity and how they try to represent it using spontaneity.
Undergraduate Degree Show 2014
Title of the Dissertation Authors name
BA (Hons) History of Decorative Arts and Crafts
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BA (Hons) History of Decorative Arts and Crafts
The Interior Design and Decoration of the London Public House1860-1900 Alice Taylor John Henry Henshall. Behind the Bar. 1882. Watercolour on paper. 410 x 727 mm. Museum of London, London.
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Original features from the late nineteenth century still prevail in public houses around London. This fact alone pays testament to both the quality of their construction and the lasting legacy of their aesthetic appearance. The public house was a significant public space during the Victorian era and despite common understanding of it as a location of crime, occupied by the working class, there were actually many faces of the public house. This dissertation is a study of the interior of London pubs that were built or refurbished during the latter decades of the nineteenth century. The 1890s in particular, have been described as ‘the golden age’ of the public house by design historian Mark Girouard. Using five pubs as case studies, alongside further archival research and contemporary representations of the public house, this dissertation will locate the key design features and decorative elements of the pub. Going further than being just a descriptive study of design, this dissertation aims to consider the effects of wider social and cultural influences upon the design of the pub. The first chapter locates the context in which these pubs existed and introduces contemporary debates surrounding temperance. Chapter two, then discusses the influence of gender, taste and class upon the design and division of space within the pub. The division of space within an establishment was bound up with maintaining structures of social hierarchy and had immense effect on the overall appearance and nature of the pub. The final chapter will look particularly at the chosen case studies, in order to illustrate the key design features found within pubs of this period, as well as noting the variances in decoration between pubs of different type.
BA (Hons) Fashion and Dress History
BA (Hons) Fashion and Dress History
How did the Dress Aesthetic of Punks in Northern Ireland Evolve 1978-2003? Courtney Campbell
Ricky Adam. Unidentified Punk. C 1997-2003. Belfast Punk: Warzone Centre 1997-2003. Belfast.
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No stranger to hostile political environments, Northern Ireland to many is synonymous with associations of The Troubles that plagued it for much of the 20th century. Underground and seeking refuge from the daily hardships of life during this time was a thriving punk scene unbeknown to a significant proportion of the population, that is until John Peel played The Undertones ‘Teenage Kicks’ record for all the UK to hear in its glory… twice! This body of work looks into how the dress aesthetic of punks living in Northern Ireland evolved between 19782003, with the help of Dick Hebdige, David Muggleton and Pierre Bourdieu this encrypted clothing is decoded. More specifically this dissertation deals with the political factors that hindered the ability to blatantly wear certain clothing on the streets of Belfast or Derry, this includes defaced Union Jack imagery, fetish clothing and anything with an association to homosexuality; which wasn’t legalised in NI until 1982. Another theme that is spoken about is the inclusivity of the punks in NI whom promoted a cross community spirit in direct opposition to their sectarian parents, other subcultures were welcomed by the punks along with a wide variety of ages. Unfortunately, this inclusivity stopped short at the amount of women punks invited onto the stage as well as lacking the ethnic diversity seen in Britain. Hopefully the topics touched upon will help convince you that ‘when it comes to punk, New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!!’ as once said by the Godfather of Belfast Punk, Terry Hooley.
BA (Hons) Fashion and Dress History
What do Jim Naughten’s Images of the Herero people of Namibia Reveal about their Dress Histories? Abigail Cole
Herero Woman in Patchwork Dress, Namibia. 2012. C type. 50 x 41 in. Courtesy of Photographer Jim Naughten.
