Some thought about definition inspired by the presentation at Fisher Museum

The Fisher Museum presentation was about beauty in black culture: there is a kind of photography style that use black people as models, which challenges our perspective, not only about modeling, but also about our definition about beauty.

As for definition about beauty, I think people, especially those influenced by western culture, have the same inclination: the model should be white, and slim. Maybe nowadays the standard of perfect modeling in western culture has changed a bit--some people prefer brown skin which represents a healthy impression under sunshine. But the mainstream still stays at white skin and slim body.

I think that this phenomenon can be explained as follows. Beautiful people has a body shape and skin color different from most other people in that culture, and their impressions are close to the religious god of that culture. For western culture, their god is Jesus who represents chastity. White is a color of clean, serene, and holiness, thus people's definition of beauty become white color. In addition, a skim body also gives people an impression of clean and with out encumbrance.

This perspective has two effects. First, people's prefer models with white skin and slim body. Second, black people, giving out an impression that diverted from the one of God, was not praised, Choosing black women as models is a sign that allows people believe that beautiful things is everywhere. They praise the eyes of black people and their body curve same as that of white women's.