With the advent of digital imagery, medium format and 35-millimeter film have become obsolete. Where these formats were once commonplace - along with the Polaroid - they’re now reserved for special projects and posterity.
The fashion industry in particular has embraced the digital age. And with it its highly advanced retouching programs that allow operators to create with ease the ideal picture. That is, the perfect specimen.
Anna Wintour is said to rely heavily on retouching when preparing American Vogue. Odd given she has access to the best clothes, models, locations, stylists and photographers. Yet she still insists on the head from one shot be repositioned onto the body of another. Or a man’s paunch slimmed to more pleasing proportions. Or someone’s skin smoothed to that of an infant.
The beauty industry is another guilty party, with cosmetics companies choosing to only display images of models and actresses sporting symmetrical features, poreless complexions, lush lashes and plump lips - treating everything from skin to hair, to limbs to chins. Is nothing immune to the retouching tool? Even what we perceive as perfect is being perfected!
For their April edition, French Elle took the opposite approach: commissioning Peter Lindbergh to shoot a series of covers featuring Eva Herzigova, Inès de la Fressange, and actresses Monica Bellucci, Sophie Marceau, Anne Parillaud, Karin Viard, Charlotte Rampling, and Chiara Mastroianni sans make-up and retouching. When interviewed by The New York Times Lindbergh had this to say, “My feeling is that for years now it has taken a much too big part in how women are being visually defined today.” “Heartless retouching should not be the chosen tool to represent women…”
Here! Here!
Though wait a minute, before you start celebrating the return of a more realistic representation of the human form. Many in the industry have viewed Elle’s approach with skepticism, saying it’s nothing more than a gimmick and is unlikely to be taken up by the industry at large.
So I guess this means it’s still unlawful to be flawful, huh? What a world we live in...
The fashion industry in particular has embraced the digital age. And with it its highly advanced retouching programs that allow operators to create with ease the ideal picture. That is, the perfect specimen.
Anna Wintour is said to rely heavily on retouching when preparing American Vogue. Odd given she has access to the best clothes, models, locations, stylists and photographers. Yet she still insists on the head from one shot be repositioned onto the body of another. Or a man’s paunch slimmed to more pleasing proportions. Or someone’s skin smoothed to that of an infant.
The beauty industry is another guilty party, with cosmetics companies choosing to only display images of models and actresses sporting symmetrical features, poreless complexions, lush lashes and plump lips - treating everything from skin to hair, to limbs to chins. Is nothing immune to the retouching tool? Even what we perceive as perfect is being perfected!
For their April edition, French Elle took the opposite approach: commissioning Peter Lindbergh to shoot a series of covers featuring Eva Herzigova, Inès de la Fressange, and actresses Monica Bellucci, Sophie Marceau, Anne Parillaud, Karin Viard, Charlotte Rampling, and Chiara Mastroianni sans make-up and retouching. When interviewed by The New York Times Lindbergh had this to say, “My feeling is that for years now it has taken a much too big part in how women are being visually defined today.” “Heartless retouching should not be the chosen tool to represent women…”
Here! Here!
Though wait a minute, before you start celebrating the return of a more realistic representation of the human form. Many in the industry have viewed Elle’s approach with skepticism, saying it’s nothing more than a gimmick and is unlikely to be taken up by the industry at large.
So I guess this means it’s still unlawful to be flawful, huh? What a world we live in...
No comments:
Post a Comment