The definitions of beauty have been defined by social conventions since the dawn of history. Since the post-modern age, these definitions and conventions have been transformed, and along with them, the conventions concerning the myth of beauty, gender, and their relationship have also changed. Exposure to an image that challenges conventions is controversial, forces to reconcile our reactions with a wide array of cultural and historic symbols. As spectators, our interpretation relies on our conditioned exposure to these symbols, and we decide within a fraction of a second whether the image is beautiful or ugly.
For the sake of this instinctually challenging project, I have gathered several objects, whose imagery is considered “ugly,” and should be explored, if anyone is to overcome this basic instinct. Both beauty and ugliness belong to those who can behold and appreciate them. Thus, the primary challenge of the project is – How can one make ugliness appear beautiful in the eyes of the beholder?
I’ve asked myself questions such as – How might the recorded imagery and attire uproot the character from its natural surroundings and the day-to-day scenario, thus altering interpretation and creating a conflict in the eyes of the beholder?
As a creator artist, I possess in my arsenal both the power and control to make aesthetic decisions, in order to present subjective visibility to the beholder – inasmuch as “ugly” as well as “beautiful”. Acquaintance with the concept “ugliness” is derived from cultural and artistic historical points of view, out of which conventions to understand and define the concept evolved.
The project suggests a different point of view, abnormal to standard conventions, and “stepping outside the box”, to try and move those who’ve seen it all. The project relies on and draws inspiration from historical artistic imagery, trying to deviate from the way beauty and ugliness have been displayed, all while interpreting the post-modern age, and the ever-changing digital world of our time.
“Let us leave pretty women to men devoid of imagination” / Marcel Proust
