This project has been a really interesting experience for me, as it’s the first time I’ve had an art project where the work I was doing was more heavily based on the researching the concept, rather than making the piece.

The concept of the male gaze proved to be far more complex to interpret than I anticipated. Especially in terms of having to step away from the work and see that my interpretation isn’t necessarily how it’ll be seen by an audience. Linking the photographs with the concept of trying to portray woman without the influence of the male gaze proved to be quite difficult to make clear.

Although I had taken photos which I felt achieved this, I failed to consider whether I have subconsciously taken photos based on how I’ve been influenced by media so heavily focused on the male gaze, such as the smoking photo.

So while I was initially I was going to present my photos in printed pairs of the indulgence and the person, I think I will make it into a short video, with slides of the photos and a sound linking back to the male gaze over it.

So I went back to my initial inspiration for this idea, which was Laura Mulvey’s essay. I thought I would have a male reading out the main part of the essay which inspired this project. What I hope to achieve with this is to allow the viewer to consider whether these photos are taken within the male gaze.