Was bedeutet “Crying” für mich persönlich? Wie kann man seine persönliche Auffassung von “Crying” ausdrücken? Welche Sprache und Symboliken verwende ich, wenn ich diesen Zustand ausdrücke? Welche Farben verwende ich? Welches Medium?
In diesem Selbstversuch wurden genau diese Fragen erforscht.
Der Begriff “Crying” kann verschiedene Bedeutungen haben (z.B. weinen, schreien). Die meist verwendete Übersetzung “weinen” ins Deutsche ist aber nicht immer passend, um den genauen Kontext des nuancenreichen englischen “crying” zu vermitteln. Wir merken immer wieder: Eine direkte Übersetzung ins Deutsche gibt es nicht.
Um so spannender war es deshalb, mein eigenes Verständnis von “Crying” zeichnerisch darzustellen.
Das Ergebnis verglich ich mit einem Acrylgemälde, dass ich 2019 gemalt hatte und “Der Schrei” nannte.
Selbstversuch, Künstlertusche auf Zeichenpapier
“Der Schrei” Acryl auf Leinwand, 50cmx70cm, 2019
Beide Darstellungen zeigen Gemeinsamkeiten.
Es wird jeweils eine Figur dargestellt, die verkrampft ihren Kopf nach oben hält. Das deutet auf Verzweiflung und Hoffnungslosigkeit.
Auch die Farbwahl bleibt gleich. Schwarz und Weiß.
Wichtig ist es, abschließend nochmal zu betonen, dass es sich hier um eine subjektive Darstellung handelt. Für jede:n bedeutet “Crying” etwas anderes. Es muss nicht unbedingt etwas trauriges, hoffnungsloses oder verzweifeltes sein. Vielleicht ist es bunt und farbenfroh.
Keine Auffassung ist falsch. An den beiden gezeigten Darstellungen lässt sich erkennen: Es verändert sich.
The goth culture is a subculture that has been around for decades and has gone through numerous interpretations and iterations in different countries around the world. It is characterized by a dark and often melancholic aesthetic, and is often associated with music and fashion.
This essay will explore the beginnings of goth culture in the UK, focusing on the influence of the band Depeche Mode and the gothic culture in the former GDR.
The goth culture in the UK has its roots in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when punk and post-punk bands such as Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division and Bauhaus were popular. This period was characterized by a dark, moody aesthetic and an exploration of themes such as death, despair, and alienation. It was during this time that Depeche Mode, a British electronic music band, began to gain popularity with their dark, synth-driven sound. The band’s influence on goth culture has been documented by many scholars and music journalists.
Depeche Mode’s influence on goth culture was particularly strong in the former GDR (East Germany). The band’s music was highly influential on the goth scene in the GDR, which was burgeoning during the late 1980s and early 1990s. As Sascha Lange, a musician and journalist who was active in the goth scene in the former GDR, explains: “Depeche Mode had a huge impact on the goth scene in the GDR. We had a big underground music scene, and Depeche Mode was an important part of it.” Lange also explains that the goth scene in the former GDR was heavily influenced by the aesthetics of the UK goth scene. He states: “The goth scene in the GDR was heavily influenced by the UK goth scene. We were inspired by the music, fashion and aesthetic of the UK goth scene and adapted it to our own needs and tastes.” This is evidenced by the fact that goth clubs in the former GDR often featured bands such as Depeche Mode, as well as other British bands such as Bauhaus and The Cure.
The influence of the UK goth scene in the former GDR also extended to other aspects of culture. For example, the goth culture in the former GDR was heavily influenced by British literature and art. As Lange explains: “We were also inspired by British literature and art. We were exposed to the works of authors such as Oscar Wilde, William Blake and the Pre-Raphaelites, and these works had a strong influence on our aesthetic.” This influence is evident in the artwork and fashion of goth culture in the former GDR, which featured dark, romantic and often surrealistic imagery. The influence of the UK goth scene in the former GDR was also evident in the music of the time. As Lange explains: “The music of the GDR goth scene was heavily influenced by the music of the UK goth scene. We listened to bands such as Depeche Mode, Bauhaus, The Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees, and we also had our own bands that played a similar style of music.” This influence is evident in the music of bands such as Tumult, a German gothic rock band that was active in the GDR in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
In conclusion, the UK goth scene had a strong influence on the development of goth culture in the former GDR. The music of Depeche Mode and other British bands was highly influential, as were the aesthetics and literature of the UK goth scene, that were starting point for a process of longing and crying. This influence is evident in the artwork, fashion and music of the goth scene in the former GDR. The goth culture in the former GDR was a unique and underground culture, and its influence continues to be felt in goth culture around the world.
EAST GERMAN GOTHIC STUDIES is a study of gothic culture, which in East Germany was characterised above all by severe economic deprivation, limited access to information, music carriers and political and social repression. From 1987 onwards, there are increasing notes in Stasi files on self-organised youth groups who put on make-up, toupee their hair, wear necklaces and have a fascination for cemeteries. Politically, they remained misunderstood by state security personnel, which increased the sceptical observation of this youth culture. This is a continuation of my work on the longing and crying of goths in the GDR.
First, I would like to present a work that was part of the group show UNMONUMENTAL MOMENTS at the Jena Kunstverein, 2022:
Fabian Reetz Untitled (East German Gothic Studies), 2022 Archival material, weathered latex on glass, steel, 86.5 x 40 x 20 cm
The installation by Fabian Reetz consists of two rectangular steel bodies, whose fronts are each closed by a pane of glass. The artist has covered them with latex and exposed them to direct sunlight and the effects of the weather over a long period of time. The material, which is opaque and impermeable to air in its original state, becomes an irregularly structured, translucent surface that bears witness to tensions and cracks as a result of this artificially produced ageing process. This semipermeable filter partially and restrictedly reveals another component of the installation: a picture of the band “The Cure”. This is part of a fan calendar that – among others – had a permanent place in his parents’ kitchen in the 1990s.
With this installation, which connects the private with the public, Fabian Reetz reflects on changes in systems of reference over time. In doing so, he creates minimalist objects that on the one hand pick up on the cult of idols, and on the other ask about their temporality. “Being a fan, living one’s own life through someone else, fulfilling one’s own desires through someone else’s career – these were mechanisms of escapism for young people in the GDR. In the 90s, the Wave Gothic Treffen emerged from this subculture. Part of the founding myth is “The Cure” concert on Leipzig’s Festwiese, for which large numbers of starving goths from all corners of the defunct GDR made the pilgrimage, only to be beaten up by skinheads afterwards.
