The PHALIC Method

 
The PHALIC method is a set of tools for studying fashion photography and ethnicity on an academic level and consists of strategies for learning, teaching, and conducting research about identity, ethnicity, and diversity with theoretical bases for fashion photography, manipulating photography, and analyses of images. [32] The method for photography study contains tools to develop cultural and social-based methodologies of an academic level that are entirely different from the classical Western methodologies that only contain Western views towards and from the Global South.     

The following topics will be researched by scholars, educators, and researchers:

The role of new technologies and technological convergence in depicting ethnicity.

The visual economies that translate and regulate the value of images of ethnicity and identity.

The role of socio-cultural organizations and education in the global distribution of images.

The effects of imagery on cultural policy and educational activity.

The visual construction of humanism & the tenuous relationship between image and ethnicity.

The histories and genres of photographic depictions of identity and ethnicity.

The ethical and legal function of images as evidentiary representations of human expressions.

Writing a new photo history of identity and ethnicity photography.

The role of humanitarian and cosmopolitan frameworks in “Western” genres of fashion photography.

Race, Identity, and Fashion: Black Style

The importance of identifying Black masculine style in fashion’s visual culture is a complex and multifaceted topic. It's essential to recognize that fashion and style are not limited to any one racial or ethnic group but that they play a significant role in shaping perceptions of masculinity within the Black community and beyond.

Black style in fashion can be a powerful expression of cultural identity. Many Black men use clothing and style to connect with their African, African-American, or diasporic heritage,      contributing to a sense of masculinity rooted in cultural pride. Historically, Black people, including Black men, have used fashion as a form of resistance against oppressive norms and as a means of asserting individuality. Embracing unique and bold styles can challenge conventional ideas of masculinity and assert that one's identity doesn't conform to stereotypes. Fashion allows for creative expression and experimentation. Black men who embrace fashion can use it as a medium for self-expression, challenging rigid notions of masculinity that restrict emotional expression and creativity.

Fashion characterized by a Black aesthetic can subvert stereotypes by showcasing a wide range of masculinities. It challenges the idea that masculinity is limited to one specific look or demeanor and highlights that it can be diverse, inclusive, and complex. Fashion can boost confidence and self-esteem, which is important for a positive sense of masculinity. Fashion trends within the Black community often create a sense of belonging and solidarity, like streetwear culture and athleisure trends. It can be a way for Black men to connect with others who share similar cultural experiences and to feel a sense of unity and support.

The fashion industry has traditionally lacked diversity in general, and its representation of masculinity is no exception. By participating in and influencing fashion, Black men can challenge these standards of color norms and body image standards (amongst others) and promote more inclusive and diverse representations of masculinity. Black style in fashion can contribute to economic empowerment, both as consumers and creators. It creates opportunities for entrepreneurship and financial independence. Fashion can be a tool to challenge hypermasculine norms that often perpetuate toxic masculinity. By embracing a broader spectrum of styles, Black men can contribute to the dismantling of harmful stereotypes. [2]

The PHALIC methods recognizes a compelling need for a new canon that acknowledges and celebrates the rich diversity of Black culture and the complexities of Black identity, particularly within the realms of fashion, visual culture, and masculinity. This new canon aims to challenge historical underrepresentation, stereotypes, and biases, empowering Black individuals to authentically express their identities and styles while promoting inclusivity and recognizing the global influence of Black culture.