The Herero are a small ethnic group that live mainly in Namibia and make up approximately 7% of the country’s total population. This dissertation will analyse a series of photographs taken by British photographer Jim Naughten of the Herero and explore to what extent their dress histories are revealed through these contemporary images. I argue that only a very small piece of the complete story can be revealed through artificially constructed photographs, and it is impossible to gain a full understanding of the histories that have led to the clothing habits of the Herero that exist today. By providing some historical context that has been key in the development of aspects of Herero dress that exists today – such as colonialism, genocide and the subsequent need to rebuild their society after the genocide took place – we can begin to piece together a more complete picture of why they dress in the way that they do in the images. I offer ideologies of racial superiority which are linked into my analysis through examples of colonial photography and the representation of colonial dress in late nineteenth and early twentieth century photographs. Furthermore, I argue that much of the existing analysis of African fashion is viewed on a different spectrum to Western fashion systems and is subsequently often seen as traditional and static as opposed to constantly changing. I assess the key relationship between politics and Herero dress as well as to African fashion more generally, and ultimately conclude through image analysis that the complexities and symbolisms of Herero clothing cannot be fully revealed through either historic or contemporary photographs, and that this requires a much broader and extensive knowledge of the subject.
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BA (Hons) Fashion and Dress History
Keeping the Faith: Youth Participation and Issues of Authenticity on the Contemporary Northern Soul Scene Harriet Dakin Dean Chalkley, ‘Perry’s Shoes’, part of the ‘Young Souls’ short film photography exhibition. 2011.
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Northern Soul is a British subculture which began in the late 1960s and is still present and thriving today. Characterised by a love of rare black American soul music, all night dance clubs, and an acrobatic dance style, it is the spectacular elements of this subculture that has sparked an increased visibility of the Northern Soul scene over the past decade. This elevated popularity is evident within popular culture, and Northern Soul is now an aesthetic theme being widely appropriated in media projects from Pharrell Williams’ performance with Northern Soul dancers at the 2014 Brit Awards, to a Shredded Wheat television advert the following year. This is made all the more interesting as the Northern Soul scene customarily opposes outside media intervention for fears of ‘selling out’ and mis-representation. Northern Soul does not follow usual subcultural discourse, with it boasting a longevity not often seen within other subcultures. This private ‘insider’ subculture is increasingly capturing the eye of a young contemporary audience which has dramatically changed the characteristics of the scene. With this, the issue of authenticity is raised, and young participants must find new ways to assimilate and gain subcultural knowledge of this scene. This dissertation compares the original Northern Soul scene (from around 1968 to 1981), to its contemporary form (from 2005 to the present), and analyses how the scene and its participants have changed. In doing so, I use my own experiences as a participant to formulate an original insight into Northern Soul, analysing it as a contemporary yet retrospective evolution from the original scene, rather than a continuous unchanged subculture as it has previously been defined.
BA (Hons) Fashion and Dress History
The Impact of the Auxiliary Territorial Service Uniform on the Changing Approach to Wartime Femininity, 1939-1945 Natasha Inns ‘A girl was never intended for uniform. Her figure wasn’t built for it. What about all those softly artistic curves that betoken femininity. Hide them…and what have you? A trim little piece of humanity that’s neither masculine or feminine: a neuter sex’ (Noble, Vernon R.A.F.V.R. Girls You Amaze Me) Unknown Photographer, Carlton Studio Ltd. Model in A.T.S. (Auxiliary Territorial Service) uniform and cap applying liquid lipstick using pocket mirror. c.1941. London College of Fashion: Gala Archive. 16x15cm. Photograph.
The Auxiliary Territorial Service (A.T.S.) was one of three auxiliary services in the Second World War, considered to be the female equivalent of the Army it aimed to support the fighting man in all military and domestic matters bar combat. Their uniform, created from a khaki-green serge, was constructed in an almost identical manner to their male counterpart, even so far as to button up on the same side. The relationship between the construction of femininity and women’s uniform in the Second World War has long been discussed. Jennifer Craik proposes a method by which, she argues, all women’s uniform can be categorised, as either quasi-military or nurturing; as a result it has predominantly come to be seen that when adopting a uniform a women was relinquishing her femininity. She can be either a warrior or she can be feminine. This dissertation draws upon the double-helix of women’s roles (woman as worker/soldier and woman as mother) and attempts to dispel the idea that they are singular entities. By conducting a comparative analysis of the components and construction of an A.T.S uniform against a male equivalent, this dissertation explores the similarities between the two and their consequent impact on the changing approach to femininity.
