the power issue; Vogue; March 2010

The series, the power issue: Vogue; March 2010 analyzes advertisements from that edition of Vogue magazine.  Through the examination of these images patterns begin to emerge. The human form is used as a decorative element in the sale of products. In the article “Women in Adverts: Representation and (lack of) Possibilities” by Tom Reichert, he states that the “Exposure to media images can influence social perceptions and self-concept.” If this is true then women who view these images may be influenced and view themselves differently as a result of these advertisements, causing them to equate sexuality with power. I am interested in the ethical issues surrounding the issue of advertising’s ability to change cultural perceptions and shape moral values within our society.  By placing these advertisements into a different context, combining the themes from several advertisements into a single image and taking a closer look at some of the methods used to de-humanize and objectify the human form I hope that viewers will re-examine the implications of the images that they consume.