Art Theory: BVA 313 - 08/07/2019 (Project topic)
Discussion on the topic:
My final year project "The Three
Cinderellas" discuss the acceptance of cultural identity. Through this
discussion, I wanted to understand how the story of "Cinderella" is
able to reflect on cultural acceptance.
- Cultural acceptance plays an important role in my
project. This topic reflects my perspective on cultural identity. This idea is
to promote acceptance in cultural identity as I believe through accepting the
concept of equality in cultural differences the problem of diversity
(inequality in diversity).
What does each chosen scene of cinderella reflect
the perspective of nowadays society?
How by reflecting on other research
on Cinderella influenced my own work?
The fairy tale story of cinderella has been written in many studies such as the
diversity of the society's classicism (Rich and Poor), Feminism and of cause
cultural identity.
My project:
I was focusing so much on cultural acceptance but
actually, I was seeking approval in the society because of what I have been
through in my life. Born in Malaysia as the 4th generation of Chinese
descendants, I experienced discrimination between different culture in Malaysia
as the government prioritized the Malays and other indigenous ethnic. Coming to
New Zealand too has no difference leaving my home country. Although New
Zealand’s government actually encourage different ethnicity coming here
immigrants still have that awkwardness in society. Why people that has similar
believe gather together? Do people feel inferior because are not the majority
ethnicity in society?
There are a lot of findings that show the relationship
between feminist and fairy tales but not towards cultural identity. However, it
is very interesting to understand the importance of a feminist as fairy tales
are acted as a medium to explore and expand this an understanding between
people in nowaday’s society.
It would be great to identify more of this aspect of
cultural identity. Maybe my questioning should include fairy tales (Cinderella),
Cultural Identity and Feminism.
The shoe still fits:
The film ever after, shows Danielle in full confidence
and lack of interest in material wealth, social status and prince hunting. This
story plot is not the classical traditional plot that shows female as a fragile
character. An essence of feminist shows strongly.
Reflecting on my project:
Seeing Danielle being independent makes me think
should I imply the importance of being strong and independent in my project
(shows in Illustration).
** There is a studying saying to imply a believer in
society is to constantly act as a reminder. Therefore the society will slowly
accept the unacceptable aspect. (Like Female empowerment)
Williams,
C. (2010). The Shoe Still Fits: Ever After and the Pursuit of a Feminist
Cinderella. In Zipes J.
(Author) & Greenhill P.
& Matrix S. (Eds.), Fairy Tale Films: Visions of Ambiguity (pp.
99-115). University Press of Colorado. doi:10.2307/j.ctt4cgn37.10
Mixing
It Up:
Generic
Complexity and Gender Ideology in Early Twenty first Century Fairy Tale Films
Annotation:
“This Cinderella is a
larger-than-life figure—not simply an ideal beauty but an active, educated,
willful, and flawed woman—with whom the teller proudly associates herself, and
one whom, presumably, girls at the end of the twentieth century will not
dismiss as an outdated fantasy.”
Through this reading, we
are able to identify the typical story of Cinderella has been modified as time
goes by to reflect on the contemporary issue happening at that specific era.
The popular 1998 film Ever After is a perfect example that suggest implying
the aethetic features of
Cinderella into its contemporary twist.
“While Cinderella and her prince did live happily ever
after, the point, gentlemen, is that she lived.”
“Ever After as an “American popular culture production of
the Cinderella tale that cleverly blurs
the boundaries between folktale and legend in an attempt to retrieve the romantic possibilities of ‘true love’ for
the generation currently raised in the aftermath/afterglow of secondwave feminism and post-Marxist
critique” (2004, 200). Preston suggests that the film’s combination of “the shift in genre from fairy tale to legend” with “a
shift in gender patterns” is a response to “the last thirty years of feminist
critique of gender construction in respect to key Western European
popularized versions of the fairy tale (in particular those of Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, and Disney)
A lot has changed, we
agree, in the production and reception of fairy tales in popular culture since
the early 1970s, when North American feminists argued vehemently in the public
sphere about the genre’s role in shaping gender-specific attitudes about self,
romance, marriage, family, and social power”
Before the holidays, I
had a discussion with Traci on the topic for my theory paper. She mentions
about the feminist aspect in fairy tale. At the beginning of our discussion, I
was strongly against the word “feminist”. I do not want my work to be under the
“Feminism category”. However, the meaning of feminist is not what I was
expecting it to be. Initially I thought feminist is based on demanding female
fighting their rights in the society. It seems to me that this behaviour is
becoming too absurd in nowadays’ society. In reality, feminist is a choice for
females, a choice of freedom to make decision and be confident of being who
they are. Kathy Caprino (Caprino, 2017) argue
that the meaning of feminist is not female we prove the genuinely of becoming a
pure feminist, it is actually the freedom of choice for female. She believes “if we cannot choose freely how to
behave, speak, act and present ourselves, then we are moving backwards.”
Bacchilega, C., & Rieder, J. (2010). Mixing It Up: Generic
Complexity and Gender Ideology in Early Twenty-first Century Fairy Tale Films.
In Zipes J. (Author) & Greenhill P. & Matrix S.
(Eds.), Fairy Tale Films: Visions of Ambiguity (pp. 23-41).
University Press of Colorado. doi:10.2307/j.ctt4cgn37.6
Looking into GENRE.
(From the same article as above but through another published as it was found
written on a book.
Fairy
tales transformed?
From the book “fairy
tales transformed?” highlights the importance of different “genre” of
fairy tales.
Pg 114
For Frow, the
consequences of generic choice bear upon the construction of one’s sense of
reality: “genres create effects of reality and truth which are
central to the different ways the world is understood. . . .
The semiotic frames within which genres are embedded implicate and specify
layered ontological domains— implicate realities which genres form as a pre-given reference”
While reading this statement, I realized I should
include the importance of “Genre” in my project as creating a new genre will
construct one’s sense of reality (my sense of reality).
Bacchilega, C. (2002). Fairy tales
transformed? : Twenty-first-century adaptations and the politics of wonder.
Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com
Great analysis of your project from the art theory perspective!
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