4/11/2007
Oscillating between the Visible and the Invisible: the Mischievous Interplay of Sexuality in YiYi Wan’s Photography, 2003-2005 by Rei-Chi Liu
YiYi received her master degree in photography in 2004 from San Francisco’s Academy of Art University in the United States. She possesses a thorough understanding of the history of photography as well as the feminist theory, as is reflected in her photographic self-portraits, her choice of titles, styles, and contents, as well as her statement on art. These, taken together,
expressed a significant amount of critical and satirical sentiments that are associated with feminism.
In taking these self-portraits, YiYi applied the pinhole camera. This decision is bold and wise. Her use of the pinhole camera differs from that of the tradition, which has served as a tool of peeping. Here, the images of the female figures are rendered vague and blurry due to shortened exposure time. This created an effect of uncertainty. The blurry images of female bodies also prevent men from focusing his desires on usually well defined and clear images. This uncommon expression found in her self-portraits, where the photo images seem to oscillate between the visible and the invisible, poses, in some sense, a direct confrontation on male’s sexually charged gaze, which often peeks from behind the pinhole.
In YiYi’s work, we can notice an apparent connection to the European tradition of using costumed female in self-portraits. Particularly evident is the influence of Francesca Woodman (1958-1981). The resemblances can be seen in their choices of subject-matters, which normally include: obscured and unsettled expressions and bodily images, elegantly arranged feminine dresses and backgrounds, and the displays of objects that are filled with symbolic meanings, such as flowers and fruits, etc. One of YiYi’s works, entitled “Womanliness as a Masquerade?”, reminds us of the influential female psychoanalyst Joan Riviere’s writing in feminist theory, “Womanliness as a Masquerade” (1929). The most noticeable and exaggerated characteristic in YiYi’s work lies in her employment of Woodman-like subject-matter to create a theatrical stage, in which she used exaggerated and satirical costumes, backdrops, as well as various gestures through glances, bodily expressions and performances, to critique the male possessiveness over femininity. Taken together, her mocking of femininity, and her intentional usage of pin-hole camera with an embedded inversion of connotation, has successfully undermined the traditional idea that femininity is at the service of men.
In addition to critiquing on traditional male gaze of female body, YiYi’s work also discloses a way of thinking related to the concept of “Auto-Erotic” (see her exhibition title). In her written statement, YiYi stated that her work is implicitly an exploration on “how a woman in an oppressed society, facing the fears of public criticism, can achieve her own self-liberation.” The fact that she adopted Woodman-like subject-matters and used blurry female images and feminine costumes clearly implies the presence of a mask that stands for social oppression and public opinions. On the other hand, the backdrops objects used in her photos, such as cantaloupe and rose, reveal, without any doubt, the feminine sexual desires. Sustaining such tension between oppression and liberation, YiYi bypasses the male-gaze and associated social restrictions, and successfully opens a possibility for independent-minded women to fashion her own presence.
expressed a significant amount of critical and satirical sentiments that are associated with feminism.
In taking these self-portraits, YiYi applied the pinhole camera. This decision is bold and wise. Her use of the pinhole camera differs from that of the tradition, which has served as a tool of peeping. Here, the images of the female figures are rendered vague and blurry due to shortened exposure time. This created an effect of uncertainty. The blurry images of female bodies also prevent men from focusing his desires on usually well defined and clear images. This uncommon expression found in her self-portraits, where the photo images seem to oscillate between the visible and the invisible, poses, in some sense, a direct confrontation on male’s sexually charged gaze, which often peeks from behind the pinhole.
In YiYi’s work, we can notice an apparent connection to the European tradition of using costumed female in self-portraits. Particularly evident is the influence of Francesca Woodman (1958-1981). The resemblances can be seen in their choices of subject-matters, which normally include: obscured and unsettled expressions and bodily images, elegantly arranged feminine dresses and backgrounds, and the displays of objects that are filled with symbolic meanings, such as flowers and fruits, etc. One of YiYi’s works, entitled “Womanliness as a Masquerade?”, reminds us of the influential female psychoanalyst Joan Riviere’s writing in feminist theory, “Womanliness as a Masquerade” (1929). The most noticeable and exaggerated characteristic in YiYi’s work lies in her employment of Woodman-like subject-matter to create a theatrical stage, in which she used exaggerated and satirical costumes, backdrops, as well as various gestures through glances, bodily expressions and performances, to critique the male possessiveness over femininity. Taken together, her mocking of femininity, and her intentional usage of pin-hole camera with an embedded inversion of connotation, has successfully undermined the traditional idea that femininity is at the service of men.
In addition to critiquing on traditional male gaze of female body, YiYi’s work also discloses a way of thinking related to the concept of “Auto-Erotic” (see her exhibition title). In her written statement, YiYi stated that her work is implicitly an exploration on “how a woman in an oppressed society, facing the fears of public criticism, can achieve her own self-liberation.” The fact that she adopted Woodman-like subject-matters and used blurry female images and feminine costumes clearly implies the presence of a mask that stands for social oppression and public opinions. On the other hand, the backdrops objects used in her photos, such as cantaloupe and rose, reveal, without any doubt, the feminine sexual desires. Sustaining such tension between oppression and liberation, YiYi bypasses the male-gaze and associated social restrictions, and successfully opens a possibility for independent-minded women to fashion her own presence.