We view Black masculinity and the costumed body in male visual culture from a broadly feminist perspective. All subject positions can be considered distinct as long as the cultural construction and performative nature of identity are acknowledged, examined, and analyzed. These specificities are rooted in a particular period's cultural, historical, social, and political characteristics. There are multiple hybridized critical positions that can be both complementary and conflicting as identity stability is increasingly questioned. It involves asking what position(s) one occupies within a given context. [6]

Most White male critics still contribute to what Carol Tulloch calls the "invisibility of colored men" that permeates and sustains contemporary media and cultural institutions. [7] Michele Wallace, for example, avoids mentioning race or color differences in order to take a liberal, humanist, anti-racist stance. Such texts, critics, and institutions become "instruments of invisibility". [8] Invisibility is both an ideological problem and a stage of racism that must be unpacked, examined, and disarmed. [9] As a result, fashion, dress, and contemporary culture research is right to continue exploring the intersections between race, ethnicity, sexuality, and gender in analyzing identity issues. Race, gender, and class are not distinct fields of experience, as McClintock argues. They arise from and relate to each other. [10] The voices of diverse people must be heard, exploring meaning, pleasure, and the reclamation of identity and experience. It is also imperative for these voices to look at historical underrepresentation, cultural diversity, intersectionality, challenging stereotypes, empowerment and self-expression, social and political context, generational perspectives, economic opportunities, celebrating individuality, and global influence. This is what Stuart Hall called the "deep ambivalence of identification." It recognizes that identity and identification are complex, contradictory, and context-dependent processes. It highlights the interplay between recognition, difference, power, resistance, and cultural context in shaping how individuals relate to social and cultural categories. This concept has been influential in the field of cultural studies and has contributed to a deeper understanding of the fluid and multifaceted nature of identity. [11]

Black cultural politics and representational processes have changed, signaling the end of an essential Black subject position. As a result, the category of Black is characterized by an extraordinary diversity of subjective positions, experiences, and cultural identities. As a category that contains a great deal of diversity and differentiation, "Black" is essentially a politically and culturally constructed one. It cannot be anchored to a set of fixed transcultural or transcendental racial categories. [12] As Carol Tulloch has argued, the terms “Black” and “Blackness” retain considerable contextual potential to explore the presence and meaning of individuals and groups, historical and cultural activities, objects, and spaces associated with the African diaspora. [13] There is also a concern about gender and consumption in the construction of black identity, as well as the cultural construction of Black identity.

Furthermore, this discussion is about the representation and fragmentation of the Black male body, not an essentialist view. It examines Blackness (following Hall, 1992) within contemporary popular culture as a culturally constructed category intersecting with gender, sexuality, and dress discourses. The fragmented, performed, and disparate postmodern condition is also embodied by a multiplicity of representations within popular cultural texts. Thus, media presents images of identity as discourses for the viewer to perform. [14] A framework like this can therefore shift the idea of masculinity and Black identity from unquestioned norms to reimagined concepts subjectively open to critique, analysis, and discussion. [15]

The Method

Visual media is becoming increasingly important in the dissemination and propagation of ideas. Photographic works reflect their time (cfr. Artificial Intelligence). So-called "contemporary photography" reflects society's fragmentation, itself being fragmented. Artworks, then, as signs, are to be viewed as broken mirrors of a (fragmented) society. We identified the nature of photography as selectivity, instantaneity, and credibility. These are essential characteristics that distinguish photography from other media and photographs from other pictures, which can lead us to re-writing the history of world photography. Photographs are segments excised from significant, real-world situations. Because photographs are instantly frozen from a real-world temporal flow, we should replace a pictured segment with a non-depicted whole.

We have therefore decided on the language of images as the tool to challenge Western hegemony and address cultural and social inequality within society. Therefore, we developed a study concerning research programs on the history, reception, and theory of fashion photography within a broad social, and cultural framework that leads to the PHALIC methodology: Photography-Anthology-Learning-Methodology and Intercultural Conflict. The PHALIC methodology is developed as a new research and educational tool in which the arts and social inquiry merge. This method aims to build a dialog among culturally diverse groups and examine individuals' perceptions of their cultural and social reality. Based on the principles of participatory research, it is the counterpart of the "Western eye visits the Majority World." The "Majority World” concept describes populations in Latin America and Africa, which belong to non-Western countries, with a quantitative majority in the total world population. With this vision, we intend to develop diverse training and research, utilizing social media and digital photography.

