DANDY IN THE UNDERWORLD.

OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS,/---->
I have researched and discovered the term DANDYISM.
Whilst reading a rather delightful, and openly expressive document called S Magazine, I came across an article about Sebastian Horsley, an artist I'd never heard about, and one who has made an impression, but one I do not care to remember.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFPJQdkblpc
PRICK BASICALLY.

A brief outline about him would be a pompous English, wealthy, supposedly reformed drug addict, who crucified himself for art, in the Phillipines; which was filmed by Sarah Lucas and photographed by Dennis Morris. In a rather blasphemous attempt at creating enough contraversy to get himself noticed for 10 minutes.

He is clearly one of those artists who has no talent, only one to shock and bemuse. The Telegraph described him as--- 'Horsley hopes that "my existence is a work of art", but the joke is that he's a show-off who can't do anything. '

His attitude is one that I depise and his arrogance really grated me. 'I THANK THE LORD EVERYDAY THAT HE MADE ME THIS BEAUTIFUL.'.. really?
Now my work is involved in beauty, and I'm intereted in the issues with Body Dismorphia.. and if anyone has it... its Horsley. Hes ugly inside and out.

The fact he is an open misognist, [hater of women] envoked the urge to go chop off his dick.... even so his clever way with words has made the label on himself look acceptable.....
"A MISOGYNIST IS A MAN WHO HATES WOMEN AS MUCH AS WOMEN HATE EACH OTHER. A HOMOPHOBE IS A MAN WHO HATES FAGGOTS AS MUCH AS THEY HATE THEMSELVES."

His ideas are so warped and distorted but he seems so sure of himself that you start to believe him. He is definately someone who if you met him, you would really want to hate him in huge amounts, but his flare and charisma together with his manipulating narration would quickly have you doubting yourself.
Although Horsley is clearly a very fucked up soul, with no morals or worth of any other human being other than himself; it did make me aware of the word DANDY.

A dandy is a person, a born unbeliever who mocks everything. Who openly and obviously lives against society and bourgeois values; bearing pretension and disdain, yet [in my opinion] is just bitter that they do not belong.

"TO BE EXTREMELY WELL DRESSED IS, I SUPPOSE, A FORM OF DISGUISE AND A MEANS OF SELF ASSURANCE." [Gerald Murphy]

This is a particularly interesting debate. Do people dress to fit in with the masses? Or do people dress in a way to knowingly contradict this? Is it only for the 'well dressed'? Surely that is a matter of opinion. What is well dressed? wearing expenisve clothes.. wearing socially or fashionably acceptable clothes? Being 'different.?'
In the term of the Dandy, these people would consisder the clothes of the aristocracy well dressed, yet they have a blatant disregard for the aristocrasy and hope to live their lives opposed to theirs.
It all seems confused to me.

In conclusion----
Is it true to say that peoples identity can be transferred in their clothes? If someone was to change our appearence with their own style and tastes would we feel different?
If we feel that we look good in what we wear then surely the idea that it is a means of self asurance is correct. We feel confident. People who have definate style or an aversion to wearing anything that someone else might be wearing.. does this mean they are self assured or arrogant>? Or maybe we cannot mearly keep this labelling so ridgid.
I need to explore these ideas.

FEMINISM.

Apart from lesbienism and burning bras... What does it mean to you?

TATE explains-->''First Wave feminist art, women artists revelled in feminine experience, exploring vaginal imagery and menstrual blood, posing naked as goddess figures and defiantly using media such as embroidery that had been considered 'women's work'.
Later feminist artists rejected this approach and attempted to reveal the origins of our ideas of femininity and womanhood. They pursued the idea of femininity as a masquerade – a set of poses adopted by women to conform to social expectations of womanhood. ''



Where the hell do I go with this?? i dont want to be some psychotic woman ranting about how hard it is for women or any rubbish, or seem bitter about the world, but i want to explore what is to be a female in the 21st century, regarding expectations, rules, perceptions, stereotypes.

Had an interesting conversation about this with Alan Bunkum today.
Ive always considered my interest in beauty, the ugliness of beauty and hidden beauty just that, an obsession with the word and all its connotations.
Apparently not.
Clearly hes not just an artist, hes a trained pschologist too...

My desire to understand and study this concept is due to wanting to understand beauty in a personal way. For me to understand that, is to involve myself in as much varying subject and alternates for beauty, as a way to discover what my place is in all this is.
In my subconscious i suppose i have feminist ideas,.

I am constantly wondering what is beauty?
Why do we have these expectations upon us of what to wear, what makeup to use, how slim we should be, what hair colour, why should we be attractive? what is attractive? why is it so?
And why do so many surcome?

Though the ages its been the same, even though the ideas of perfection have changed through time.. there has always been a certain expectation or consideration to what is deemed the right way to look.
---- in my opinion katemoss is over hyped and actually a bit shit.. but im going with the mass opinion.
And isnt it always to make someone else happy? In order for us to be happy, do we have to be making someone else happy? If other people find us attractive,does that make us feel more attractive? Why should we rely on others to feel good about ourselves? Do people even know this is what they do??

EXAMPLE 1. MANIFESTO.

.DRIBBLES AND SCRATCHING, MARKMAKING AND STAINS. ruins.
chipped nailvarnish, ripped tights hidden meanings, peronal responces,s code.
cliches niche. elitest, immoral,
stale perfume. a fusion of cheap desperation and pretention, trying to be expensive. try to fit in. try to be good. try to be the best. try to live life how we are meant to. jump through the hoops. achieve the reachable.
expectations, limitations,,

BEING ALONE.

IVE LOST MYSELF IN THE BUSTLE OF NOISE AND PEOPLE.
I was beginning to distance, and withdraw;; contradicting my eagerness to join in with all these new experiences. Having time and space on my own, has let me reflect on a whole mountain of issues. Its reaffirming my ideals and interests and reminding me of why im here. I have a clearer head,. Hello charlotte, welcome back.