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BA (Hons) Fashion and Dress History
Women’s Dress from 1760 to 1820 – as Represented, Presented and Displayed in the Museum Maria Purnell
View of the display cases at the Fashion Gallery (Room 40) at The Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington, London. Personal photograph by author. 17 Jan 2018
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Garments rely on the acceptance of society for them to be established as fashion, consequently museums present fashions from the past to gain acceptance from the public to guarantee their survival as an institution. A popular debate when investigating fashion’s relationship with the museum throughout my dissertation is questioning if fashion has to be considered as an art form to justify it being displayed and exhibited considering that women’s dress and embroidery throughout the late Eighteenth to early Nineteenth-Century have been linked to feminine domesticity, devaluing the skills of their craft. This dissertation draws upon the aims of the museum and how in particular; the Victoria and Albert Museum, The National Museum of Scotland and Worthing Museum and Art Gallery have presented fashion in their displays as well as how these museums have educated the visitor on the function, aim, craftsmanship and history of the garments throughout the study. By examining women’s dress from 1760-1820 allows an understanding of the evolution of fashion styles, such as the change of structure of the female silhouette from over accentuating a woman’s assets to a more simplistic, loose fitting form with the adoption of a neoclassical Roman and Grecian style. This dissertation also examines how garments present the main themes of the dissertation such as gender, taste and class which defined the period and analyses to what extent the garments and the museums both portray them.
BA (Hons) Fashion and Dress Hisotory
Women’s Fashion Etiquette 1933-1937: Gender Expectations of Upper-Middle Class Women Abigail Quiggan
Mrs Vera Noble and Mr Noble on their Honeymoon by the sea, 1934. Author’s own photograph.
This dissertation explores women’s fashion etiquette during the period 1933-1937 and debates how these rules of society reflected the gender expectations of upper-middle class women during that era. A range of garments, publications and photographs have been considered as part of this project, at the centre of which is the case study of Mrs Vera Noble. Mrs Noble’s father owned a chain of public houses across Sussex and she married a successful racing driver, therefore she is a prime example of the uppermiddle class women around whom this project is focussed. As a result, this lady is a reference point throughout the study with the aim of discovering what the expectations of women like her truly were. The Bride’s Book by Doris Langley Moore, an etiquette guide written in 1933, is discussed as a source that can provide a crucial insight into social ideals and opinions held at that time. Comparing the advice given to women in this publication with garments from the wardrobe of Mrs Vera Noble, an insight into the role of women can be gained. The theory that clothes act as indicators of class is carefully considered in this project as by studying clothes, the dayto-day life of the wearer is revealed. Upper-middle class women would have been prepared to attend a range of social activities, such as tennis games and formal dances, through the possession of appropriate garments. The quality of clothing also signified class difference as, if an item was of good quality, it would have invariably come from a highend store in contrast to the mail order ready-to-wear clothes bought by the working classes. A woman’s image was vital to the maintaining of her social position and to upper-middle class women this was centred around elegance and appropriateness.
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BA (Hons) Fashion and Dress History
Making, Wearing and Leisure: Hand-Knitted Bathing Suits and Young Wage-Earners in the 1930s Emmy Sale
‘A girl knitting at a deserted beach in North Berwick.’ Photograph. Unknown photographer. England. 6th April 1935. Photo via Imagno/Getty Images.
