Orientalism / The "Other"

Week one (12/15) of my first semester of PH 100: FUNDAMENTALS OF PHOTOGRAPHY with Andrea Land

Find a contemporary example (produced in the past 10 years) of a subject being presented as the "other." Defend your choice in a short paragraph, considering how the gaze is incorporated. Fashion magazines are a good place to start.

I have always been a fan of the United Colors of Benetton ads, found in most fashion magazines, I have seen throughout the years. Not because of the clothes exactly but because they struck me on a deeper level. They assaulted my world with images that were of social issue awareness, equality and unity. One of these ads may seem to be an odd choice. I’ll admit that I had in mind a much different photo at first but when I dug out my magazines and started flipping through them I kept landing back to the same photo. What drew me to this image is the crude construction of the tool used to help this man do a normal/routine task of feeding himself.

To see more of there images you can find them here

NOTES:

Do find the image to be crude or poignant in relation to the Others? In other words, is it trying to bridge or widen the gap amongst various cultures?

I think this image is more about awareness and bridge building effort. You can't fix what you don't know is broken. I think this image is one that forces you to stop and think, "is society working if this is what this man has to eat with?" So I think it is very poignant in that respect.

After some thought about all of the images used by this company for advertising I think they use a combination of crude and poignant imagery. But, they use them well. It is like getting a slap in the face, a wake up call, if you will. Making us take notice of the social situations of the time. Over the years I think that they have mellowed a bit from their earlier campaigns, but still remain a vehicle of awareness.