I chose Cindy Sherman as an artist who deals with the concept of identity through her work. She dresses up in different clothes and makeup and takes pictures of herself assuming different roles and creating conceptual portraits. Through a number of different series of works as a photographer, Sherman has sought to raise challenging and important questions about the role and representation of women in society, the media and the nature of the creation of art.
Some of Cindy Sherman's work:
Key Concepts
-Identities have different facets
-Identity can be shaped by personal experience, heritage, interests, environment
-identities are flexible and always changing
-Stereotypes and our perceptions have an impact on identity
-Identity can be perceived differently, depending on the person or persons
Essential Questions
-How do our life experiences impact our identity?
-How do images impact our perception of identity?
-How do traditional societal roles impact identity?
-How do we communicate identity through images?
-How can the ways we represent ourselves impact our perception of identity?
I thought that the This American Life podcast was really interesting and it was insightful to hear actual students talk about their life experiences in middle school. An issue that came up the most in the different segments was definitely identity and the way kids that age struggle to find where they fit and what they go through to not be ostracized by different groups. I remember there was one girl in the earlier segment who talked about certain clothing items that she personally loved, but would never dare to even wear in middle school for fear of being made fun of. I can totally remember feeling like that at that age, where it's all about wearing the right clothes and acting a certain way. She also talked about being criticized for smoking, but there was peer pressure and name calling from kids if you didn't smoke, so there is this double edged sword and it's no wonder being that age is such a confusing and difficult time. I do remember it being mentioned in the Kerlavage article that there are so many emotional changes going on at this time that the influences of peers and the desire to be accepted brings changes in the rules, students are now attempting to establish their own definitions of right and wrong, so what this girl was going through is completely normal. Also, students start to test their abilities against each other and they may develop low self-esteem if they are not included in the “right” group, there is also less tolerance for individual differences.
There was also a segment that was done where they went to a middle school dance an asked some students there what things were like and as far as relationships with the opposite sex. One girl said she had had a lot of boys ask her, but she never really answered any of them, she didn't really want to go with one guy, she said she would rather just hang out with the girls that night. There are so many changes going on with regards to relationships that it's either a situation like this where girls and boys stay in same gender groups or they are "dating." Issues like this are again mentioned in the Kerlavage article, students are aware of changing sexual roles as they move into the teenage years and they will often dissolve opposite-sex friendships and become actively involved with same-sex groups to help define these changing roles. Overall, the podcast was really helpful as a way for us all to remember that incredibly awkward time that I'm sure we've all tried to block out from our memory.
