UC EVENTS

Dear members and friends, 
 

Culture and Creativity Seminar – Too much? The Aesthetics and Feminist Politics of Sexy Self-Representation

Speaker: Dr. Emma Philllips

Date\Time: Thursday 10 April 2025, 12:30-13:30

Location: Building 1 Level A Room 1A21, University of Canberra (NB Room 1a21 is accessed from the foyer joining Building 1 and Mizzuna café); 

or Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/95029077504

Abstract

Digital and social media have fundamentally changed debates about objectification of women. By putting the means of production and distribution of representation into the hands of young women the visible power imbalances between a (male) photographer/distributor and (female) subject of representation have been destabilised. Now young women represent themselves. In this context many young women are representing themselves in sexy ways that disturb journalistic commentators and some academics, who critique them for “self-objectification”. This presentation is based on a research project working with young women who produce sexy selfies for Instagram to co-create representations, using that process and the images produced to think about the discourses employed to criticise young women’s self representation. What institutions of authority, and what associated discourses, are employed in making these critiques? Ultimately, what limits are currently being placed on sexual self-representation, and what limits - if any - should be placed on sexual self-representation? 

All are welcome!

Bio

Emma Phillips is a photographer and researcher/lecturer in Visual Communication. Her work focuses on the ways that image-making might be informed by classist, sexist and gendered assumptions and uses photographic methodologies which foreground the representational experiences of women and non-binary people. Emma has twelve years professional photography experience in Australian media, design and advertising and eight years experience teaching in photography and visual communications programs across Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra. She completed her PhD on the intersection of sexy-selfies with class and has been a finalist in the National Photographic Portrait Prize. Emma is currently researching the visual cultures of elite women athletes.

Supports and fundings: UC DVCRE Cross-Faculty Seed Grant

The Culture and Creativity Seminar Series is hosted by the Centre for Cultural and Creative Research (CCCR), Faculty of Arts and Design, University of Canberra. To discover upcoming seminars, please follow us on Facebook @uccccr, or Instagram and Twitter @uc_cccr. Alternatively, join our mailing list by emailing cccr@canberra.edu.au.

Any questions and accessibility requests please contact: cccr@canberra.edu.au.