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Research Article
Suzanne Valadon’s The Blue Room Model as a Depiction of a Modern Venus: Visual Analysis and Case-Comparison with the Effigy of the Venus of Brassempouy
Robmarie Lopez*
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, June 2025
Pages:
35-41
Received:
7 March 2025
Accepted:
21 March 2025
Published:
10 April 2025
Abstract: Suzanne Valadon’s The Blue Room (1923) is instantly transfixing. A woman lounges on a bed in a camisole and striped slacks. Her gaze does not acknowledge the audience, but fixates elsewhere, perhaps authentically lost in thought, perhaps in performative absorption. Valadon was one of the few women artists who emerged during the Fauve period of modern French painting. Her depictions of the female nude were groundbreaking for their so-called female perspective. While the woman in The Blue Room is a non-nude, her pose is evocative of Titian’s Venus and Cupid with the Organ Player and, by association, with Manet’s Olympia. In contrast to these representations, who portray women in some type of performative role, Valadon’s “Blue Room Venus” seems to be decontextualized from her role as social being. Symbolic details such as a stack of books in the corner and kanji-like swirls abstractly floating in the background seem suggestive of an inner life—a being unconcerned with performing femininity while still acknowledging her womanhood through Valadon’s gaze. In this paper, it is argued that Valadon’s model challenges Renaissance ideals of femininity, typically allegorized through the mythical Venus, embracing primitive values of authenticity. Thus, artistic context and cloisonnist style suggest that the “Venus” in Valadon’s The Blue Room is more prehistoric than mythical. To assess this view, a visual analysis of Valadon’s work was completed within a compare-contrast model based on the Venus of Brassempouy, a prehistoric effigy discovered near Aquitaine, France, during the Fin de Siècle. An analysis of the Brassempouy effigy as presented by Dixson and Dixson (2011) supports the idea of Valadon’s “Blue Room Venus” as similar in body type to the Brassempouy effigy, perhaps alluding to similar themes.
Abstract: Suzanne Valadon’s The Blue Room (1923) is instantly transfixing. A woman lounges on a bed in a camisole and striped slacks. Her gaze does not acknowledge the audience, but fixates elsewhere, perhaps authentically lost in thought, perhaps in performative absorption. Valadon was one of the few women artists who emerged during the Fauve period of mode...
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Research Article
Research on the Function of Art Education for Children in Art Museums
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, June 2025
Pages:
42-46
Received:
11 March 2025
Accepted:
23 April 2025
Published:
22 May 2025
Abstract: Art museums have the functions of collection, exhibition, and education. Art museums create the atmosphere and context of art cultivation through concrete visual objects, allowing children to experience art education that is extremely different from school education. This kind of art education is not a system of knowledge and human civilization that is structured by a system of linguistic symbols and inherited by books and languages, but rather, it is a way of perceiving art based on the great heritage of humanity and works of art. In this way, it provides not only the learning and study of the knowledge system, but also, and more importantly, the development of creativity, imagination, aesthetic sensibility.
Abstract: Art museums have the functions of collection, exhibition, and education. Art museums create the atmosphere and context of art cultivation through concrete visual objects, allowing children to experience art education that is extremely different from school education. This kind of art education is not a system of knowledge and human civilization tha...
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Review Article
Welfarism to Neoliberal Capitalism: A Critical Evaluation of Design Education Paradigm in India
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, June 2025
Pages:
47-57
Received:
16 April 2025
Accepted:
27 April 2025
Published:
29 May 2025
Abstract: As an economic and political framework, neoliberalism has significantly influenced global education over the past few decades, reshaping paradigms and practices within educational institutions. Neoliberalism, often referred to as ‘Market Economy,’ is marked by its advocacy for the deregulation of market-driven policies—the commodification of education, which has profoundly impacted various dimensions of education, including Design. Design education in India has undergone an evident transformation since its economic liberalization in 1991, reflecting broader neoliberal trends worldwide. The Design discourse in India was deeply rooted in socially relevant, need-based, and welfare-driven principles in its formative years, aligning closely with the national development agenda and emphasizing collective well-being. However, post-liberalization, the rise of private universities, and an increasing emphasis on market-driven ‘Design Thinking’ have shifted the focus toward neoliberal priorities, forming an ideological gap in design education that contests its foundational ethos. This paper critically examines this significant shift through the lens of ‘neoliberal creativity’ articulated in works like Kevin Gormley. It explores its ramifications on design pedagogy, institutional structures, and the role of creative domains within contemporary India. The literature review aims to scrutinize the multifaceted effects of neoliberal ideologies on education, primarily focusing on the emphasis on Creativity and Innovation while also providing insights into the evolving nature of pedagogical practices. Synthesizing existing illustrates how neoliberal policies shape educational structures and practices. That often prioritizes economic outcomes over the holistic development of students while marginalizing alternative Design Narratives. Hence, this analysis seeks to synthesize perspectives from various scholars, revealing a complex interplay between neoliberal ideologies and design educational practices.