2022 marks the 30th anniversary of the 30th anniversary of the festival, the protagonists of the time are writing books and an institutionalised classification of the youth movement of the time is beginning. At the same time, there are newer fan groups around bands like “The Cure” and “Depeche Mode”, networked via forums and social media, in which the focus is on queerness, sexuality and playing with the gender roles of these bands. Agendas shift, while the projection screen in the form of Robert Smith’s lipstick and cobwebby hair is still onstage after decades.”
(Excerpt from the exhibition text by Michaela Mai, 2022)
installation shot by Jannis Uffrechtdetail
CONCEPT SKETCHES FOR A NEW INSTALLATION
The following is an immersive spatial installation that deepens my preoccupation with goth culture.
In southern Thuringia, there has been a slate quarrying area near Lehesten since the 13th century, which is a source of identity for the surrounding villages. Most of the houses here are clad in slate. Since industrialisation, the region has been in a productive but socio-economically precarious position. During the GDR, mining was dominated by the planned economy, the economic situation deteriorated visibly, and in the 1990s mining came to an end. Outside the small village centres, there are mainly two-storey, simple single-family houses covered with slate. After the end of quarrying, the material became more expensive and since then there have been hardly any new building projects with slate. The cultural and economic history of this milieu in southern Thuringia can be traced on the basis of the material. The roofing of the houses works by nailing the uniform shingles to the outer façade of the house. Contrary to this traditional procedure, I would like to knot slate tiles with decorative chains.
Self-dyed shrouds and self-made jewellery are an integral part of goth fashion during the GDR. Due to the lack of appropriate clothing, an inventive dedication to a gothic outfit was necessary, which was picked up via West German television and through magazines. Often this went hand in hand with resistance to conservative parents and was an intense act as a moment of demarcation in a restrictive state. For me, slate bricks linked by jewellery chains carry the lifeworld of goths in East Germany, as they combine the tension of one’s own parental home with breaking out through individualised, self-made looks.
While at the end of the 1980s the goth scene mainly found its place in youth clubs and sometimes in cemeteries and private cellars, in the 1990s it was places like the Moritzbastei or the Darkflower in Leipzig that were central to the scene. Old vaulted cellars are often venues for goth clubs, inspired by the iconic Batcave in London.
The installation consists of funnel-shaped, thin steel scaffolding to which slate panels are tied – creating individual columns. The slate plates are knotted together by jewellery chains, which on the one hand refer to Gothic jewellery, such as the chains by Robert Smith (see appendix). On the other hand, it is important to me to understand the handling of the slate as fashion. The funnel-shaped objects are in turn attached by wire ropes and jewellery chains either to the beams, or to the walls of the interior by eyebolts. As can be seen in the sketches, the columns with wire ropes arched by tension are reminiscent of vaulted Gothic clubs. With the columns, the material that is normally used for exterior façades is also brought into the interior and re-evaluated. Above the bar, I want to hang a plain slate-clad Schlid that quotes the Batcave’s iconic coffin-shaped logo. (see sketches).
In my presentation of the new crying material I shared my process of crying through Art.
Why do I feel the need to cry trough Art? Is crying enough for me? No. I believe we all find ways to deal with our emotional pain when crying isn’t enough, and for me that is Art. It’s a more active way of crying and dealing with my feelings.
To help me elaborate this idea I created this scheme:
This “Art web” tries to follow an order that is quite hard to understand, even for me, due to the connections that are established between every single stage.
In my presentation I explained these different stages through my works. If you are interested in seeing it in more detail you can check the handout uploaded in the Moodle.
My work is still alternating between the last 2 stages of this process -Laugh not to cry and Will I ever not feel ashamed of crying -, so I thought it would be interesting to share what I haven’t shared yet.
Uma lata do caralho, 2023, can
The expression Uma lata do caralho means “you have a lot of fucking nerve”. In Portuguese this expression uses the word lata, that means can. Alike the red ribbon O mau da fita (you can see it above), I decided to play with the expression that was said to me in an aggressive tone, trough sarcasm.
Obrigadinha, 2023, aluminum foil on paper, 65,3×49,5 cm?UAM, 2023, mix technique, 65,3×49,5 cm
Obrigadinha (“thank you so much” in a sarcastic tone) and ?UAM (MAU? – BAD?) continue this process of questioning and processing what was said to me, through art and sarcasm. Laugh not to cry. Who is the bad one? And is that person really bad or are we seeing it incorrectly? Who do we have to thank? Do we truly need or want to thank that person?
Here is a Zine that I presented in CI class about crying objects, some of them where exhibited during WWS in the atelier where I’ve been working.
The Zine is in Spanish because it is my mother tongue. The first texts are an experience around crying that have marked the relationship I have with being ‘sensitive’ or crying ‘a lot’. About how I was (still am) a crybaby and it is remembered by my parents many times.
In the zine I feature some ‘crying objects’ and scans of my safe space in weaker moments: my bedroom. These objects cry because I accumulate or produce them only when I cry. Among these objects there are nails and hair, wounds or flowers that I have not (forgot or didn’t have the power to) take care of.
I have added a QR to the zine to kinda make it more interactive and make it able to rotate the scanner. I laso added one of the videos that I keep as ‘intimate’ of a conversation with a conversation form a night out in the beach with my friend who also contributed to the Zine with some woodcuts, text and conversations about crying.
One of the pages of the zine, in relation to the room, there are some photos of one of the walls of my room where I have been writing down quotes that I liked, many of them are related to intimacy, love, friendship, pity etc. feelings in general, which is what you move along with the objects.
Some of the words that I wrote down are ‘The Sadness, The Cry, The Pain, The Memory, The Crying, The Grief, The Tear, The Lament’.
I don’t want to translate everything because one of the things I like about working in my mother tongue in a class/university where the language is another is that I can work from my experience and intimacy without feeling as exposed as I do in my home country, but I really want to show one of my favourites songs, ‘AL VERTE LAS FLORES LLORAN’ (1969) by Camarón de La Isla y Paco de Lucía.
“When flowers see you they cry when you walks into your garden because all the flowers would like to look just like you. Retire so that people can’t know about our love The further away the saint is the closer the devotion. And the day”.
Digital draft for the carpet piece “Souvenir of a day in the country with you”
My thoughts on crying in an artistic context, aka artist practice which I define as “artistic crying” culminate in my textile piece “A souvenir of a day in the country with you”. Which I started creating because of my manifested thoughts during “Crying Institute”.
