A World Of Opposites...

How we see ourselves is conditioned by the images around us. This images reflect and reinforce in our minds societies values.
Game : take photos of the world around you (adverts, pictures, places, things, events... but not reel people please ! ) on the theme of contrasts.
- Ugly : Beautiful
- Weak : Strong
- Dumb : Smart
- Nasty : Nice
- Ill : Healthy
- Bad : Good
- Quiet : Loud
- Hot : Cold
- Etc...
Put your pictures on the blog with comments.
We often think in terms of opposites, like "ugly" vs "beautiful". Beauty is perhaps in the eye of beholder, but advertises reinforce our simplistic-binary-vision of the world, to condition our way of seeing things ; we end up thinking in stereotypes... Should we not nuance of vision of things ? Are people just "ugly" or "beautiful". Our way of seeing others can be destructive of others... When looking at a portrait or someone's self-portrait, go beyond juging a person by their appearence. Who they are is more important than what they look like. Ask yourselves : what can I learn from a person appearence ? How is his/her life, his/her feelings "written" on his/her face ?

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Raymond Briggs

1°) What is his profession ?
Raymond Briggs is a graphic novelist and a cartoonist.

2°) How important is it to him ?
Briggs lives for his job, it's very important to him.

3°) What is his house like ?
His house is the messiest house of the world. There are drawing and papers everywhere, even on his house's walls and on his furnitures.

4°) How does his home reflect his personnality ?
Briggs litterally lives in his job, his passion. All of his creations are a part of him and they are on each spot of his house, so there's a part of his personnality on each spot of his house.

5°) How does he talk about himself, his parents, the characters he has invented ?
Raymond Briggs doesn't like to talk about him but when talking about his parents, especially his mother, we can see that he his very sad because they were very close. That's why he created characters to represent them.

Lyrics of "Je suis comme je suis" Jacques Prevert

I am as I am
I am made like this
When I want to laugh
Yes I'm laughing out loud
I love the one who loves me
Is that my fault
If it's not the same
That I love each time
I am as I am
I am made like this
What do you want more
What do you want from me

I am made to please
And can't change anything
My hells are to high
My hips are too huntche
My boops way too hard
And bags under my eyes
And after
What does it do to you
I am as I am
I please who I please
What does it do to you

What happened to me
Yes I have loved someone
Yes somebody has loved me
As children love each other
Simply know how to love
Love, love...
Why asking me
I am here to please you
And can't change anything.

The Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square

The Fourth Plinth is in the north-west of Trafalgar Square, in central London. Built in 1841, it was originally intended for an equestrian statue but was empty for many years. It is now the location for specially commissioned artworks.

My Self-portrait

This is a photography of me (Lisa Desjobert). It represents my nose, my cheeks and my lips painted with chocolate. I am trying to show that I'm greedy. So you now know about me that I loooove nutel** (not to mention the brand). On this photo, I'm 15 and I'm quite in a good mood ! Hope this make you smile !

Analysing a (self-) portrait

Medium (Oil, watercolour, gouache, photograph, etc)
Size, colours, shapes, texture, light + shade
Style ("school") : cubist, expressionist, surrealist, dadaist, impressionist...
How is the subject treated ? (the "atmosphere")
What do you think the artist tried to say ?
About himself ? What do we learn about his personnality ?
What have others said about the portrait ?
When the artist did the portrait, how old was he, what was his situation ? Are his circumstances revealed in the portrait ?
For whom was the portrait intended ?
What are your thoughts, memories, emotions (association of ideas) when looking at the portrait ?