The research question of my project is concerned with the evolution of romantic courtship with reference to the influence of fairytale conventions. The project aims to produce a photographic series and exegesis, which explore the constructs embodied in traditional fairytales in the context of social and aesthetic behaviours in courtship.
The project started with an investigation of both academic references and contemporary artists. My Initial experimentation created works that communicated ideas surrounding themes such as fairytales, romance and gender confusion.
I became interested in finding connections between academic and creative concepts such as the aesthetics of gender identity and the psychology of courtship and fairytales. By engaging in a creative process and exploring references that influenced the works, I was able to question and explore these themes through performing roles of both genders within the creation of characters. This exegesis essentially tracks my creative process, research and the questions and challenges I have faced along the way.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Section one: Research and development
Chapter 1: Women wanting to be desired
Chapter 2: Understanding gender identity and persona
Chapter 3: Confusing fantasy and reality in character and in space
Section two: Processing findings
Chapter 4: Males in courtship and the plight of love
Chapter 5: Findings
Final Works
Bibliography
Project Goals and Research Focus
This research project investigates the evolution of contemporary romantic courtship through the lens of traditional fairytale conventions. The central research question examines how these ancient narratives and their subliminal messages influence modern social behaviors, gender roles, and the psychological construction of desire within courtship dynamics.
- The influence of traditional fairytale tropes on contemporary courtship expectations.
- The performance of gender roles and the disruption of traditional power dynamics.
- The use of self-portraiture and photography to challenge social constructs of femininity and masculinity.
- The psychological distinction between desire and need in the context of romantic engagement.
Excerpt from the Book
Chapter one: Women wanting to be desired
The project started with the investigation of themes found in fairy tales and in particular the female characters portrayed within these tales.
This initiated a creative process involving the exploration of how to depict characters in a way that challenged conceptions of courtship. In addition to creating images, research into the tales was undertaken. The creative process started with experimentation in developing a cast of female characters.
The fairy tales of The Brothers Grimm form the basis of my research enabling me to explore the conceptual framework that operates within traditional fairy tales. The Brothers Grimm’s work takes the reader on a journey through dark recesses of the human heart and social morality. The stories often begin with lifelike situations that evolve into the fantastic and magical, as the protagonist is challenged by events and other characters along the way. It is through these storylines that messages surrounding moral consciousness are conveyed to the audience. An example of this is the tale of Little Snow White, more commonly known as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In this tale The Brothers Grimm create a storyline around Snow White’s evil stepmother engaging in horrid acts to kill her. The Brothers Grimm reveal the consequences of bad behaviour by using the stepmother’s actions as an example, the following extract from the tale describes her punishment:
Just then a pair of red-hot iron shoes were brought in with a pair of tongs and set before her, and these she was forced to put on and to dance in til she fell down dead (Grimm, 1947, p. 25).
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Outlines the project’s goal to investigate how fairytale conventions influence modern romantic courtship through a photographic series and accompanying exegesis.
Section one: Research and development: Provides the foundational research regarding the cultural and psychological impact of traditional narratives on modern society.
Chapter 1: Women wanting to be desired: Examines female archetypes in Brothers Grimm tales and the subliminal messages concerning courtship that shape female identity.
Chapter 2: Understanding gender identity and persona: Explores the construction of gender through costume, props, and body language to challenge traditional assumptions.
Chapter 3: Confusing fantasy and reality in character and in space: Discusses the integration of anti-fairytale concepts and the use of 'frame within a frame' photography to create alternative realities.
Section two: Processing findings: Details the practical application of research findings into the creation of the final photographic body of work.
Chapter 4: Males in courtship and the plight of love: Analyzes the creation of male characters in the work, focusing on domestic tasks and metaphors for rejection and vulnerability.
Chapter 5: Findings: Synthesizes the creative and academic conclusions, reflecting on how performing gender roles informed the photographer’s approach to subverting traditional narratives.
Final Works: Presents the final photographic series, detailing the technical specifications and exhibition history for each image.
Bibliography: Lists the extensive academic and artistic references utilized throughout the research process.
Keywords
Courtship, Fairytales, Gender identity, Photography, Brothers Grimm, Subliminal messages, Performance, Persona, Anti-fairytale, Social constructs, Romance, Visual culture, Desire, Gender maneuvering, Masculinity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this thesis?
The thesis explores the evolution of romantic courtship by examining how traditional fairytale conventions and their underlying subliminal messages continue to shape modern social behaviors and gender expectations.
What are the central themes of the work?
The central themes include the influence of folklore on adult relationship behaviors, the performance of gender identity, the distinction between desire and need, and the disruption of traditional 'damsel in distress' narratives.
What is the core research question?
The research asks how contemporary romantic courtship is evolving when viewed through the influence of fairytale conventions, specifically regarding the power dynamics and social constructs embedded within these ancient stories.
What methodology does the author use?
The author employs a creative-led approach, combining academic literature searches on psychology and gender theory with photographic practice, including self-portraiture and the creation of staged characters.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body documents the creative process, moving from the analysis of female archetypes in fairytale literature to the experimentation with male personas, and finally investigating the intersections of fantasy, reality, and social power through photography.
How would you characterize this project using keywords?
The project is best characterized by keywords such as Courtship, Fairytales, Gender identity, Photography, Performance, and Social constructs.
How does the author utilize the work of Frida Kahlo?
The author uses Frida Kahlo's exploration of physical harm as a visual reference to reflect emotional wounds and internal struggle within the characters, linking this to the adversity faced by characters in traditional fairytales.
What role does Jacques Lacan’s theory play in the research?
Lacan's theory of the "asymptotic course" is used to analyze the structure of human desire, explaining why we seek objects or partners that we can never truly "get," which the author correlates with the persistent pursuit inherent in courtship.
Why did the author incorporate a "frame within a frame" technique?
This technique was adopted to create a visual representation of multiple realities, allowing the photographer to juxtapose fantasy and the mundane to challenge the viewer's perception of the narrative space.
- Citation du texte
- Lydia Cook (Auteur), 2011, Courtship. A Photographic Investigation of Romantic Engagement, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/302542