The idea of a universal pain that we all share is a central theme throughout the piece, and the responsibility of mending it is a recurring motif that runs throughout it.
As a work of art, “A Souvenir of a Day in the Country with You” not only invites viewers to reflect on their own experiences of pain and how art can help to heal these wounds, by clearly stating “You inspire me“, “I want to mend your pain“ but it also indirectly delves into the idea of pain within the artistic practice itself. The process of creating these textile carpets is not only physically demanding and time-consuming, particularly in this case because every carpet of the series aims for more complexity in production (in this case: naturally dyeing the fibers, which included collecting 20kg of red onions for example), but it is also emotionally challenging due to the historical dismissal of textile art as a legitimate form of artistic expression. The pattern used in “A Souvenir of a Day in the Country with You” is a direct reference to one of Gunta Stölzl’s woven carpet drafts, which is not only painful because of its’ transfomation into tufted pattern but also because of the dismissal of textiles as a legitimate artistic medium. Historically, textile art has been undervalued and relegated to the realm of craft rather than art. This dismissal of textile art was particularly evident in the Bauhaus movement, where textile artists such as Gunta Stölzl were marginalized and their work was often dismissed as “women’s work.”
Dyeing wool naturally – work in progress
Using an old amateur photograph of two women kissing further emphasizes the idea of reclaiming and reinterpreting history. By taking an image that was likely dismissed or hidden away by society and transforming it into a work of art, I am trying to subvert societal norms and celebrate the beauty of diversity and individuality.
The inclusion of this design element within “A Souvenir of a Day in the Country with You” speaks to the power of art to challenge and reshape societal expectations and norms. Or the pain of not being able to do so, as queer and female artists are still marginalized or only used for queering art institutions and polishing their diverse images.
Lastly, this carpet was also inspired by a very personal encounter. And tries to keepsake it.
Through the fusion of different ideas of pain and artistic expression, “A Souvenir of a Day in the Country with You” offers a unique and deeply moving perspective on the role of art in our lives.
“A Souvenir of a Day in the Country with You” serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of recognizing and embracing the full spectrum of human experience and artistic practice.
Actual drawn carpet draft with 3 times fixed tufting gun
My artistic practice makes me want to cry because I feel like I can never be soft. I want to be seen as human. It makes me want to cry because I feel like I can never be authentic. And maintaining a perfect image of the artist feels exploratory towards me. It makes me want to cry because it lives with the art school-taught premise that “good” art can never be personal. It makes me want to cry because it doesn’t shield me from the art world but teaches me to adapt and move on. It makes me want to cry because it means giving myself up to be seen. It makes me want to cry because I constantly have to recontextualize myself and give myself up to be seen.
EXHAUSTION
My artistic practice makes me want to cry because it is destruction. It is more than 24/7. My artistic practice makes me want to cry because I have to do everything myself. I have to be responsible for everything all the time. And sometimes I don’t want to know how to fix things besides myself. I Don’t want to be my production firm. I don’t want to manage myself.
My artistic practice makes me want to cry because I am constantly under pressure. To produce to perform.
Surviving makes me want to cry. My endless search makes for meaning makes me want to cry.
My artistic practice makes me want to cry because I don’t want to suffer through overstepping my boundaries and pushing my body for a greater cause. Seeing my art as a calling makes me want to cry. I don’t want to sacrifice myself. I do not want to do care work for a world of outsiders.
ECOMONY
My artistic practice makes me want to cry because being financially unstable makes me want to cry. Three days ago, I read: an artist without funding is no artist. I don’t want to be discovered by the art world. I don’t want to capitalize on creating art. Capitalizing on art makes me want to cry.
CLASSWAR
My artistic practice makes me want to cry because it means fighting against the people who should be your friends and allies. It means not engaging too much. My artistic practice makes me want to cry because whenever I am “succeeding” in this art world I feel like a hypocrite.
My artistic practice makes me want to cry because it means comparing myself to others.
It makes me want to cry because it means withstanding dismissal by other artists. My artistic practice makes me want to cry because it means constantly defending myself.
In a contemporary context artistic practice always causes pain. While a more traditional definition might only see the origin of pain and suffering in art-making connected to inner factors such as deep levels of personal reflection, vulnerability, and the willingness to push boundaries and challenge oneself as well as the process of creating art (which can be physically demanding, especially for those who work with their hands or require long periods of time in a sedentary position), a more modern definition might also consider outer factors causing artists in practice immense pain and suffering. Such as the patriarchal structures and class war dominating the art schools, art scene and the art market, causing the artistic practice to become political art itself. And even though an artistic practice might cause artists crying it is no battle cry. It is a new form of crying. A hybrid one. Causing artists to directly and metaphorically weep. Always renewing the pain. Always adapting to pain. Causing greater pain. All in all, artistic practice can be defined as artistic crying.
Art therapy is a form of therapy that uses creative expression and art-making to help individuals explore their emotions, improve their mental health, and enhance their overall well-being. It is a combination of traditional psychotherapy and the creation of visual art, allowing individuals to use various art materials and techniques to express themselves and communicate their feelings.
Art therapy can be used to treat a variety of mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, trauma, and substance abuse. It can be helpful for individuals who have difficulty verbalizing their thoughts and emotions or who may feel more comfortable expressing themselves through art. The therapist may guide the individual through the art-making process or interpret the artwork to help the individual gain insight into their emotions and experiences.
Unlike artistic practice, the essence of art therapy lies within the healing and not destruction.
Arising questions in relation to art therapy and art productionExample of Taylor Swift incorporating painful experiences into her art and using art in a therapeutic sense. Here: Jake Gyllenhall wearing the scarf that is mentioned in the song “All too well”.
I saw a ‘Gucci Tears’ blog entry (https://cryinginstitute.artnextsociety.net/2022/11/10/gucci-tears/) with some images of tears displayed as accessories on the runway. Since then I have seen tears again as an accessory and equal to clothing represented as ‘ready to wear’ accesory or makeup. This is a small compilation to show how they have been differently represented .
From the entry ‘Gucci Tears’ entry I wanted to underline the concept of tears as a product:
Gucci Fall Ready to Wear 2020 at Milan Fashion Week.
Silicon tears by MUA Thomas de Kluyver seen on Gucci Fall 2019 at Milan Fashion Week.
Cristal tears by MUA Peter Philips for Acne Studios SS collection 2020.
