So Italian artist Anne Utopia Giordano recently did the Venus Project, where she photo shopped the famous paintings of Venus to fit today's standards of beauty.
I want to know what you think about how they look now.
Because I just can't get on board.
My favorite thing about the original paintings is the shape of the woman's body.
It is real.
It is beautiful.
And I've always celebrated my own body when it looked a little bit more like the beautiful women in the paintings I adore.
And it makes me stop and wonder,
Why does our society currently place such an emphasis on being thin?
Because a woman's figure is just as beautiful to me with all the curves.
Post edit:
After reading my friend Shannon's response to this (which you should read), I think I need to be more clear. For me, it isn't about being thin or curvy that is better. What it's really about it loving your body for what it is and not trying to change it to fit an ideal. Some women are naturally so tiny (like my mom!) but I would be just as against drastic measures for them to fit the ideal, if it happened to be different than who they are. And I did a little bit of editing of my words to fit my thoughts better with my meaning.
(via A Cup of Jo)
Hm...I actually have lots to say about this, so I think I'm going to write a full-on post! Then you can read it.
ReplyDeleteSo, was she doing it to show that society's views are skewed or what?
ReplyDeleteI think the edited versions are worse. I mean, the women look weak, sickly and scrawny.
And being a woman, I think society's expectations for women are unrealistic and ridiculous!
Give me some curves, some strength and some softness!
I've never commented before, but I find this as somewhat of an area of expertise ;)
ReplyDeleteOur society has an obsession with {controlling} women's sexuality, purity, virginity, and ultimately youth (because of those obsessions). We call this process "infantilization" or in other words, associating women, grown women, with young girls and babies. By looking at it that way, it makes sense that women's bodies have not only been placed in childlike poses and postures and even clothing/hair/make up (look at any advertisement), but they are physically shrinking, becoming more and more like the body of a prepubescent male- ironically (with big boobs of course). If women are smaller they are less powerful, less threatening, and most importantly "less sexual" (if childlike). My explanation is not nearly as eloquent as the experts- but that's the jist of that phenomenon. You can look up Jessica Valenti and "The Purity Myth" for more info.
Thanks for sharing the Venus Project!
yeah . . . I can't get over the nudity part. Put clothes on her and I'd like it better either way. I've never been a nude art fan.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post edit. I have had friends that are naturally very small. Even my sisters are much smaller than I. But, really it's not about a particular size. I do find that society's view (in general) of what is beautiful or acceptable for women is very skewed though.
ReplyDelete