Course Description and Assessment

FOUNDATION  STUDIES CORE SKILLS  YEAR 2

FAIR AND LOVELY, BROWN AND BEAUTIFUL:
DECONSTRUCTING ‘BEAUTY’

Faculty

Sabina von Kessel [Diploma in VC, University of Fine Arts, Hamburg, Teaching & research interests: photography, VC, gender, development, history, cycling...]

Supporting Faculty

Tanvi Talwar, [Srishti Diploma, Film maker with interests in gender and identities]

Jyothsna Belliappa, [PhD in Sociology, Teaching & research interests: gender, work, identities]

Abstract

This course explores concepts of ‘Beauty’ (human beauty) and related notions, in engagement with a discourse on the construction of ‘Beauty’, with consumption in focus. Different positions in the concept of ‘Beauty’, the global Beauty Industry, as well as historical perspectives in development of the image of beauty are to be examined in relation to the contemporary globalised scenario of ‘Fair and Lovely’ in Asia and ‘Brown and Beautiful’ in the Western hemisphere.  Construction of beauty in (Hindi-)films, Adfilms and the mass media will additionally be addressed.  The students will undertake research with beauticians and consumers of beauty products to further develop their project ideas.

Course Brief

This course will address students’ ability to critique images of ‘Beauty’ that they see around them and to understand where such images might have come from in relation to self. 

Students will be required to

·        Read and critique number of academic and popular articles on ‘beauty

·        Undertake an independent research project

·        Write a research report,

·        And most importantly, create a visual essay that deconstructs the popular notions of ‘Beauty’

·        Students will need to be self-managed, self-motivated and self-disciplined as faculty will be available for support and feedback but not for monitoring work.

Each student needs to collect at least 3 issues of Indian beauty magazines from the previous one year and bring this to class in the first week.

Week1: Constructions of Beauty & Semantics of (Human) Beauty: An Introduction

Starting with our personal relationship with beauty and then using snippets of Hindifilms, art history and research from South Asia and from the Western hemisphere we will begin to deconstruct images of ideal beauty.

We will critically examine different layers and the semantics of ‘human-beauty’, looking at art history, the self and people in relation to Indian identities and the creation of a ‘middle class identity’ through the Beauty Industry.

We will discuss with a filmmaker and her protagonist, a Heijira, the layers of gender and beauty.

Each student will write a brief for their visual essay.

Week 2: The Beauty Industry: How women and men are made to achieve an image against their nature

We will investigate how major global brands construct beauty images such as “fair and lovely” and “How women and men are made to achieve an image against their nature” (Naomi Wolf) through readings, films and an investigation in our own city. Students will research perspective of beauticians and consumers, advertising professionals, plastic surgeons, film makers or designers to develop their own artistic approach towards the subject.

Students will begin work on their visual essay

Week 3: Globalization, Beauty and Consumption

Students will consider the relationship between technology, urbanisation, globalization, consumption and ‘Beauty’.

They will layer contemporary, historical, political, social and cultural imagery with personal connections, connecting objective information and subjective intervention to understand that beauty is a construction made up by different markers in a global setting.

Students will continue working on their visual essays.

Week 4 and 5: Intensive Work on Visual Essay:  Deconstructing Beauty

Students will examine visual essays and look at works of different artists on ‘Beauty.’ Based on feedback with faculty and peers, students will complete their visual essays and prepare for a final presentation to the Srishti community.

COURSE EVALUATION

Ongoing Evaluation 20%

·        Timeliness and punctuality

·        Ability to manage oneself and one’s work

·        Organisational skills

·        Ability to comment and critique readings, films and visuals in writing or orally

·        Ability to summarize and present readings to peers and faculty

·        Participation in discussion on the blog     

Assignments 80%

·        Magazine Analysis 20%

·        Research Report and Presentation of findings 20%

·        Visual Essay 40%

Brief and Evaluation Criteria for Each Assignment

Magazine Analysis

Students will work in groups to analyze images from beauty magazines and from women’s magazines.  They will identify major themes of beauty articles, products endorsed and images in the magazines to understand what message is being sent to readers about ideal beauty. Using a collage of magazine images and text they will present their findings to peers.  Assessment criteria include:

·        Ability to identify major themes in terms of beauty.

·        Ability to ‘read’ images for trends

·        Ability to succinctly summarize the main editorial message of the magazine (concerning beauty) as a letter to readers.

Research Report

Students will work in pairs to undertake the write a 1000 word report and make a (5 slide/ 5 minute) PowerPoint presentation of findings to the class.  The report will be based on interviews with consumers, beauticians and other ‘beauty professionals’ or media professionals.  The data from interviews will be collated in a report. The assessment criteria are:

·        Ability to summarize data and identify major trends in the data

·        Ability to draw connections between class discussion, readings, films and data

·        Ability to present write in a clear, concise manner and present a professional report and presentation free from typos and in hard copy only

·        Ability to communicate their findings clearly in 5 minutes only

Visual Essay

Students can produce a visual essay in a variety of ways. This depends primarily on her/his own choice.

·         Paintings, drawings, sculptures can be created

• A variety of photos can be shot to build an essay with or without text
• A  film or animated essay can be build on inspiring films that led students to this point in their life or films that they produce during the course.

A. 10% Brief and theoretical  framework

1. Theoretical aim and comprehension,

2. Awareness of contemporary practice

3. Creative idea development

B. 30% Internal program

1. Internal planning efficiency and effectiveness

2. Human environment and ability to draw from history,culture and self

C. 40% External program

1. Site and contextual relationships

2. Composition and proportion, aesthetics, clarity, flow, usability

3. Coherent application

D. 20% Execution and Professionalism

1. Execution

2. Verbal communication

3. Presentation