The AR effect has now been created and is ready to be applied on small scale. My next step will be to use SparkAR to load the AR effect into Instagram. I plan to start the online campaign at the upcoming Creative Festival. The aim of launching at the festival is to get more attention for my project to reach as wide an audience as possible. In the meantime, I plan to sell the jewellery made by the participants in the third intervention (with the consent of the participants) for charity at the Creative Festival.
This project will continue to be taken forward as part of my future career. In the coming year I will continue to design this collection of jewellery and explore the craft to choose the appropriate way to produce it. I will also continue to contact charities to identify opportunities for collaboration, such as charity sales, art psychology counselling and so on.
I will continue to explore and update my research as I delve deeper in the future. Changing the entire social media environment is difficult, but stakeholders and I believe that this change is bound to happen at some point in the future. Continuing to expand the impact of the project and making more women aware of the influence of the male gaze on self-objectification are all laying the groundwork for future change. I’m looking forward to that moment!
In the sketching stage I designed six different face accessories. The final effect I wanted to present is that stakeholders can change the text section by writing down the words they feel best represent them. I finally chose the last draft as the final design. I will add a translucent effect to the gaps so that stakeholders can type into these crossed square gaps when they post on social media.
This intervention will be a long term and I plan to contact more charities to seek opportunities for collaboration.
Aims: Continue to expand the reach of the project and raise awareness of the impact of the male gaze on self-objectification in the age of social media for more women
Creative Theme：Creating virtual jewellery that quickly and clearly helps women to express their individuality, talent, abilities and more on social media. On the one hand, it allows women to be more confident in showing their characteristics on social media, and on the other hand, it brings the public to focus more on women’s individuality rather than their bodies. I hope to reduce the impact of the male gaze on the self-objectification of women in this way.
Sketch and decide on the final version as soon as possible.
Use C4D and Nomad for modelling, the model needs to fit the face as closely as possible.
Render in C4D or colour in Procreate to test the final rendering.
Test the AR effect and final modifications of the face with Reality Composer.
Use SparkAR to add the 3D model effect to the instagram filter then launch an online campaign (This virtual jewellery will act as the symbol for the online campaign). This campaign will be long-term and anyone can find this virtual jewellery in the instagram filter.
Unfortunately, I have not yet received any responses from charity organisations about collaborate. But I did get a reply from feminist jewellery designer Sarah Day!
I had a short telephone interview with her. She focuses more on feminist concepts in her designs rather than on the delicacy of the final product. For example, in her jewellery collection ‘when you have NO WORDS’ she puts swear words in her jewellery, as she believes swearing is a feminist issue. She argues that I can also think less about the detailing of the product and more about the idea of the communication. She has worked with eight charities and suggested that if I want to collaborate I should produce more jewellery designs first instead of just sending them plans. She would be happy to help me consult with the charities when all my collection is finished.
A total of 22 people participated in this intervention, without any gender or age limitation. The aim of the intervention is to find jewellery designs that are applicable to all stakeholders and have a positive impact to help women improve their image and reduce the impact of the objectification of the male gaze.
On-site Preparation
Participants could make directly with coloured clay, or use white clay to make then paint. Moulding tools were also provided to help participants with their creations and I was on hand to help with the technical aspects. After completing their creations, participants can write down their inspiration/reasoning on a blank A1 sheet of paper.
Works of the Participants
Below I have listed a few of the participants’ works and the inspiration/reason behind them, still using personal pronouns to protect the privacy of the participants (SHE+Number, HE+Number, THEY+Number).
SHE1
SHE2
SHE3
SHE4
SHE5
THEY1
SHE1: I made the fingers and the mouth to form the silent sign. I anthropomorphised the mouth with two eyes, so you can imagine that the mouth is the woman and the fingers are the male reproductive organs.
SHE2: This is a ring. The inspiration is a woman’s leg. When you wear this ring, it is as if a woman’s leg has wrapped around your body in a flattering way. But beware, I made spikes on the inner ring. I wanted to express that each of the women we have our own individuality and not be sexualised into one part.
SHE3: I made a shield. I wanted to give strength to other women. Girls to help girls.
SHE4: I was inspired by the Garden of Eden. Both Adam and Eve stole the forbidden fruit, but only Eve was punished. Women have always been the first to be condemned and punished from ancient.
SHE5: I mixed and twisted the two colours’ clay together to make this ring. On top I added four yellow spikes to represent the male genitalia. The two colours represent a man and a woman. Only women have wombs, but the reproductive rights are in the hands of men.
THEY1: This is the female breast. But I added eyes and eyebrows, which you can also see as the eyes of a man. I think the woman’s breasts are the most gazed upon part of the male gaze, so I combined the two.
Participant’s work and record of inspiration/reasons
Summary and Reflections
Through this intervention, I found that the majority of the participants’ work continued to focus on female body parts, using breasts, lips and other sexually related parts in their work. Male genitalia was also added as an element by three participants. This section of the participants they are protesting more against the male gaze through their work. Images of the parts of the body that are most often gazed at by men are enlarged and recreated. Other participants chose to work with more conscious figurative elements such as shields, the ‘X’ symbol, nails, snakes and so on. They were more trying to pass on an idea, such as girls helping girls, I have my own individuality and so on. I prefer not to consider the female body as the main element, but to focus more on the individuality, talents and abilities of women. Find a jewellery design that allows women to communicate these thoughts. I wanted to show the unique personality and charm of the women themselves rather than the traditional patriarchal perspective.Find a jewellery design that allows women to communicate these thoughts.
Plan: The audience is invited to consider the impact of the male gaze on women, what jewellery designs can help women enhance their body image to reduce the male gaze, and what jewellery can showcase a woman’s sense of identity (e.g. individuality, talents and abilities). The audience is also invited to create with air clay.
MaterialPreparation: Air dry clay, Modelling tools, Pigments, Acrylic sheet, Pencils
Goldsmiths’ Fair is an annual selling event and exhibition showcasing a curated selection of work by some of the best fine jewellers and contemporary silversmiths creating and making in the UK today. I visited the day before it ended. The whole fair gathered dozens of artists, using different craft/techniques to create their work. One artist I really liked, Jed Green, was also in attendance, she works with a combination of glass and metal.She also had a project in collaboration with two other female jewellery designers that inspired me.
2.Drink your imagination
Interesting workshop! Never had a way to drink my imagination down, even though it didn’t taste too good haha. I think this is a good example of workshop that can be used as a reference for my third intervention.
