Themes In Conceptual Film

The thematic ideas that are most interesting to me are the concept of beauty and race, clan, and class in art. To begin with the first of the two listed, I believe this concept is interesting due to its prominence in our society. Even outside of conventional art (paintings, drawings, etc.) the ideal standard of beauty is drilled into those within modern society. This is done through the media and due to the importance of mass communication in current times, most are aware of what is to be expected of one's physical appearance within society. This applies to what facial structures are deemed appealing, ideal body types, hair styles, and even clothing types all contribute to defining what is “beautiful”. As the article states, some ideas come and go which affects this concept. Beauty itself is interesting because the accentuation of what is currently attractive to society comes with mental, physical and emotional tolls on those who do not have such attributes. In fact, even those who fit within the “ideal” still struggle with insecurities. This is a concept I feel many would be able identify with and relate to, especially when told from various perspectives (different races, genders, etc). 

Furthermore, the concept of how race, clan, and class are depicted in art prove to be topics worthy of attention. Just like the overall standard of how one should present themselves, the portrayal of the latter has shifted throughout time. Some representations resonate with viewers due to accuracy, while some are merely offensive and poorly executed. Accurate and truly meaningful portrayals of these various groups seem to be sparse or simply difficult to find. This is a shame given that we live in a world where knowledge and higher level understanding can be discovered at the click of a button or the flip of a page.  It is largely important that stereotypes of these groups are shown to primarily be myth and, if not such,  historical explanations be provided for why this not so. Granted, while more positive ideas should be planted in the minds of society, this does not mean the struggles faced by those that fit into those categories must be sugar coated. Both of the themes I have chosen allow for many different ways they could be worked with to result in creating powerful, timeless messages.