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PER S ONA PU RS U I TS The Social and Visual Effects of a Persona

Colette Corrica Polytechnic Institute of NYU Spring 2010

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The word persona is derived from Latin meaning mask. According to some theories

in psychology, it is very healthy to uphold a persona. Carl Jung, credited as the founder of analytical psychology (Jungian psychology), believes that the persona, the social expression of the ego, is important to one’s self awareness and helps an individual to fully express their personality. In her article, What Is the Persona in Jungian Psychology?, Fitz-Randolph (2008) points out that in order to correctly adjust to various situations, one must

Figure 1. V for Vendetta http://www.vforvendetta.com

maintain a healthy persona. The persona is a to be used as a mask to present a social face to the world, but is not act as a facade of one’s self. !

What does that mean in the world of visual communication? Artists, artisans, and celebrities all have a visual face that they show to the world. In today’s society. many celebrities have multiple personas: the one they portray within their work, whether it be in performing as an actor or singer, and the one they portray outside of their work that is still seen by paparazzi and the like. A quick example of this would be Beyonce Knowles. As an singer, she claims to put on persona of Sasha Fierce, a wild but classy, strong powerful woman with no qualms about her sexuality or

Figure 2. Beyonce Knowles http://popikon.files.wordpress.co m/2009/11/beyonce.jpg

femininity. However, when she is not performing Knowles has the persona known simply as Beyonce, a shy but confi-

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dent woman, who dresses beautifully, and possess an air of urban royalty. As one can see the persona known as Sasha Fierce and that of Beyonce completely conflict with one another, and in reality, could possibly be far different from the true personality of Knowles. !

Clearly it is important, and some might argue a necessity,

for one to maintain a persona. However for some celebrities a persona can become much more that the way they portray themselves in public. It could also be their work alone, what they

Figure 3. Beyonce Knowles aka Sasha Fierce http://filer.livinginperu.com/isabel2/be

stand for, or in some drastic cases it could be their entire lives. !

yonce_sit.jpg

In the case of Vivienne Westwood, her persona is much more than being a outspoken fashion designer, but the clothes themselves and the genre of people they represent have become a trademark of her persona. Born in 1941, Westwood didn’t believe that she had a chance in the art world. “I didn't know how a working-class girl like me could possibly make a living in the art world,” she stated. However after meeting Malcolm McLaren, manager for the punk band Sex Pistols, Westwood had a change of heart. In 1971 Westwood and McLaren opened a shop called Let it

Figure 4.Vivienne Westwood http://justplainunho"ywood.wordpress. com/2009/04/08/happy-birthday-vivie nne-westwood/vivienne-westwood/

Rock. Westwood, drawing inspiration from bikers and prostitutes, began design clothes for the shop, that was also worn by the Sex Pistols.

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Her clothes started a revolution in the fashion world. She brought punk fashions into

what is considered to be the high fashion world. She had already knew rebelling made her a badass and she told the fashion world with her skin tight, fetish fashions. However it is ironic that she wanted to move away from what was mainstream, but at the same time plugging her work into the mainstream. Westwood’s lasting impression and persona will not only living in the the punk fashions she’s created, but the idea that people should be able to wear the clothes that they want how they want, where ever and whenever they want. !

Andy Warhol is notably known as the leader in the visual art movement, also know as

pop art. Born in 1928, Warhol spent most of his childhood sick, causing him to be an outcast among his classmates. He later stated that this period was very important to the development of his personality. !

It was during the 1960s Warhol created

some of his most memorable work. Abstract expressionism was becoming widely popular and finally being recognized in museums. Painters like

Figure 5. Andy Warhol http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/usa/i mages-2/andy-warhol.jpg

Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollack were expressing themselves solely through form and color. In addition, consumerism became more and more evident as American sought vigorously for the “American Dream.” !

Warhol’s work was vastly different from any of the art of that time. It was simple in

it composition and even in its meaning. He simply painted what he loved. He created post-

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ers of celebrities faces in a wide variety of colors, of multiple rows of Brillo boxes, and of multiple rows of various Campbell’s soup cans. His work was constantly scrutinized by critics pondering what was the deeper meaning of his work, or if there was one. Warhol refused to comment on his work, and he was known to play dumb around reporters. He would simply state “Just look at the surface of my paintings and films and me, and there I am. There's nothing behind it.” !