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In 1931, the Worthing Herald reported: ‘I find that all the female world is knitting its own bathing dress or swimming costume.’ This mass enthusiasm for homemade bathing suits coincided with the 1930s trend for embracing the sun and transformed bathing suits to became tight-fitting and expose more skin to tan than previously. This dissertation explores hand-knitted bathing suits, with specificity to young wage-earners in the 1930s. It utilises primary sources such as surviving garments, magazines and photographs; coupled with Rob Shield’s theory of liminality, to unpin the social and cultural aspects of why bathing suits were made and how they were worn for beach leisure in this period. Young wage-earners, aged 14 to 25, working and still living at home, contributed a portion of their wages to their parents and used their remaining ‘spends’ for clothing, cinema and magazines. For these young women, the beach provided an alternative space to the dancehall for socialising. It provided leisure that was far from the social codes in their ordinary lives of family, work and day-to-day clothing. At the beach, young women could wear skimpy garments for sunbathing and swimming. However, my research identified the influence magazines they read had on the making of bathing suits. They supplied knitting patterns but also used bathing suits in beauty advertisements, which arguably made the garment imbued with associations of glamour and bodily perfection. As a result, this impacted young wage-earners choice of designs they knitted and how they wore such garments in public. Therefore, this investigation into the making and wearing of bathing suits by young women uncovers their significance to the history of knitting, beachwear and young wage-earners in the 1930s.
BA (Hons) Fashion and Dress History
Death, Subjugation, and the Pursuit of Sadness: American Masculinity in the Costume of The Godfather Part I & II Rhianna Stone
Jack Stager, ‘Al Pacino as Michael and Marlon Brando as Vito on set.’Photograph, Staten Island, c.1971. Paramount Pictures.
“Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”: these inalienable rights offered to a nation of “men created equal”. Yet, films such as The Godfather Part I & II (1972, 1974) characterise the American masculine journey as wrought with themes of death, subjugation, and sadness. Featuring my interview with daughter of the late Theodora Van Runkle, who’s costume design for The Godfather II was Oscar nominated, I employ various theoretical frameworks to extract meaning about masculinity from the costume; then viewing this within, and outside of, American ideals. Through costume, we chart the young Vito Corleone’s immigrant journey from Sicily, his masculine emergence in New York’s Little Italy, gradual accumulation of wealth and status, and raising his sons to carry on the family business. Then, succeeded by his son, we detail Michael Corleone’s development of his masculinity: not under the Italian-American ideals of his father (of family, respect, and displaying a proud heritage), but his new ‘American’ ideals (of the individual, ruthless financial gain, and cultural assimilation), and all the failures that follow. Producing insights into Don Vito’s iconic ‘tuxedo-andred-rose-boutonnière’ look, historical similarities with the narrative and American history, costuming danger, negative connotations of the Italian-American male, and sartorial representations of power; we finish by understanding new ways that costume communicates powerful meanings and, in effect, tells its own version of the narrative. Two films which captured the heart, and imagination, of the world: rated as IMDb’s 2nd and 3rd greatest films of all time, and laying the template for new redefinitions of the gangster genre to follow such as Goodfellas (1990) and HBO’s The Sopranos. With no doubt of the significance of the films, there were formerly insufficient resources looking at its astonishing costume, now with a new, interdisciplinary costume reading adding to the dialogue.
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BA (Hons) Museum and Heritage Studies
BA (Hons) Museum and Heritage Studies
Has Cultural Policy Introduced by Arts Council England Aided in the Visibility of Black, Minority Ethnic (BME) Narratives? Emma Braide
Chris Ofili, Union Black, 2003, Woven Polyester and rope and toggle, 130 x 267 cm. Tate.