The Mission

The results of the method will also add to the global literature on photography, as the established literature has glossed over or overlooked photographic practice in the global South. One or more of the following topics will be researched:

The role of new technologies and technological convergence in depicting gender and fashion

The effects of imagery on representations

The visual construction of humanism

The tenuous relationship between image and fashion

The histories and genres of photographic depictions of gender

The ethical function of images as evidentiary representations of people of color

Writing a new photo history of world photography

The role of humanitarian and cosmopolitan frameworks in “Western” genres of fashion photography.

The Strategy

A central element of the PHALIC method is photography studies, a diverse and interdisciplinary field that focuses on the study of photography as a powerful medium for artistic expression, cultural representation, and social commentary. Within the method, we explore how photographs, especially in the fields of fashion photography, serve as powerful tools for social criticism and visual critique. Fashion and photography have arguably become among our most valuable resources, as well as the most vulnerable to social and cultural pressures and to the ravages of time. The PHALIC method is essentially concerned with the mediated image, the conscious production of an image (a presentation or RE-presentation) and not merely a reflection. It consists of three consecutive steps of training programs, in which both the technical issues of fashion photography and all socio-cultural aspects of photography and fashion are dealt with. The direct beneficiaries would be young men of color; the secondary beneficiaries would be the broader population of color, empowering personal, social, and cultural pride.

With the PHALIC method, the implementation of strategies for learning, teaching, and doing research, with local identity and diversity from the Western world in mind, could lead to a significant improvement in the academic level of visual culture and gender studies in an ethnic context. The method is rooted in a commitment to inclusivity, authenticity, empowerment, and the recognition of diverse experiences. It aims to challenge historical inequities, foster a more equitable cultural landscape, and celebrate the richness and complexity of Black identity and creativity.

The PHALIC Method & Fashion Photography Collection Management in Three Steps

1. Photography From Interview to Photo Archive: Scope of the Training Manual

Curating visual and oral histories: Self-study and interpreting the answers; Organization (type, structure); Resources (human, technical, financial, physical); Visual and oral history collection (legal papers, acquisition, inventory, extent, recording media, transcript, cataloging, backlog)

Fundamentals: Setting the stage, archives administration, legal and ethical issues, recording technology, transcribing, cataloging, preservation, oral histories on the internet, and challenges in the ethnic communities.

2. Photograph Preservation and Conservation Research: Scope of the Training Manual

The study of the history of photography and of the photographic process to understand the photograph's nature, the relative historical and artistic value of the pictures, and the physical properties of the many and various processed photographic materials commonly found in collections.

The application of conventional prints and drawings conservation techniques to photographs: cleaning, removal of tapes and adhesives, relaxing, flattering, and encapsulation of photographs; dismounting images from acidic and brittle backings; laying down weakened images on new supports; repairing torn and/or otherwise damaged images; mounting and matting images for display and storage.

The application of selected aspects of photographic technology and sensitometry.

The application of selected aspects of photographic science, such as knowledge related to the making of photographic plates, films, and papers, to performing the various methods of testing support materials, binding media, and image-forming substances for accurate identification to determine their long-term stability and to assess their condition before undertaking specific treatments.

Photographic chemistry, as it applies to the restoration in chemical solutions of discolored and stained photographic negatives and prints.

Clarifying the relationship between this diverse material's unique physical and chemical characteristics and the need for specific environmental and material controls.

3. Photographic Social History Training Program History and Criticism: Scope of the Training Manual

Art historians engage in various activities of historical significance, aesthetic merit, or inherent worth, especially: visual analysis (formal analysis), examination of written documents, the study of the social context, especially the conditions of production (including the market for which the work was designed), scientific examination; for instance, the analysis of paper or pigments in order to determine the date of production. Photo analysis models will be used from Jean-Claude Lemagny (BN, Paris), Andreas Müller-Pohle (European Photography and New Media, Berlin), and Terry Barrett (The University of North Texas at Denton, USA). The PHALIC method will evaluate analysis based on the following criteria: truth, instrumental value (or utility), ideology, intrinsic aesthetic merit, expressiveness, sincerity, technique, originality, and historical importance.