His studio was silver painted and wrapped in aluminum foil, known as the Factory.

The Factory became the spot for “happenings” (an event considered as art) in New York City. He constantly had several up-and-coming artists, actors, writers, and directors working there on his projects or their own. Warhol had his hand in much, whether it was actual or in a form of guidance. !

Warhol’s work change the art scene of in the 1960s-80s. Although he was creating art

nearly 50 years ago, his work is still widely recognizable, even more than his face. His most famous piece, Marilyn Diptych, was name the third most influential piece in modern art (Higgins 2004). His work is featured on clothing, bags, and advertisements all across the globe. Although Warhol passed away in 1987, his persona still lives on in his work and influence in pop culture. !

Influenced by Warhol’s persona, Lady Gaga, birth name Stefani Joanne Angelina

Germanotta, is currently taking the pop music world by storm. With her wild wigs, crazy hair accessories, and parental advisory outfits, Lady Gaga has earn 2 Grammy Awards, sold over 10 million albums worldwide, and has been named one of the most influential people in the 2010 Time 100.

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Lady Gaga has become her persona. Stefani Gemanotta has cease to exist and there

is only Gaga. There are some artists that appreciate her work and can see that she is a visionary in her own way. “She isn't a pop act, she is a performance artist. She herself is the art. She is the sculpture” (Lauper, 2010). Her life however is complete consumed with being Gaga. She believes her music, clothing, and herself are all one. According to Jungian psychology this is very unhealthy behavior in that her persona is not a face which she show in public, but in actuality who she has become. And in addition she lives and thrives off of the Fame. She fails to understand what Warhol said, Figure 6. Lady Gaga http://cdn.buzznet.com/assets/users16/ladyga ga/default/lady-gaga-fame-monster--largemsg-125876925408.jpg

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“everyone has their fifteen minutes of fame.” Once that is said and done nothing will be left of her.

The visual representation of an artist is intended to be long lasting. With great ex-

amples in Westwood and Warhol,one can see the power of the personas. Not in the person but in their work. Lady Gaga on the other hand, which immensely popular now, what will happen 20 years from now? Will people wear her fashions or listen to her music? Will the people of future generations know who she is by the work that she has done. !

Digital media artisans or visual communicators should seek to maintain a healthy

persona that is well represented in the work done and not the character alone. Graphic designers like Paul Rand will not be known for the strange glasses he wore, but for the great work that he created.

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B I B LI OGRA PHY ! Bradley, Becky, (2009) Art and Architecture. American History, 1950-59. Retrieved from http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decade50.html ! Boeree, C. George (2006) Carl Jung. Retrieved from http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/jung.html ! Carr, Kent. (2003) Persona: The Archetypal Mask Retrieved from http://www.thearchetypalconnection.com/PERSONA%20.htm ! Craven, Jo. (22 April 2008) Vivienne Westwood. Retrieved from http://www.vogue.co.uk/biographies/080422-vivienne-westwood-biography.aspx ! Higgens, Charlotte. (December 2, 2004) Work of Art that Inspired a Movement ... a urinal. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2004/dec/02/arts.artsnews1 ! Hill Fitz-Randolph, Megge. (July 29, 2008) What Is the Persona in Jungian Psychology? How the Authentic Nature of the Self Adapts to Wearing the Mask. Suite 101. Retrieved from http://clinical-psychology.suite101.com/article.cfm/what_is_the_persona ! Lady Gaga (n.d.) Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivienne_Westwood#Political_involvement Lauper, Cindy (April 29, 2010) Lady Gaga, http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1984685_1984940_1984943,00.h tml !

Marilyn Diptych (n.d.) Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_Diptych

! Posch, Robert J. (August 1 1996 ) Right of publicity in a person's name/persona? Retrieved from http://www.allbusiness.com/marketing/direct-marketing/581531-1.html ! Open Learn: Learning Space. Understanding Media: The Celebrity in the Text. Retrieved from: http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/mod/resource/view.php?id=228555 ! Vivienne Westwood (n.d.) Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivienne_Westwood#Political_involvement