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This piece explores how cultural policy introduced by Arts Council England has impacted practice and the promotion of Black Minority Ethnic (BME) histories. In 1999 Arts Council England; a governing body that works with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) organised a conference called ‘Whose Heritage’. The conference revealed deep racial inequalities in the sector. Stuart Hall gave the Keynote speech as a cultural theorist he directly addressed the sector. Born in 1932 Hall came to England in 1951 to further his studies, as a man of Afro-Caribbean descent Hall found that the England he encountered was not what he had anticipated. The race riots of the 1980s and the murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993 saw BME members of society challenge the regime. Arts Council England have the power to educate and influence but their reach is limited Hall refers to two other institutions, Tate Britain holds the national collection of art from 1600s onwards and BCA is the only repository of AfroCaribbean histories. Both have made strides in re-defining the misconceptions of ‘Britishness’ and the lack of representation of BME. Tate Britain flew Chris Ofili’s ‘Union Black’ in 2010 and again 2017 in place of the conventional Union Jack; the flag for me depicts the hybridity of Ofili’s culture and identity. In 1987 cultural theorist Paul Gilroy wrote “Aint no Black in the Union Jack” the text explored the debate of race politics in Britain the iconic title has been inadvertently addressed by Ofili as there is now black in the Union Jack. Yet, little organisational change has occurred.
BA (Hons) Visual Culture
BA (Hons) Visual Culture
Revitalise Jackson Pollock’s Abstract Expressionism in the Theories of Unconscious: Jung, Myths, and the Madness Sonia Ng
Jackson Pollock, Untitled, 1938-41, 15 x 11 in.
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Over the years, Abstract Expressionism has always been a complex art movement to understand, resulting some art historians would prefer to avoid studying it due to its multifaceted nature and reputation. During the Cold War, the CIA found American modern art to be the perfect weapon. Jackson Pollock was one of the lead figures of the movement, his chaotic character was as difficult as his art, which linked to Carl Jung’s analytical psychology, and Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophy of existentialism. Under the impacts of the two World War, Abstract Expressionists found the purpose to create art that can represent the present issues of the world that allowed them to heal; they have learnt from the Native American that art can heal one self. Together, Abstract Expressionism is heavily influenced by the theories of the unconscious, that aware of the spiritual matter. In my dissertation, I will decode the ‘myth’ of Abstract Expressionism paintings, and their emphasis on searching for the human purposes, these essentially highlights the madness of New York avant-garde; not to mention that Abstract Expressionists were anti-modern, due to their disbelief of Surrealist’s vision of unconscious, they overlooked European art and for the first time, American art was born. My analysis stresses the problematical relationships of Abstract Expressionists and modern artists before them; I will also introduce how Pollock’s drawings from his psychotherapy sessions helped him to achieve his artistic ability, what according to Jung, whoever able to gather collective unconscious would be a pure ‘genius’.
BA (Hons) Visual Culture
The Traits of an Emerging Medium: To What Extent Can Video Games be Considered an Art Form Parker Robinson
In-game screenshot of Life Is Strange (Jan 2015), DontNod Entertainment. Web: https://www. lifeisstrange.com/en-gb/ games/life-is-strange
The established forms of art; Literary Arts, Fine Art, Decorative Arts and Architecture. Through these categories we see no clear cut definition of art and that the label ‘art’ exists in a significant grey area. This dissertation will be discussing video games in relation to the art world and to what extent is the medium capable of making itself a home within the aforementioned grey area. Through breaking down the definition of art, and the subsequent categories of art, we can begin to create a narrative surrounding the shared traits of these established forms and the new contender video games. Through the philosophy of art, using novelist such as Leo Tolstoy we can discuss how art became more lenient with accepting new mediums and subject matter especially in the 20th century where this dissertation will discuss the hesitancy surrounding impressionism. Comparing examples of formulaic art practices, such as Salvador Dali’s works in his later years- we’ll be able to create counter points surrounding the gaming’s commodified nature as opposed to an expressive means of producing art. Using a varied number of games; Life is Strange, SimCity, Balance of Power and more we can create a narrative surrounding gaming, its future and also its validity in the artistic future.
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BA (Hons) Visual Culture
“The way she listened was more eloquent than speech” – Representations of Women in Film Noir and the Narrative of Laura (1944) Suzi Williams
Publicity photograph. Otto Preminger. Gene Tierney in Laura (1944).
