Thursday, June 27, 2013

The Right to Self-Determination... Metamorphosis... Transpositions

Utrecht University professor Rosi Braidotti's philosophical treatise, 
suggests that humans, especially women, are mutable, multiple, and non-singular
entities which have been traditionally given singular one-state beings.
Instead, humans are non-fixed, transformable, and evolvable,
flexible and able to change into multiple roles and identities.
She suggests a re-configuration of what 
our beings really are in the world
to re-define ourselves in a coming "post-human" world.

Some of the following fashion videos by Nick Knight 
might provide visual support for Braidotti's 21st century theory.












The original Right to Metamorphosis blog post can be read here.


25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, I found these videos to be so original and "out of the box." I'm assuming this person was most likely high when they made them. I'm just saying! lol.
~MNC

Anonymous said...

While I watched these videos I couldn’t help but wonder what the inspiration behind these videos were. I figured from a contemporary artistic point of view it was made for a clothing company to advertise their products in a different way. I also noticed the music and it made me think that the music we listen to could be a reason why our society could be “re-configuring”. I have found from personal experience music closely correlates with changes of attitudes as well as actions. -M.A.

Anonymous said...

Humans do have the ability to adapt in certain situations when it becomes necessary. Most of the time, it seems that people only abide by the newest trends and conform. Yet, that is not always true. These fashion videos perfectly conveyed how flexible and distinctive humans can be in society. The video effects were oddly bizarre, yet eccentric. It was intriguing to watch how fashion has evolved over the years. PN

Anonymous said...

In this generations increasingly saturated field of marketing, an entrepreneur must figure out how to separate themselves from the bunch. That is why someone who is trying to create a brand would resort to showcasing their product in this manner; either that or the marketer is trying to trigger an acid flashback from the viewer. To certain demographics interested in the fashion industry this manner of presenting fashion is highly affective. Incorporating artistic images and trendy music in a way that is considered different from the mainstream has always been a tool of the high-end fashion industry. I believe that these styles of presenting fashion appeal to the people that are able to afford them as well as telling the rest of us we can’t. Regardless the method of marketing is interesting because it lets you into the mind of the director, whether you like what you see or not. AGP

Anonymous said...

I do believe that humans have given themselves a singular role, especially based on their gender, such as women are the family care givers and the men go hunt in the forest for food. This new concept of multiple roles and identities is well defined in Nick Knight's fashion videos in that it gives women many new faces and positions with the different colors and effects used. However, I still fail to understand what the original purpose of each video is, as I have never seen fashion videos before I cannot make any connections.

GEP

Anonymous said...

I do believe this video's support Braidotti's theory by showcasing individuality, evolution and creativeness. The videos showcase different sides of creativity and creates a unique feel for each video. If it wasn't for individuality and evolution , life would be boring after all. Loved the videos, I am a big fan of Nick Knight. If anyone is interested in seeing a more mainstream approach of his work, check out his work with Lady Gaga. He has done many photo-shoots and music videos like "Born This Way". He is definitely an artist.

-A.M.Z

Anonymous said...

What I've noticed is that in all the videos the people are expressionless but yet their wardrobe symbolizes transformation. The monochromatic color scheme of some videos does create the illusion of a mutable, one state being, but the music's techno beat adds to the new era of culture in society that can be flexible and original.
A.C.

Gustavo said...

I've found this genre to be extremely informative with regards to post-modern humanistic fashion. I saw this video a couple years back that left me in awe. -GV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVN4WUKIzjA

Anonymous said...

I noticed in the video that special effects were used to distort the models’ shape. The varying shapes convey the transformation and flexibility that humans possess. Even the models themselves would contort their bodies to give the illusion of fluidity and transformation giving them an almost alien-like appearance at times, which goes back to Professor Rosi Braidotti's philosophical treatise.
LA

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

From watching the videos, I got a sense of fear when I was watching the videos. The strange, creepy, and unnatural movement the men or women scared me a little. However, did the videos illuminate Braidotti’s theory? Yes, even though all those “dancers” look scary, they get their point across that one face or body can be changed a million different ways to show a different perspective.
-JAT

Anonymous said...

These videos where a bit confusing when it came to the whole body distortion. the concept is quite creative in a sense that the body as well as its characteristics can be shaped to resemble something completely different.

-M.G.

Anonymous said...

I think im turning into a butterfly. MRV

Anonymous said...