Helmut Lang Seen by Shayne Oliver SS18 campaign.
Ribbon Tears by MUA Thomas de Kluyver on Simone Rocha SS collection 2023.
I want to close this post with my reply in the blog entry that I mentioned before, a short quote from Anne Boyer in The Undying: “I would rather write about anything else, not only for fear of the pain of examining the pain, but also for fear of turning the pain into a product”.
Our relationship with crying is very troubled. Usually people don’t know how to deal with the act of crying, specially someone else’s. There’s an embarrassment and a sense of exposure felt by the crying person that, combined with the incapacity felt by the watcher, creates a very awkward and difficult situation. It’s almost unnatural how often this happens with such a common and human act.
This tension that comes with the observation of the crying act, made me very intrigued by a series of paintings that became popular in the 60’s and 70’s, that depicts this subject.
Giovanni Bragolin painting the Crying Children
By the end of the XX century most Portuguese houses had the painting “o Menino da Lágrima” as decoration. This was one of a series of crying children portraits by the Italian artist Giovanni Bragolin completed in the 1950’s. Despite their sad and suffering look these paintings became very popular in Portugal, Brazil (O Menino da Lágrima), Chile, Argentina, Spain (El Niño Que Llora), Britain (Crying Boys), Sweden (Gråtande Barn), France (Le Garçon qui pleure) and Italy.
These were very melancholic paintings that marked a generation.
“a fashion that for those who were Portuguese children between the 1970s and 80s has “a load of sadness and desolation”
Público – O Menino da Lágrima, o quadro que assombrou mil infâncias e casas portuguesas (O Menino da Lágrima, the painting that haunted a thousand childhoods and Portuguese homes)
There are dozens of versions, namely “Meninas da Lágrima” (Crying Girls), and each country had its favorites or a more beloved portrait.
Their strength in the collective consciousness is so great that even those who haven’t lived directly with them recognize the name or image. “Sometimes it no longer matters whether the painting existed with us, in the place where we lived or with the people we knew, because it was there even without being there”
Público – O Menino da Lágrima, o quadro que assombrou mil infâncias e casas portuguesas (O Menino da Lágrima, the painting that haunted a thousand childhoods and Portuguese homes)
In Portugal this generational memory is so strong that has been used as an amulet, as a kitsch reference in photo sessions, tv shows’ sets, humor segments, among others, by various public figures, such as futebol players. It has even been used as decoration in hotels and object of reinterpretation by several artists.
Not only that but the painting has been seen by many as cursed, specially in Britain, where many stories aroused where the painting escaped unscathed from houses destroyed by fires.
This is a very interesting and intriguing “trend” for me. How can this crying tabu (even more so at that time) be looked at as a decorative object? How can crying children be conceived in the 60’s as an appropriate ornament for the normal household? But then again, isn’t art the best way to question society’s prejudices?
Once I encountered the data set of Robin Weis [7], I knew I wanted to create a physical data representation of crying data. Specifically, my idea was to create a data physicalisation: a physical artefact that represent data through it material and geometric properties [5]. Data physicalisations have been created for centuries (see dataphys.org/list), however, no known example represents crying data.
Initially, I wanted to use Weis’ data set, as this would allow me to use a ‘large’ data set on crying, rather than having to create one from scratch and only have the time to create a small data set. However, whilst developing concepts, I realised that I missed the personal connection to the data and that certain aspects –the more qualitative aspects, such as the emotion behind the cry– were missing. Therefore, I tracked my own crying data, based on the categories created by Weis. To this I added the emotion behind the tears, and left out the time and duration of the cry, as I wanted to focus on the experience—not tracking the data. This resulted in the following set of 8 cries:
When
Location
Emotion
Intensity
18.10.2022
Home
Angry
3
20.10.2022
Home
Angry
4
16.11.2022
Bike
Sad
2
16.11.2022
Home
Happy
1
25.11.2022
Home
Sad
2
01.12.2022
Home
Sad
3
23.12.2022
Parents’ home
Angry
3
07.02.2023
Home
Sad
2
Whilst creating this data set, I started to think of what a physicalisation of cries would look like. During my presentation, I already stated that: “I don’t want to design a fountain”. Although I must admit that this would be fun, it felt too ‘easy’ and I wanted to challenge myself by imposing the limitation of not representing tears through water. Instead, I decided to focus on the idea of tears leaving our body and brining those tears back, which inspired me to create a data physicalisation which you can eat [2]: where the cries are communicated through taste and texture. Thus the question became, what do tears taste like?
A small background on the taste of tears:
Our tears are composed of water, oils, proteins, and electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium [3]. Due to the electrolytes, tears have a salty taste. There are 3 types of tears: basal/continuous, reflex, and emotional tear [1]. The emotional tears ‘flush out’ stress hormones, whilst at the same time releasing hormones which make you feel better, such as endorphins. Because of this composition, emotional tears are the least salty [3].
Based on the background research, I decided to create chocolate bonbons (chocolate contains endorphins after all), to represent my 8 crying episodes. The bonbon would consist of a ganache and a galette. Each galette is made by boiling glucose syrup and chocolate to 145 degrees Celsius, pouring the liquid on a piece of baking paper to let it cool down, after which it is blended till a powder, which can be evenly distributed using a sieve. The shape and size of the galette would represent the intensity of a cry. The taste of the ganache and galette represents the emotion (Figure 1).
Figure 1. The shape and size of the tears. Each tear would represent the intensity of a cry. Left is the lowest intensity (1) and right the highest (5).
However, an experiment with the galette showed that I could not control the shape: the galette melted and expanded in the oven; even after freezing it first (Figure 2). Therefore, I decided to focus on the texture of the galette to represent the intensity, where I based the texture on conceptual metaphors (e.g., rough is bad, in this case angry) [4]. Besides texture, I would further use the intensity of the taste to represent the intensity of the cry. Thus, both the texture and intensity of the taste represent the intensity of the cry.
Figure 2. Picture of initial experiments with the tear shapes. These either expanded (thus losing their shape) or burned because of the size differences within the shape. Therefore, a new mapping was created, using the texture of the galette.Bottom right shows the used stencil.
The taste of the bonbons represents the emotion of the cry, for which I was inspired by a blog post, which states that the chemical composition of tears changes their taste: angry tears would consist of a lower concentration of moisture and have a higher sodium concentration (thus being saltier), sad tears taste more acidic, and happy tears are supposedly sweeter [6]. I could not find scientific papers to back up these statements. Therefore, this only served as inspiration and is not something I consider to be proven.