Abstract: As an economic and political framework, neoliberalism has significantly influenced global education over the past few decades, reshaping paradigms and practices within educational institutions. Neoliberalism, often referred to as ‘Market Economy,’ is marked by its advocacy for the deregulation of market-driven policies—the commodification of educat...
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Research Article
From Concept to Creation: The Role of Creating Miniature Fashion Design Prototypes in Accelerating the Production Process
James Tetteh Ademtsu*,
Justine Abaguri Adjuri,
Aidam Kokui Yayra
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, June 2025
Pages:
58-66
Received:
18 April 2025
Accepted:
3 May 2025
Published:
16 June 2025
Abstract: The study explores miniature dress forms for prototyping fashion design in Ghana to determine their benefits for efficiency together with sustainability and creative processes. This study based its methodology on interviews with 65 professionals and studio observations of 8 fashion studios and designer experiments involving 25 participants to identify key benefits of operating with miniature prototypes. Using miniature dress forms enables fashion professionals to cut projectile development duration by 57.1% and decrease resource consumption by 68.4% through enhanced design exploration capabilities, reducing prototyping expenses by 63.1%. The educational value of miniature dress forms produces improved pattern quality by 19.4% and enables students to learn skills at a 21.5% faster rate. The miniaturized dress forms remain beneficial for the Ghanaian textile sector because they help protect cultural heritage while enabling developers to merge traditional methods with modern design approaches. Research shows that miniature prototyping helps the developing fashion sector of Ghana by solving resource issues and teaching green manufacturing techniques as it merges traditional garment construction methods with current conceptual methods. The research adds to contemporary knowledge about alternative prototyping practices within fashion education because these methods advance sustainable creative practices in developing economies.
Abstract: The study explores miniature dress forms for prototyping fashion design in Ghana to determine their benefits for efficiency together with sustainability and creative processes. This study based its methodology on interviews with 65 professionals and studio observations of 8 fashion studios and designer experiments involving 25 participants to ident...
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Research Article
Revitalizing the Daboya Weaving Industry: Challenges and Solutions
Emmanuel Narte Nartey*,
Adeline Baidoo,
Sherifatu Abass
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, June 2025
Pages:
67-75
Received:
19 May 2025
Accepted:
3 June 2025
Published:
25 June 2025
Abstract: Daboya, located in Ghana's North Gonja District, is known for its vibrant weaving tradition. Alongside farming and fishing, weaving plays a central role in the community's economy. The locally dyed and hand-woven fabrics from Daboya are highly valued, both within the northern region of Ghana and across the country, for their craftsmanship and cultural significance.. The objective of this study is to examine the challenges facing the indigenous Daboya weaving industry and provide possible solutions. The study employed a qualitative approach with a case study research design. According to Creswell (2008), those who engage in qualitative research support a way of looking at research that honours an inductive style, a focus on individual meaning, and the importance of rendering the complexity of a situation. The findings revealed several challenges confronting the industry, including a lack of materials for dyeing, high costs of raw materials, financial constraints, difficulties in selling end products, lack of cooperation among weavers, fabric fading, an unpleasant odor associated with the hand-woven fabrics, and limited access to Daboya township. The study identified the lack of colour fastness and the smell in the Daboya woven fabrics which mamy respondents described as unpleasant as the two primary issues contributing to the industry's decline. he conclusion emphasizes the need for collaboration among key stakeholders which includes governmental agencies, NGOs, scientific experts, textile industry professionals specializing in indigo dyeing, and Daboya weavers to tackle challenges and revitalize the local textile industry.
Abstract: Daboya, located in Ghana's North Gonja District, is known for its vibrant weaving tradition. Alongside farming and fishing, weaving plays a central role in the community's economy. The locally dyed and hand-woven fabrics from Daboya are highly valued, both within the northern region of Ghana and across the country, for their craftsmanship and cultu...
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