After watching these videos I cannot help suppress the sense of confusion I feel due to the weirdness these videos convey. I do not exactly know who directed these short clips however I do get a sense of feminist beliefs behind them. I know metamorphosis is the physical or structural change so I believe these videos maybe trying to show the change of women in today’s society; a world that has become so technological and edgy. J.E.M

Anonymous said...

this video really catched my attention. it is very confusing but interesting at the same time.

A.R.F

Anonymous said...

I believe Braidotti's theory of humans being capable of change has some truth to it. Watching these videos it is much more apparent that as humans we are always in search of change; To standout, be unique. I believe the videos project people undergoing a type of metamorphosis, in order to express their unique style. The music also helps understand and aid the message the director or artist wanted to present. In conclusion the videos were different but entertaining.

Anonymous said...

I believe Braidotti's theory of humans being capable of change has some truth to it. Watching these videos it is much more apparent that as humans we are always in search of change; To standout, be unique. I believe the videos project people undergoing a type of metamorphosis, in order to express their unique style. The music also helps understand and aid the message the director or artist wanted to pressent. In conclusion the videos were different but entertaining. -S.A.

Anonymous said...

I noticed in the videos that the people shown were either not depicted as a “human-being” in the traditional sense that we would think of, similar to how women were believed to be one-state beings or constantly changing, which would support Braidotti 21st century theory. They were distorted in some way, whether a part of their body was enlarged or their body just altered overall. The special effects used allude to the belief of humans as being transformable and evolvable beings. Life is survival of the fittest. If you cannot adapt quickly enough, you’ll be left behind and soon become irrelevant. This is especially true from a career standpoint. People who work the hardest, have the most skills and have the best ideas enjoy the highest payout, and are at the highest class of society. –DF

Anonymous said...

I noticed in the videos that the people shown were either not depicted as a “human-being” in the traditional sense that we would think of, similar to how women were believed to be one-state beings or constantly changing, which would support Braidotti 21st century theory. They were distorted in some way, whether a part of their body was enlarged or their body just altered overall. The special effects used allude to the belief of humans as being transformable and evolvable beings. Life is survival of the fittest. If you cannot adapt quickly enough, you’ll be left behind and soon become irrelevant. This is especially true from a career standpoint. People who work the hardest, have the most skills and have the best ideas enjoy the highest payout, and are at the highest class of society. –DF

Anonymous said...

I believe that these videos were made to attract today's generation, because of the music and color schemes. The videos caught my attention.


Lucy

Anonymous said...

After watching those videos, I realized I’ve never engaged in watching anything to do with fashion. Furthermore, the thrill of waiting for the next segment in each video was present. I wouldn’t say the videos were enjoyable, but they certainly allowed me to give interest for the quality and detail that the producer gave into each of those videos. The fashion really didn’t jump at me, the women and the transformations were intriguing. The sole purpose of the video from my perspective was to make a production that is as mind blowing as the fashion line. I didn’t expect expressions from the models faces because I feel that’s something that comes with modeling. Therefore, the production was interesting and not as bland as I initially thought. SL

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed watching the last two videos Sweet and Dynamic Blooms. The first two video were dark and did nothing for me. Nick Knight is talented when it comes to imagery and playing with different lighting. Did it make me want to go out and purchase these labels? Not really. ~MNC

Anonymous said...

The fashion videos perfectly conveyed the theme of flexibility and metamorphosis in the fashion industry. All the different effects such as the distortion of body parts, the light and dark contrast, and the bizarre music contributed to the establishment of a fresh image. These effects demonstrate that society is evolving into a more abstract and unorthodox oriented mode of living. Humans feel that desire to transform themselves in terms of societal norms and conduct. Therefore, Nick Knight and the other fashion individuals generated an innovative and unique trend that reflects these notions.PN

Unknown said...

From watching the videos, I got a sense of fear when I was watching the videos. All the videos had a strange, creepy, and unnatural movement from the men or women dancers, and it scared me a little. However, did the videos illuminate Braidotti’s theory? Yes, even though all those “dancers” look scary, they get their point across that one face or body can be changed a million different ways to show a different perspective, and you see that in all the videos they have different angles and the different way the dancers are presented like how in the second video, the dancers were presented in a dark and unnatural way, and the fourth video is shown in a sweet with a touch of darkness from the the way the body of the girls are shown ( the missing body parts from their face and torso). Honestly, I think fashion uses this idea. Designers are always making clothing that is different and weird, but in a good way. Also, when designer design posters to show off their clothes by having a man or women in a unnaturally strange position to present the clothes to be more exotic and desirable.
-JAT

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