Inspired by this, I created the following mappings:
Emotion
Taste
Texture
Angry
Very salty. As anger is often associated with heat, these bonbons contain chilli to make them spicy. The base of the bonbons is dark, bitter chocolate (80%).
Rough
Sad
Salty and acidic, through a higher concentration of lemon juice in the home made glucose syrup. The bonbons are based on milk chocolate, so they are less bitter than the angry tears.
Less rough, by baking it at a lower temperature. However, the texture is still perceivable when eating the galette.
Happy
Sweet and salty, the bonbons are based on white chocolate for intense sweetness.
Glossy and smooth
This mapping was applied to the bonbons, which consist of: (1) a ganache base, made of the respective chocolate (white=happy, milk=sad, pure=angry), salt, and in case of angry, chili, and (2) a chocolate galette made of sugar, the respective chocolate, and home made glucose syrup. The glucose syrup was made by boiling water, sugar, and lemon juice to a 118 degrees Celsius, which allowed me to control the acidity levels. Overall, I created the following bonbons per emotion:
Angry
Figure 3. 3 Bonbons representing the ‘angry cries’. The rougher the texture, the higher the intensity of the cry. Both the galette and ganache taste salty and spicy (due to added chilli), where the level of saltiness and spiciness represent the intensity (higher levels represent a higher intensity), and are made from 80% dark chocolate.Figure 3.1. A close up of one of the angry cry bonbons, showing the texture of the galette.
Sad
Figure 4. 4 Bonbons representing ‘sad’ cries. The texture of the galettes is less rough than the angry cries and the galettes have been coated with cocoa powder to create a thin veil over the galette, making them easier to differentiate from the angry cries. Due to the milk chocolate and lower concentration of salt, these bonbons are not as bitter and salty as the angry cries. However, the ratio of lemon juice in the glucose syrup has been increased for an increased acidity.
Figure 4.1. A close up of a sad cry bonbon.
Happy
Figure 5. 1 Bonbon representing a happy cry. Whereas the angry and sad cries can be seen as negative emotions, the happy cry is positive, Therefore, the texture of the galette is shiny and smooth, and the overall taste of the bonbon is sweet and salty, due to a mix of white chocolate and salt.
Data representation
Together these bonbons resulted in the following overall data physicalisation:
Figure 6. By tasting each bonbon, the intensity and emotion of the cry can be determined. The higher the intensity, the stronger the flavourings (salt, chilli, or acidity). Reflecting on this creation, it is probably difficult to determine the exact intensity of the emotion (and perhaps even emotion) by only eating 1 bonbon. Therefore, either a legend needs to be given to clarify the concept. This legend should be edible as well, so we can determine what the minimum (lowest intensity) and maximum are (highest intensity).
References
1. Nicholas M. Farandos, Ali K. Yetisen, Michael J. Monteiro, Christopher R. Lowe, and Seok Hyun Yun. 2015. Contact Lens Sensors in Ocular Diagnostics. Advanced Healthcare Materials 4, 6: 792–810. https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.201400504
2. Florian ’ Floyd’ Mueller, Sarah Goodwin, Han Phan, Rohit Khot, Kim Marriott, Jionghao Lin, Yan Wang, Tim Dwyer, Jialin Deng, Kun-Ting Chen, and Kim Mar-Riott. Data as Delight: Eating data; Data as Delight: Eating data. https://doi.org/10.1145/3411764.3445218
3. William H. Frey, Denise Desota-Johnson, Carrie Hoffman, and John T. McCall. 1981. Effect of Stimulus on the Chemical Composition of Human Tears. American Journal of Ophthalmology 92, 4: 559–567. https://doi.org/10.1016/0002-9394(81)90651-6
4. Jörn Hurtienne, Christian Stößel, and Katharina Weber. 2009. Sad is heavy and happy is light. In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Tangible and Embedded Interaction – TEI ’09 (TEI ’09), 61. https://doi.org/10.1145/1517664.1517686
5. Yvonne Jansen, Pierre Dragicevic, Petra Isenberg, Jason Alexander, Abhijit Karnik, Johan Kildal, Sriram Subramanian, and Kasper Hornbæk. 2015. Opportunities and Challenges for Data Physicalization. In Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 3227–3236. https://doi.org/10.1145/2702123.2702180
6. Eunah Lee Kwon. 2008. Different Tears Different Taste. University Newspaper. Retrieved from http://smtimes.sookmyung.ac.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=286
7. Robin Weis. 2016. Crying. Retrieved from http://robinwe.is/explorations/cry.html
From 1964 to 1985 Brazil went through a dictatorial regime as many other countries in South America did at that time. More than 8000 indigenous people and 400 urban citizens were murdered. 210 people remain missing until today. The common words used to describe that time are violence, brutality, censorship, fight and resistance. The images we find are either very institutional or very brutal. In my research I couldn’t find a single image of a person crying.
I asked myself: knowing how fundamental music is for my culture, especially during that period, could I find the act of weeping in the lyrics of the songs released back then? More than that, would it be possible to briefly explain the history throughout these musical tears?
After a couple of years of political tension in Brazil, João Goulart (or Jango) became president. He was the vice of Jânio Quadros, which resigned due to unclear reasons. Not satisfied with the ongoing project of Jango, the military force, supported by conservative (mainly rich) civilians and the United States, successfully coordinated the coup d’état as Jango had no political or military support at that point. Jango intended to instaure basic reforms such as rental control to solve the Brazilian debt and it was seen by the conservative (and US) as a “communist threat”. Year by year, dictator after dictator, the regime got more violent and censorship more strict. Many artists, writers and intellectuals were exiled, as some stayed and resisted through art.
I respect my tears very much
But even more my laughter
I inscribe, thus, my words
In the voice of a sacred woman
Unholy cow, put your horns out and above the herd
“Vaca Profana” – Gal Costa
After the Amnesty Law in 1979, the “Diretas Já” movement in 1984 and many negotiations (as most events in our history), the Brazilian dictatorial regime ended officially in 1985 but the way it happened gave space for a cultural amnesia that led to a recent movement claiming for military intervention again. Thanks to artists, we can trace back the history to not forget completely how absurd it was.
