Power of the Gaze

We recently discussed the power of gaze in relation to spectatorship. How the person who gazes holds the power. Sturken and Cartwright’s book is called Practices of Looking for a reason. The whole idea of society revolves around the topics of observation, viewing and receiving information through our interaction with the media. I think this power of the gaze is very relevant when observing print ads or other forms of still life. We discussed Manet’s Olympia and how this painting was the first of its kind. Here is a completely naked woman staring directly at the viewer. Regardless of her being a prostitute and the fact men chose her to be displayed in the Musee d’Orsay because they wanted to see naked women when they entered museums, her main power and the reason for her alluring appeal is through her gaze. Her portrait is fascinating, almost spellbinding as she captures the attention of the viewer with her eyes.

I have come across Armani Exchange advertisements recently that seem to focus on the themes of sex and power.

In both of these advertisements the woman seems to be seducing the man. He is staring directly at her while she seems to be more interested with the viewer. The control is obvious in the ad where she is lying on top of the man, yet still holding herself up and looking directly at the viewer. This positioning does not only make the viewer think of sex but also makes the viewer understand who holds the control. The woman is dominating the man- her hand is on his chest holding him down on the floor, his gaze is completely fixed on her, and she is not returning this same amount of attention.

The other advertisement is similar, but in this one it is the man who is holding onto the woman. Yet he is not holding her in a way which exerts control, more he is holding her as if he does not want to lose her. The reason the viewer sees it this way is all through the gaze. If she had been gazing directly at him the power struggle would be more difficult to discern. But again, he is looking at her, holding tightly onto her, while she does not seem as interested because she is looking away from him and at the viewer.

Through the act of looking both of these advertisements define the relationship of power. The gaze here determines what the viewer comes to think of each character. Their stance and actions are important, but the overall idea is symbolized directly through their gaze.