Challenges

One challenge is to provide an authenticated research resource: the problems faced in formulating a Black fashion photography reflect the absence of an authoritative description of the medium of photography. A second challenge is to give recognition to the practitioners: the publication will recognize and value the significant contributions made by an important group of people who, at times, have taken considerable risks in the pursuit of their craft and whose efforts have never been officially acknowledged or valued. This project aims to treat people of color from the global South as a critical international center for the study of visual culture by enhancing research on the history and uses of fashion photography through collaboration and training programs with ties to universities and institutions of higher learning. The PHALIC project is essential for its inclusion of research, education, and a social role.

Conclusion

We sincerely hope that the entire PHALIC methodology project contributes to a collective commitment. Thinking about art quite often emphasizes "connecting," but it is sometimes equally important to think in terms of "tearing." Art needs to cause tears in the fabric of societies where consensus is imposed by force. We had better realize that a commitment does not owe its existence to radical individual choice with its concomitant act of resistance but also depends upon the enthusiasm of the observer. Commitment is not an individual choice but the expression of a collective engagement to a crucial movement or development. In short, PHALIC methodology is about changing media users, thinking about images, onlooker profiles, history writing and archiving, and a new formulation of photographic sciences. It is the story behind the curtains of photo culture in gender-ridden countries and of media ethics striving to stimulate the analysis and production of visual representations in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres within scientific discourse.

The need for a new canon encompassing Black fashion, visual culture, and masculinity is evident due to a multitude of crucial factors. Traditional canons have historically sidelined and underrepresented Black individuals, their artistic contributions, and their diverse expressions of style and identity. Black culture is extraordinarily diverse, stemming from various regions of Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, and Europe. This new canon seeks to embrace and celebrate this rich diversity, providing a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted nature of Black visual culture and the myriad expressions of masculinity within it.

The concept of Black identity is inherently intersectional, influenced by gender, sexuality, and class. Therefore, a fresh canon should explore the intricate, intersectional experiences of Black individuals and how these dynamics shape their expressions of masculinity within the broader visual culture. Traditional canons have often perpetuated stereotypes about Black culture and masculinity, reinforcing biases and limiting the scope of representation. In contrast, a new canon can confront these stereotypes, offering a more authentic and nuanced perspective on Black experiences and expressions of masculinity. A new canon serves as an empowerment tool, enabling Black individuals to authentically express their identities and styles, thereby reclaiming agency over their representation in the realms of fashion and visual culture. Such self-expression is crucial in fostering a sense of belonging, self-esteem, and pride. In the current sociopolitical landscape, where discussions about race, equality, and social justice are prominent, a new canon aligns with the evolving social consciousness, addressing the critical need for more inclusive and equitable representations of Black culture and masculinity within visual arts.

Younger generations are at the forefront of pushing for change, advocating for more inclusive and diverse representations in the canon, ensuring that Black artists and creators receive the recognition they deserve. Their perspectives contribute to the imperative for this transformation. Moreover, the fashion and visual culture industries wield significant economic influence. A new canon can create economic opportunities for Black artists, designers, and entrepreneurs, promoting financial empowerment and mitigating economic disparities. Essentially, a new canon celebrates the individuality of Black artists, acknowledging that, like all creators, they possess unique identities, perspectives, and styles. This recognition honors the rich and diverse array of expressions within Black visual culture.

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Notes: The PHALIC Method

[1] Toril Moi, Revolution of the Ordinary: Literary Studies after Wittgenstein, Austin, and Cavell (University of Chicago Press, 2017).

[2]  Domino Renee Perez, Race and Cultural Practice in Popular Culture (Rutgers University Press, 2018).