PSYCHISCHE PROZESSE DURCH BILDNERISCHE MITTEL DARSTELLEN UND VERARBEITEN
Vincent Morcinek / Kerstin Grießhaber / Sarah Steingrüber
In ihrer Vorlesung „Einführung in die pädagogische Psychologie des Lernens und Lehrens” (2020) definiert Bärbel Kracke den Begriff Emotion als Oberbegriff für Affekt und Gefühl, wobei Affekt eine heftige kurzzeitige Emotion darstellt und Gefühl als subjektiver Aspekt von Emotion und Stimmung eher eine weniger heftige, aber länger andauernde Emotion beschreibt.
In ihrem Skript führt sie weiter aus, dass Emotionen mehrdimensionale Konstrukte seien, die aus affektiven, expressiven, physiologischen, kognitiven und motivationalen Komponenten bestehen. Weinen oder Crying kann somit als Ausdruck einer heftigen, kurzzeitigen Emotion verstanden werden.
Elke Wild und Jens Möller definieren im Lehrbuch für “Pädagogische Psychologie” (Heidelberg, 2014, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41291-2) Emotionen als innere psychische Prozesse. Charakteristisch sei vor allem ihr “gefühlter” Kern, Emotionen spüre man. Jede Emotion ist durch ein für sie typisches psychisches Erleben gekennzeichnet. Dies wird auch als der affektive Kern einer Emotion bezeichnet. Affektives Erleben ist notwendig und hinreichend für eine Emotion. Die meisten Emotionen lassen sich recht eindeutig entlang der Dimension Valenz in positiv vs. negativ einordnen. “Emotionen haben einen stark wertenden Charakter, sie sind Signalgeber dafür, wie angenehm oder unangenehm eine aktuelle Situation empfunden wird.“ (Wild et al. 2014, S. 202)
Um diese Emotionen genauer zu verstehen, helfen oft Psychotherapien. Die Kunsttherapie ist ein Teilbereich der Psychoanalyse, in dem man sich auf die Arbeit mit gestalterischen Mitteln fokussiert. Das findet in einem geschützten Rahmen statt und meistens nur zwischen Klienten und Psycholog*innen oder Sozialarbeiter*innen. Dabei kann man alltägliche und psychische Probleme, welche man nicht mehr mit Worten fassen und definieren kann, ausdrücken. Es geht darum, eventuelle Lösungen für diese zu finden. Meistens fällt es Menschen, die sich nicht mehr mit Worten ausdrücken können, einfacher, sich beim Malen und Gestalten auszudrücken. Vor allem Kindern und Jugendlichen kann das helfen.
Bei der Kunsttherapie entstehen auch häufig Motive vom Weinen, von Tränen und Leidenden. “Crying” ist ein häufiges Motiv in der Kunstgeschichte mit einer langen Tradition. Von den Tränen des “Young Girl Crying” von Pietro Antonio Rotari (Mitte des 18. Jahrhunderts) über Picassos “Weeping Woman” (1937) bis hin zu Werken der Moderne, die Emotion auf abstrakte oder surrealistische Weise thematisieren. Immer wieder haben Künstler*innen versucht, Crying und die damit verbundenen Emotionen in ihren Arbeiten zu erfassen. Oft bedienen sie sich dabei kunsthistorisch überlieferten Stilmittel, um die Betrachter*innen gezielt zu emotionalen Reaktionen zu treiben. Die Kunst zeigt auf beeindruckende Weise, wie universell und zeitlos die Emotion des Crying ist.
Tränen bestehen zu 98% aus Wasser. Wasser finden wir überall auf dieser Welt, weshalb dieser Stoff zu recht auch als Baustein des Lebens bezeichnet wird. Über Wasser denken wir nicht nach. Wir denken nicht nach, wieviel davon in unsere Essen steckt, in der Luft oder in uns selbst. Wir versuchen, Wasser zu meiden, indem wir daraus Limonade machen, Kaffee oder Tee. Über Tränen wird nachgedacht. Wir bilden uns Meinungen, verhandeln diese auf emotionaler Basis, tauschen uns darüber aus oder weinen im Stillen. Was steckt also hinter diesen 2%?
Wasser an sich, und so auch Tränen, können die verschiedensten Formen annehmen. Auch Tränen können frieren, sich verflüssigen und ebenso verdampfen, sie nehmen Gestalt an, verändern diese wieder, verbinden sich, stoßen sich ab, sinken ein, perlen herunter, sammeln sich oder verschwinden. Wie verhalten sich Tränen zu der Umwelt? Nicht nur zu mir? Wie tritt ein losgelöster Teil von mir in Kontakt mit meinem Umfeld? Ist es überhaupt ein Teil meiner selbst? Hat jemals zu mir gehört?
Ich bemerke, dass das Verhalten meiner Tränen meine Emotionen beeinflusst. Ich kann ihnen bewusst beim Verlassen meiner selbst zusehen, wie sie sich verselbstständigen, wie ich Kontrolle verliere, wie ich sauer auf sie werde, wenn sie mein Gesicht hinunter laufen und ohne zögern in meinem Pullover verschwinden. Ich kann sie genauso wenig kontrollieren wie meine Emotionen, die sich dabei fast sprunghaft bilden.
Ich ertappe mich dabei, sie auf verschiedene Untergründe tropfen zu lassen und mich damit auseinander zu setzen. Wieviel Zeit vergeht, bis sie verschwinden? Wieso finde ich das gut/schrecklich? Ich werde bockig, wenn sie auf Stoff landen, sich verflüchtigen, einen Fleck von sich selbst hinterlassen, mit dem ich mich nicht mehr identifizieren kann. Ich bin wütend, wenn meine Tränen versiegen, ohne Spur, als ob sie selbst und meine Gefühle, die sie ausgelöst hatten, keine Bedeutung tragen würden.
Ich tropfe sie auf die Erde meiner Zimmerpflanze und frage mich, ob diese nach 100 Tränen eingeht oder ob ich spinne. Ob es wahr ist, dass Pflanzen schlechte Laune spüren? Bisher ist noch nichts passiert.
Ich tropfe sie auf eine Glasplatte und zwinge sie, so lang mit mir zu bleiben, bis ich ihnen das Verschwinden gestatte. Das ist schließlich das mindeste, was sie mir schulden. Mit mir zu verweilen und alles zu fühlen oder nichts zu fühlen oder zu denken und nicht zu denken was ich will.
So sitzen wir dann da. Wir starren uns an. Jeder wartet auf das Verschwinden des Anderen. Dennoch bin ich die einzige, die bleibt. Die Träne verschwindet irgendwann. Aber es gibt mir Zeit, mich zu fokussieren, meine Gedanken zu sammeln. So bin ich nicht sauer, sondern beruhigt, wenn die Zeit angemessen ist, wenn ich mit dem Verschwinden der Tränen und dem Verweilen von mir selbst Frieden geschlossen habe. Sonst fühle ich mich zurückgelassen. Ein Grund, noch mehr zu weinen.
