Part 4: Narrative Description & Reflection (Final)

How did you incorporate contemporary art as public pedagogy as you implemented your plan?
I was able to incorporate many contemporary art concepts into my art-making lesson plan by reinterpreting historical images of power. The pedagogy was made public through the publishing and tagging of a hybrid image. It provided an area to challenge established ideas regarding gender positionality.

I began to start working through my lesson plan shortly after I posted my blog two weeks ago (as evidenced by last week’s post). I wanted to focus on the art-making aspect of the lesson plan and pay particular attention to which tools I used. Most of my digital imaging knowledge comes from independent study studio courses—I was usually given a textbook for guidance and rarely had a teacher that could offer personal instruction.

What happened? What worked? What, if anything, didn’t work?

Jan Van Eyck's Arnolfini Portrait

Since I wanted to create a final image that contradicted messages inherent in an original historical piece, I started researching portraiture through Google Image and Flickr. My search terms included “portrait,” “historical portrait,” and “male portrait.” I was particularly interested in finding a piece that showed traditional images of male power. When I saw Jan van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait, I knew I hit the proverbial jackpot.

A quick visual scan of the work reveals a wealthy male in a position of power over a wealthy female. Her position closer to the bed (as well as potentially pregnant) contrasts his assertive pose and direct eye contact with the viewer. There are many interesting resources discussing the Arnolfini Portrait and potential symbolism, however I hesitate to delve into this area at the cost of further explaining my own experiences with this lesson plan. If you are interested in learning more, here are some interesting resources:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnolfini_Portrait#Interpretation_and_symbolism
• http://www.loschermo.it/articoli/view/25082
• http://www.themasterpiececards.com/famous-paintings-reviewed/bid/27677/Famous-Paintings-The-Arnolfini-Portrait 

I began my piece by photographing my face in the same position as the male figure’s face. Using Photoshop tools such as color enhancers, masking, clone tools, healing spots, blurring, and burning/dodging I integrated my face into the image.

Hybrid image with my face added

The power dynamic of having a female face pasted onto a male’s had unintended consequences. I realized that I had not made an artistic decision regarding the female portrait. Options for her “edit” included pasting my face onto her body as well (which could be a reflection on the duality of personal gender characteristics). I also thought about leaving her the same as the original, but it found that option lacking. Finally I asked my boyfriend to pose in her stead and grafted his image onto her body. While he enjoyed the resulting creation (and the message it sent) he was fully against having this hybrid (with his image) posted in public. I will share it below, but ask that it not be reproduced outside of our class.

Hybrid image with both faces added

Because of his concern, I did not to post this image on Facebook or Flickr, and instead uploaded the hybrid that only included my face on the male’s body. In the three days since its posting (under a request to comment on reactions) I have only received two feedback messages. One from a friend that thought it was interesting to see the power shift inherent with switching genders and commented on same-sex attraction, and another that said this type of work would be a great gift for a wedding. I asked the first commenter to further explain her reaction to my piece, but have yet to receive a response.

I believed that posting this image on Facebook and Flickr (and tagging it so it will become a search result for the original image) would challenge public notions of patriarchy and gender stereotyping. However, privacy concerns and lack of feedback has stifled my ability to see its effects. I do find it extremely interesting that my boyfriend would not allow this image to be seen in public, as it could potentially be a target for anti-masculine attacks. When asked what in particular made him uncomfortable, he replied that he “didn’t want that picture to be the first impression someone would make of him.” After more prodding, he revealed further insight into his distress:

Because it makes me appear to be less masculine.  It puts you, as the man, in the dominant role.  The woman doesn't even get to look up, instead having to slyly look at the man hoping for his approval to look. And while yes, I am very happy with allowing these roles in our relationship and I’m fine with my current friends seeing something like this, I don't want to start new friendships with those assumptions.

His response to my questioning if it would be OK to post the hybrid image if my face was on the woman’s and his on the man’s:


I seem so arrogant. You’ve backed me into a wall and I see that I’m a hypocrite. Yes, it would be OK to post that image because I’m male and you’re female. 

What challenges did you face? How did you handle challenges?
Beyond posting difficulties, I had a major software challenge. Photoshop began crashing on me every time I opened the image, and I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Fortunately I was able to find a free online program ( http://pixlr.com/ ) that allowed me to finish the piece.

What changes (curriculum or pedagogy) are you interested in making if you were to teach it again? Why make these changes?
I would make a few changes to this plan if I could start from the beginning. First, I would make sure that my software worked well, and that other people I used felt comfortable publicly posting the resulting image online. I would also find a better studio space for taking the picture of the new faces to be added. It was extremely difficult to manipulate the shadows and color levels to match the original image.

Reflecting on the entire process, what stands out or is significant to you now?
The most significant learning experience of this project was realizing the sheer amount of time necessary to create a successful art lesson. It was extremely valuable to learn the ins-and-outs of course preparation and all of the variables that go into creating lessons that value contemporary art concepts and public pedagogy. On a personal level, I appreciated the dialogue this lesson facilitated with my boyfriend and its ability to challenge his views of gender positioning in imagery.