[3] [4] Yvonne Tasker, Spectacular Bodies: Gender, Genre and Action Cinema (London and New York: Routledge, 1993).

[5] David Magill, "Celebrity Culture and Racial Masculinities: The Case of Will Smith." In Pimps, Wimps, Studs, Thugs and Gentlemen:  Essays on Media   Images  of   Masculinity, ed. Elwood Watson (Jefferson, NC, McFarland, 2009), 126-40.

[6]  Kobena Mercer, Welcome to the Jungle: New Positions in Black Cultural Studies (London and New York, Routledge, 1994).

[7]  Carol Tulloch,  “Style-Fashion-Dress: From Black to Post-Black,” Fashion Theory 14, no. 3 (2010): 273-304.

[8] [9] Michele Wallace, Black Macho and the Myth of the Superwoman (London: Verso, 1990).

[10] Anne McClintock, Imperial Leather: Race, Gender and Sexuality in the Colonial Conquest (London and New York: Routledge, 1995), 5.

[11] Stuart Hall, “New Ethnicities”. In Race, Culture and Difference, ed James Donald (London: Sage, 1992), 256.

[12] Hall, “New Ethnicities”, In Race, Culture and Difference, ed James Donald (London: Sage, 1992), 254.

[13] Carol Tulloch, “Style-Fashion-Dress: From Black to Post-Black,” Fashion Theory 14, no. 3 (2010): 273-304.

[14] Michael Eric Dyson, Entertaining Race: Performing Blackness in America (St. Martin's Press, 2021).

[15] Rosalind Gill, “Power and the Production of Subjects: a Genealogy of the New Man and the Lad”. In Masculinity and Men's Magazines, ed Benwell Bethan (Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2003), 34-56.

[16] Carol Tulloch,  “Style-Fashion-Dress: From Black to Post-Black,” Fashion Theory 14, no. 3 (2010).

[17] Carol Tulloch, ed. Black Style. London: V&A Publications, 2004, 16.

[18] Stella Bruzzi, Undressing Cinema: Clothing and Identity in the Movies (London and New York: Routledge, 1997), 103.

[19] Caroline Evans, Fashion at the Edge: Spectacle, Modernity, and Deathliness (Yale University Press, 2023).

[20] Carol Tulloch,  “Style-Fashion-Dress: From Black to Post-Black,” Fashion Theory 14, no. 3 (2010): 283.

[21] Carol Tulloch,  “Style-Fashion-Dress: From Black to Post-Black,” Fashion Theory 14, no. 3 (2010): 282.

[22] Sarah Gilligan. 2010. “From Fresh Prince to Fashion Icon: Will Smith, Sci-fi Cinema and Transformation”. In POPCAANZ Conference, Sydney, Australia, 2010.

[23] Drake Stutesman, “Film Costume”. Feminist Media Histories 4, no 2 (2018): 84-89.

[24] [25] Joanne Entwistle, The Fashioned Body (London: Sage, 2000), 1; 9.

[26] Elizabeth Wilson, Adorned in Dreams, rev. edn. (London: LB. Tauris, 2004), 376.

[27] Stella Bruzzi, Undressing Cinema: Clothing and Identity in the Movies (London and New York: Routledge, 1997).

[28] Frantz Fanon, Black Skin, White Masks (Grove Press, 2008).

[29] Anamik Saga, Race and the Cultural Industries (Polity, 2018).

[30] Sarah Gilligan, “Becoming Neo: Costume and Transforming Masculinity in the Matrix Films”, In Fashion in Fiction: Text and Clothing in Literature, Film and Television, eds. Peter Mc Neil, Vicki Kaaminas and Catherine Cole (Oxford: Berg, 2009), 149.

[31] Yvonne Tasker, Spectacular Bodies: Gender, Genre and Action Cinema (London and New York: Routledge, 1993).

[32] Johan Swinnen, What’s the time in Dhaka? The new Photography Thinking (Antwerpen, Artesis University College, 2010).