Oberfläche
Zeit bis zum Verschwinden der Träne
mein Gefühl nach dem Verschwinden
Stoff
0s
sauer, wütend, bockig
Erde
13s
argwöhnisch, gequält
Papier
443s
bekümmert, betrübt, mürrisch
Kork
1386s
beruhigt, sorglos, ruhig, gelassen
Glas
2574s
erleichtert, gelangweilt, leer
How long until it disappears? Zu kurz. Meistens zu kurz. Manchmal genau richtig. Oder zu lang.
Jeder, der eine Katze hat, kann bestätigen, dass diese kleinen felligen Tiere auf Emotionen reagieren. Katzen sind sensible Tiere mit einem guten Einfühlungsvermögen gegenüber ihrer Menschen. Kummer, Trauer oder Krankheit spürt euer Liebling und reagiert darauf mit Aufmerksamkeit und Zuneigung. Der psychologische Vorgang dieser Tiere ist schwer nachzuvollziehen, allerdings ist es vorstellbar, dass das Tier eine Veränderung eures Verhaltens wahrnimmt und es möglicherweise auch auf sie, wie eine Art Hilferuf wirkt, wenn ihr weint und entsprechende Geräusche dazu von euch gebt. Dabei ist dem Tier der Hintergrund eurer Tränen unbekannt, euer Geschlecht egal und vor allem kennt es keine sozialen Konstruktionen, die es als unangebracht darlegen würde. Die Katze reagiert nur aufgrund ihrer Zuneigung zu dir.
Beispiele:
In einem Seniorenheim in den USA konnte eine Katze den Tod spüren und erahnen. Sie legte sich zu den Senioren, bevor diese wenige Stunden später verstarben. Ein weiteres Beispiel sind Studien, in denen Personen untersucht wurden, die beispielsweise an Krankheiten litten oder sich in einem Trennungsprozess befanden. Jene von ihnen, die Katzenbesitzer waren, mussten weniger Medikamente zu sich nehmen und seltener Therapeuten aufsuchen.
Laut einer Statistik von 2022 nahm jeder Siebte, der über 23 Tausend Befragten, zur Verbesserung seiner Gesundheit ein Medikament gegen Stress oder Depressionen. (https://www.ipsos.com/de-de/jeder-zweite-deutsche-fuhlt-sich-gestresst-und-traurig)
Auch beim emotionalen Weinen werden besonders viele Stresshormone ausgeschüttet. Es ist wissenschaftlich erwiesen, dass Katzen eine beruhigende Wirkung auf stressbedingte Symptome, Depressionen und hohen Blutdruck haben. Diese beruhigende Wirkung wird beim Menschen durch das Streicheln der Katze und dem damit einhergehenden Schnurren herbeigeführt. Der Stresspegel sinkt und es können vermehrt Glückshormone ausgeschüttet werden. Zusätzlich wird auch das Herz-Kreislauf-System entlastet. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3317329/).
Die Frage ist hierbei allerdings: WARUM? Warum lindert das Tier in diesem Moment den Schmerz? Aus eigenem Empfinden würde ich sagen, dass es eben genau daran liegt, dass es, wenn es von der Katze kommt, wahrhaftige Zuneigung ist. Es erscheint als ein wahrer Liebesbeweis, wenn die Katze im Moment tiefster Trauer zu dir kommt und sich an dich schmiegt und dir volle Aufmerksamkeit zeigt. Man bekommt genau das, nach dem man sich in solch einem Moment sehnt, Zuneigung. Deine Situation/ Emotion wird gesehen und dir wird emotionaler Beistand von der Katze geschenkt. Das Tier versucht, dir zu helfen und deinen Schmerz zu lindern, ohne dabei passende oder falsche Worte zu finden oder dich aufzumuntern, sondern einfach, dir seine Liebe zu geben. Eine Katze lässt sich nicht zu Zuneigung zwingen. Es ist daher IMMER echt!
In der Regel weine ich gerade in solchen Momenten noch stärker. Es ist dann eine Mischung aus Freudentränen voller Liebe und Glück, dieses Tier an meiner Seite zu haben und dem Loslassen all meiner Emotionen, da ich nicht verurteilt werden kann, aber dennoch Beistand bekomme. Eine Katze kann also für weniger Tränen sorgen, aber auch dafür, emotionalen Ballast freizulassen. Alles ganz ohne Scharm oder Verurteilung.
Mit einer Katze aufzuwachsen, kann dem Kind in seiner Entwicklung einiges erleichtern. Sozialer Druck, Ängste oder Selbstzweifel können mittels eines Haustieres verbessert werden. Zum einen lernt das Kind, Verantwortung für sein Tier zu übernehmen, wodurch sich die Katze mittels Zuneigung und schnurren erkenntlich zeigt. Ein Konstrukt, das auf das spätere Leben anwendbar ist. Des Weiteren kann das Tier ein beständiger, sensibler Partner für ein Kind sein. Es bietet Stabilität und sorgt dafür, dass sich das Kind nicht allein gelassen fühlt. Natürlich kann der Aspekt von emotionsunabhängigen, also Reflextränen, auch betrachtet werden. Besitzt ein Kind eine Katze, dann stärkt diese das Immunsystem und das Risiko von Krankheiten und Allergien wird gesenkt. Dadurch werden auch die damit verbundenen Tränen vermieden. Ein Argument, welches ich nur bestätigen kann. (https://www.kinderaerzte-im-netz.de/news-archiv/meldung/article/verringert-kontakt-zu-vielen-haustieren-in-der-fruehen-kindheit-das-spaetere-allergierisiko/)
Im Erwachsenenalter setzt sich das Prinzip fort. Wir haben etwas, das umsorgt werden muss und uns das Gefühl gibt, gebraucht zu werden. Es ist einfach eine andere Verbindung und Kommunikation als von Mensch zu Mensch. Katzen werden deshalb auch mit Erfolg als Therapietier eingesetzt. Es gibt auch Anti-Depressions-Musik, bei der einem volle 15 Stunden Katzengeräusche geboten werden.
