Perspective is an intriguing concept. One that many of us take for granted. But then again, should we be surprised by this? After all, we can only see the world from our own eyes. Perhaps this is the reason why we鈥檙e so obsessed with stories: we鈥檙e desperate to see the world in another light; to see what we can鈥檛 see; to experience something new.
However, a quick look back through the history of the Arts and it鈥檚 plain to see that we鈥檙e often (if not always!) looking through the eyes of men. In 1975, Laura Mulvey authored an essay called that developed the term 鈥榯he male gaze鈥 to shine a light on this very issue. She argued that there are three perspectives in play here: the person behind the camera; the characters within the representation; and the spectator. When you see that men occupy all three spaces, it鈥檚 not hard to notice that cinematic discourse is so male dominated leading to countless scenes of scopophilia and voyeurism.
So, are we really that obsessed with different perspectives after all? Or has that desire simply been repressed by men throughout history. When wrote 鈥楪ood morning, midnight鈥 鈥 an experimental modernist novel about a disenfranchised woman living at a time of uncertainty between the two World Wars 鈥 it was technically well-received based on the writing but criticised for being too 鈥渄epressing鈥. Is the female perspective not relevant unless it鈥檚 positive?
Thirty-seven years later, Susan Meiselas released a book called . The photographic journal represented the lives of women in an environment that indulges the male gaze; there are no women at all in the audience. There鈥檚 no doubt it鈥檚 a fascinating series and brings a fresh (but fresh only through lack of representation) perspective that was previously unseen in photography. But what word was used to describe it? 鈥淒epressing鈥.
Fortunately, strides of progress have now been made which has given rise to a wonderfully noble agency called . They grew at a rapid pace after starting a new hashtag. #Girlgaze was a movement for young, aspiring photographers to have a platform to grow, develop and to represent other girls in a way that鈥檚 authentic and accurate. Girlgaze was so successful that the movement鈥檚 remit has broadened out to the wider creative community.
However, the existence of Girlgaze says a lot about the current state of the world. You may be surprised to hear that women only represent about 5% of the photography industry. Every time we see one of these great causes crop up, it鈥檚 a reminder that we still have progress to make, a reminder that equal opportunities is still a dream for many, a reminder that certain voices are still being suppressed. And the work that they鈥檝e helped get off the ground is a reflection of that too. One of my favourite projects they supported tries to break all those barriers:
is a wonderfully heart-warming project headed by Mona Tavakoli who empowers young girls to own their space and express themselves without fear of judgement. In her words, Mona proclaims: 鈥渋magine being a young girl where you can walk into a space and the intention is for you to feel good about yourself鈥.
But what鈥檚 most poignant about this project is the freedom for expression. At the end of the day, that鈥檚 what Art is all about: expressing a feeling, a moment in time or simply, yourself. And it鈥檚 when that freedom is taken away that we feel most oppressed. The problem is that this level of oppression is so indoctrinated in modern society that we鈥檙e now blind to it. This deceptively simple film by Molly Fisher highlights this very issue.
With so little dialogue, here is a film that practically relies solely on the visual language Molly employs culminating with a beautifully poetic frame at 03:41 where the 鈥渘o entry鈥 and 鈥渙ne-way鈥 sign symbolise the gender stereotypes that oppress us all. Just imagine, who would I have been if all of life鈥檚 presuppositions and social conditioning were wiped away.
One of the most exciting things to come out of the Girlgaze platform is the whole new raft of talent bringing a fresh take on storytelling that should inspire us all. And it鈥檚 important to note that when a movement starts gaining traction, as this one has, then other artists need to take note and realise that the representation of women in media is changing. It鈥檚 a moment to pause and ask yourself: 鈥渋s this image reflective of today鈥檚 society?鈥
But if you have a project that shows how girls see the world, check out聽聽and maybe they can help.