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This dissertation explores the representations of women in Hollywood film noirs of the 1940’s, particularly the use of narrative and the voice-over in Laura (1944). Laura is set in New York in which detective Mark McPherson is inspecting the murder of Laura Hunt. Laura Hunt, in the femme fatale fashion, is a beautiful and thriving advertising executive who is involved in a love triangle between newspaper columnist Waldo Lydecker and playboy fiancé Shelby Carpenter. Undoubtedly, even the detective Mark McPherson succumbs to her beauty and falls in love with her portrait, in which Lydecker remarks “You’ll end up in a psychiatric ward. I don’t think they’ve ever had a patient who fell in love with a corpse.” The plot twist in this film is that Laura Hunt has not been murdered, rather, her employee with similar looks, Diane Redfern has been mistaken for Laura. With Laura’s startling return, she becomes a prime suspect in the murder of Redfern. The love of Lydecker, Carpenter and McPherson causes confusion in the investigation of the murder, and the use of the voice-over projecting Lydecker’s observations of Laura changes the viewers perception of her. Traditionally in film noirs, a femme fatale is a mysterious and enticing woman who often puts her lovers in fatal situations. Through examining different concepts of femme fatales in film noir, I am disputing the notion of whether the innocent Laura Hunt is a femme fatale since through the protagonist narrative of Laura – she becomes a femme fatale.
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Dissertation Supervisors
Dissertation Supervisors 2017-18
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Dr Harriet Atkinson Dr Verity Clarkson Dr Yunah Lee Helen Mears Dr Charlotte Nicklas Dr Lara Perry Dr Louise Purbrick Dr Glenn Ward
Catalogue concept Paul Jobling and Ness Wood Catalogue design Megha Rajguru and Ness Wood 45
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Final Year Students 2017-18
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Final Year Students 2017-18
BA (Hons) History of Art and Design
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Zeina Abedrabo Liza-Rose Burton Lily Chadwick Ella Clamp Wendy Fraser Lydia Gray Lisa Hinkins Guy Johnson Isobel Jones Lucy Kearney Zlatina Krandeva Chloe Lawrence An Nguyen Ngoc Jim Rhead Grace Roberts Luca Spanu Rachel Wooley Chiay Yang
BA (Hons) History of Decorative Arts and Crafts Alice Taylor
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Final Year Students 2017-18
BA (Hons) Fashion and Dress History Courtney Campbell Abigail Cole Harriet Dakin Natasha Inns Maria Purnell Abigail Quiggan Emmy Sale Rhianna Stone
BA (Hons) Museum and Heritage Studies Emma Braide Caption
BA (Hons) Visual Culture Sonia Ng Parker Robinson Suzi Williams
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School of Humanities
The University of Brighton community of Arts and Humanities, situated on Grand Parade in the city centre, evolved from the Brighton School of Art founded in 1859. Committed to learning as a collaborative process, its degrees nurture excellence in the visual and performing arts, architecture, design, art and design history, media studies, moving image and film studies, literature, languages and humanities, and provide a world-leading research environment for the arts. In 2018-19 the School of Humanities will offer the following degrees in the History of Art and Design: BA (Hons) History of Art and Design BA (Hons) Fashion and Dress History BA (Hons) Visual Culture BA (Hons) Philosophy, Politics, Art MA History of Design and Material Culture MA Curating Collections and Heritage At the same time we welcome applications for MPhil and PhD research in the history of art and design, material culture and related topics (with some places eligible for funding). For further information, please contact us: 01273 644644 enquiries@brighton.ac.uk or visit the University of Brighton website: https://www.brighton.ac.uk/index.aspx To follow History of Art and Design programme activities and communications, please see: blogs.brighton.ac.uk/hoad twitter.com/hoadbrighton www.facebook.com/hoadbrighton
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