Übrigens können Katzen auch weinen, allerdings nur zur Befeuchtung oder Reinigung ihrer Augen. Emotionales Weinen ist keine natürliche Kommunikationsart des Tieres. Allerdings gehört, wie beim Menschen auch, die Körpersprache zum Prozess des Weinens dazu. Wahrscheinlich kann die Katze deshalb spüren, dass es uns schlecht geht, denn auch sie nutzen Körpersprache, um Emotionen auszudrücken. Faszinierend ist auch, dass Katzen untereinander kaum akustisch kommunizieren, sondern dies nur in Kontakt mit dem Menschen tun. Das eignen sie sich an, da wir mit ihnen sprechen und nicht nur über Körpersprache agieren. Deshalb miauen sie, auch wenn sie uns ihre Bedürfnisse mitteilen wollen, also aus einem Indiz, dass sie die Geräusche und das Schluchzten beim Weinen mit der Zeit deuten lernen, ungefähr so, wie sie auf ihren Namen hören. Man könnte dann darüber philosophieren, ob Katzen die emotionalere Besitzer haben, besser auf deren Tränen reagieren oder aufgrund des häufigen Weinens weniger, da es zu einer alltäglichen Stimmung des Menschen wird.
Ein Haustier zu haben, macht einfach glücklich und steigert die Lebensqualität. Ich könnte nicht ohne meine Katzen leben. Selbst wenn sich alles verändert, sind sie ein beständiger Teil meines Lebens, der mir Halt und emotionale Unterstützung gibt und mich zum Lachen und Lieben bringt.
Der „sad girl“ Trend kursiert in den Sozialen Medien seit 2011 und ist gekennzeichnet durch traurige Bilder, Videosequenzen und Musik, vor allem in einer düsteren Ästhetik. Wir sehen Frauen beim Weinen mit verschmierter Mascara, Zigarette in der Hand, einem übergeworfenen Pelzmantel, geschwelgt in Melancholie.
Dabei sind die Darstellungen alles andere als harmlos: hier werden Trauer, Tränen und selbst Depressionen als eine Art Lifestyle verkauft. Durch diese Dramatisierung werden psychische Krankheiten und komplexe Gefühle vereinfacht und werden daher derer Vielschichtigkeit kaum gerecht. So entsteht ein „Schubladendenken“, was unsere Wahrnehmung beeinflusst wie Trauer zu sein und auszusehen hat.
Aufgekommen ist die Bewegung durch den Song von Lana Del Rey (2014), welche sich dabei als ultimatives „sad girl“ inszeniert. Die Bewegung kommuniziert, dass es erstrebenswert sei, eine tragische Figur zu sein und romantisiert diese, welche insbesondere eine sexistische Denkweise verstärkt. Die Frau ist tatenlos und aussichtslos ohne ihren Partner, der zwar Grund ihrer Traurigkeit und ihrer Tränen ist, den sie jedoch nie verlassen wird, weil ihr diese Tragik in ihrem Leben selbst gefällt.
Dabei ist der Sprung zum Selbsthass nicht weit: Selbstverletzung, Suizidgedanken und Essstörungen werden somit als Teil dieser Ästhetik angesehen. So finden sich explizite Bilder von Narben, Anleitungen zur Selbstverletzungen, “Ich hasse meinen Körper”- Zitate, Wagen und Maßbänder auf diversen Plattformen wieder. Daher entsteht hier kein Austausch von Betroffenen, sondern eine Verherrlichung von diesen Extremen, immer nach dem Motto: sei traurig, aber tu es so, dass du dabei noch heiß aussiehst!
Der Trend kann dabei auch als sehr exklusiv wahrgenommen werden, denn die Tränen einer schwarzen Frau und einer armen Frau sind es scheinbar nicht wert, dargestellt zu werden. Scheinbar interessiert es niemanden, wie man weint, wenn man sich die grundlegendsten Güter nicht leisten kann oder wenn man nicht in eine Gesellschaft passt, denn dann ist man nur eine Frau, die weint und nicht Teil einer “Bewegung”.
nothing new
Erstaunlicherweise finden wir die Wurzeln im viktorianischen Zeitalter, denn schon hier wurde die tragische, leidende und sogar sterbende Frau romantisiert. Diese Obsession entstand aus dem Verständnis heraus, dass tote Frauen am nächsten dem Ideal der Frau zur damaligen Zeit entsprachen: passiv, visionslos, stimmlos. So sind Fälle der romantisierten Nekrophilie überliefert, wobei es einerseits immer um die Verachtung der Frau geht, die einerseits als etwas Schönes und Begehrenswertes angesehen wird, aber gleichzeitig als etwas ohne Stimme, ohne Möglichkeit sich zur Wehr zu setzen, was als Ideal angepriesen wird: “the death, then, of a beautiful woman is, unquestionably, the most poetical topic in the world” (Edgar Allan Poe, 1846).
Die Besessenheit vom tragischen Tod einer schönen jungen Frau ist auch noch in den 2000ern ein heißbegehrtes und populäres Thema. Besonders auffällig wird dies bei den Selbstmorden von Evelyn McHale und Ruslana Korshunova, welche in den Medien groß abgebildet wurden. Die Begründung beruhte dabei nicht auf den Umständen der Tode, sondern einfach, weil beide „so schön“ auch nach ihrem Tod aussahen. Bei der TV-Serie „Americas Next Top Model“ sollen Kandatinnen tote Frauen darstellen und schön dabei aussehen, auch wenn einige Models dabei deutliche psychische Beschwerden gehabt hätten.
summary
Die „sad girls“ stellen ein sehr veraltetes Ideal von Zerbrechlichkeit und der “Jungfrau in Nöten” in einer neuen Verpackung dar. Dadurch wird ein tiefgehender Blick auf psychische Krankheiten, Trauer, Gewalt und negative Emotionen verweigert, da diese als begehrenswert angesehen werden. Somit ist die Betrachtung ausschließlich oberflächlich und lässt auch nur eine Ästhetik zu, zu welcher POC nicht gehören.
Ein offener Umgang mit traurigen Gefühlen sollte doch nicht nur denen zugesprochen werden, die gesellschaftlichen Normen entsprechen, also weißen, schlanken Frauen, denn es ist wichtig, über Trauer, Schwierigkeiten und psychisches Leiden zu sprechen oder auch zu weinen.
Mindestens genauso bedeutsam ist es jedoch, solche Darstellungsformen zu hinterfragen und die Komplexität hinter Gefühlen zu verstehen, denn es sollte um mehr gehen, als nur um weinende Frauen mit verschmierter Mascara aufgrund von ästhetischen Bemühungen.