逃逸在可見與不可見之間：萬一一2003-05年攝影中的性別迷藏 / 劉瑞琪
2004 年畢業於美國舊金山藝術大學攝影研究所的萬一一，顯然對女性攝影史與女性主義理論知之甚詳，她的自拍像標題、風格與內容，以及她的創作自述，都展現了強烈的女性主義批判鋒芒與幽默。
萬一一使用針孔照相機自拍，這是相當大膽且機智的嘗試。在她的創作中，針孔照相機不再是媒體報導中慣見的偷窺工具，而是在曝光時間不夠的特意安排之下，成為顯影女性模糊不定的身體影像的媒材。萬一一以捉摸不定的身體顯像，藉揚棄清晰固定的身形，使男性凝視失去慾望可以具體投射的對象，以逃逸在可見與不可見之間的自我再現，反將了以針孔照相機窺淫的男性目光一軍。
萬一一顯然繼承了歐美女性扮裝自拍像的傳統，其中尤以美國攝影家法蘭雀斯卡．巫德曼（Francesca Woodman, 1958-1981）的影響特別突出。兩人作品中類似的母題包括：模糊晃蕩的面目與身形，優雅的女性化裙裝與布幕，充滿隱喻意味的花朵與水果等等。萬一一有一件作品叫做〈女性氣質好似扮裝的？〉，影射在女性主義理論中迴響甚深甚廣的文章：女性精神分析師瓊恩．瑞維爾（Joan Riviere）的〈女性化氣質作為扮裝〉（1929）。她的作品最鮮明的特徵，就是以前述與巫德曼作品類似的母題為主，展開劇場性的種種扮裝，並且以誇張化與滑稽化的裝扮、道具、眼神、姿態與表演，來嘲諷男性對女性化氣質的迷思。她對女性化氣質玩笑的操弄，配合對針孔照相機的逆轉性運用，成功地逾越傳統服務男性的女性化氣質。
除了顛覆男性凝視慾望化的女體之外，萬一一也展現了對女人「情慾自主」（她的作品標題）的思索。在萬一一的自述中談到，她的作品想探討：「在一個制約的社會體系下，女性畏懼公眾輿論，以及如何釋放自我的暗示與聯想。」前述與巫德曼作品類似的母題，如模糊晃蕩的身體顯影、女性化的扮裝等等，成為她遮蔽社會輿論壓抑的面具，而哈蜜瓜、玫瑰等道具，則轉化成彰顯女性情慾與暢爽的隱喻。在這層層壓抑與釋放的拉鋸之下，萬一一逾越了男性目光與社會的制約，開拓了自主性女性扮裝的可能性。
">連結
萬一一使用針孔照相機自拍，這是相當大膽且機智的嘗試。在她的創作中，針孔照相機不再是媒體報導中慣見的偷窺工具，而是在曝光時間不夠的特意安排之下，成為顯影女性模糊不定的身體影像的媒材。萬一一以捉摸不定的身體顯像，藉揚棄清晰固定的身形，使男性凝視失去慾望可以具體投射的對象，以逃逸在可見與不可見之間的自我再現，反將了以針孔照相機窺淫的男性目光一軍。
萬一一顯然繼承了歐美女性扮裝自拍像的傳統，其中尤以美國攝影家法蘭雀斯卡．巫德曼（Francesca Woodman, 1958-1981）的影響特別突出。兩人作品中類似的母題包括：模糊晃蕩的面目與身形，優雅的女性化裙裝與布幕，充滿隱喻意味的花朵與水果等等。萬一一有一件作品叫做〈女性氣質好似扮裝的？〉，影射在女性主義理論中迴響甚深甚廣的文章：女性精神分析師瓊恩．瑞維爾（Joan Riviere）的〈女性化氣質作為扮裝〉（1929）。她的作品最鮮明的特徵，就是以前述與巫德曼作品類似的母題為主，展開劇場性的種種扮裝，並且以誇張化與滑稽化的裝扮、道具、眼神、姿態與表演，來嘲諷男性對女性化氣質的迷思。她對女性化氣質玩笑的操弄，配合對針孔照相機的逆轉性運用，成功地逾越傳統服務男性的女性化氣質。
除了顛覆男性凝視慾望化的女體之外，萬一一也展現了對女人「情慾自主」（她的作品標題）的思索。在萬一一的自述中談到，她的作品想探討：「在一個制約的社會體系下，女性畏懼公眾輿論，以及如何釋放自我的暗示與聯想。」前述與巫德曼作品類似的母題，如模糊晃蕩的身體顯影、女性化的扮裝等等，成為她遮蔽社會輿論壓抑的面具，而哈蜜瓜、玫瑰等道具，則轉化成彰顯女性情慾與暢爽的隱喻。在這層層壓抑與釋放的拉鋸之下，萬一一逾越了男性目光與社會的制約，開拓了自主性女性扮裝的可能性。
">連結
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