Why Visagism?
In early 2002, I started my research on visagism. There were almost no references on the subject, especially in Brazil. I had access to a book, but it was limited to analysing the shape of the face and, even in this matter, there were many mistakes.
Knowing the technique of analysing the face is essential to be able to exercise Visagism. However, from the limited information I had about Fernand Aubry, the creator of the term visagisme, in 1937, it was clear that it was a concept. It is not a technique. However, no one, not even Aubry, had defined Visagism.
He was working on the creation of a handout for a course on hair and makeup image creation for the Senac SP Beauty Technology Centre. The objective was to include the teaching of visual language and the principles of Visagism, which until then was understood as simply the harmonization of hair and makeup with the client's physical characteristics. He had never heard of Visagism, but as a visual artist, he investigated the human being, the face, psychological and social issues. And he had a deep understanding of visual language and how we understand and interpret what an image expresses.
In 1973, upon learning about the work of Carl Jung (1875-1961),
In 1973, upon learning about the work of Carl Jung (1875-1961), the psychologist, on archetypal symbols, I readily associated it with the meaning of the basic elements of an image: lines, shapes, and colours. I realized that we subconsciously but not rationally understand what these elements express because they are universal symbols, or archetypes. Later I came across Joseph LeDoux's work on the emotional brain, and I postulated that archetypal symbols trigger the systems present in the limbic brain that generate emotions. That is why we understand the meaning of an image emotionally and not rationally.
I had been trying to interpret the temperament of my students from the lines, shapes, and proportions of the face for some years and had seen that I could read the temperament and its complexity very accurately, but I could not interpret the personality in this way.
And for many years I worked with the concept that the face, specifically, and the image as a whole form a visual identity.
It was based on this and some other knowledge of anthroposophy, anthropology, psychology, and sociology that I established a concept for Visagism and a method that differs from anything that has been done as Visagism before and which I believe is faithful to the fundamental purpose of Fernand Aubry de express the customer's personality.
“A makeup is only perfect if it is absolutely harmonious. Do not make the mistake of making, for example, the choir girl cheeks with the femme fatale eyes. The design of the eyebrows must be in harmony with the shape of the face and mouth, so that everything creates a type, a personality.” (“Leçon de Maquillage” by Fernand Aubry 1936)
With this, Philip Hallawell Visagism was created, whose concept is: the art of creating a personal image and a visual identity in harmony with the sense of identity and with harmony and aesthetics.
A concept and a philosophy of work
Philip Hallawell Visagism is a work philosophy that requires learning new techniques, gaining new knowledge, and changing procedures. These changes are radical and involve the breaking of deeply rooted paradigms in all beauty professionals. Paradigms are ways of thinking that become patterns or models, which, on the one hand, help to organize thinking and actions, but, on the other hand, make it difficult to assimilate new ideas and limit creative thinking. Another basis of Philip Hallawell Visagism is that beauty is the expression of a person's inner qualities, with harmony and aesthetics. One of the paradigms is that it is necessary to be beautiful to be beautiful and that it is, therefore, only a matter of aesthetics. So read the sentence again and think about its meaning: beauty is the expression of a person's inner qualities, with harmony and aesthetics.
Therefore, to create beauty, it is not enough to think about the aesthetic part, that is, about balancing forms or correcting physical features. It is necessary to express a quality that the person has. One thinks first about who the customer is, their lifestyle, their personality, their personal and professional needs, and their preferences. Then you think about what will be beautiful.
It is not easy to think that way, because everyone who has an aesthetic sense thinks of the image rather than what the image expresses. So why change what you are doing to practice Visagism Philip Hallawell?
My book Visagism: harmony and aesthetics (Ed. Senac) was released in 2003, but interest in the subject continues to grow. Being able to offer the customer the creation of a personalized and unique image is a great differential and meets one of the main needs of everyone: creating an authentic identity through its image. An image that reveals qualities and values what is unique and special in each one – not only of their physique, but also of their being.
Social changes
In the last 100 years there have been many technological advances that have brought about great changes in society. They brought greater mobility and globalization, increasing social inclusion, greater education and information, greater communicability, and interaction. With these changes, the contemporary man realizes that he has the right and the obligation to make choices in all areas of his life, something that did not exist 100 years ago for all but a select elite. The vast majority, however, are not prepared to make these choices and find no help.
This reality produced what is unanimously pointed out as the greatest social trend today: customization. Customization means offering products, services, education and even advertising in a personalized way, tailored to people's individual tastes and needs. This is everyone's biggest challenge. Visagism Philip Hallawell is customization.
Customization goes against massification. It implies abandoning formulas, rules and standards and adopting procedures and attitudes that encourage creativity. There are no ready-made solutions because each person is unique. Fashion trends need to be tailored for each person, and it should be noted if they are appropriate. It means getting rid of the tyranny of fads but keeping the right to play with them.
Knowing the technique of analysing the face does not make the professional a visagist, because he remains attached to the aesthetics of the image, without thinking about what the image expresses. It is just one of the techniques used. In addition, it is necessary to know how to analyse behaviour and personality, know how to explain what a person's image expresses (and why) and how the image to be created will affect their behaviour and, consequently, their relationships with others and with themselves same. It is necessary to have in-depth knowledge of how to use lines, shapes, colours, and other visual elements to build an image that expresses the client's intent and have good technique to do the job.
The visagist learns to do the consultancy, with the aim of discovering only one thing: what the client wants to express. With knowledge of visual language, technique, sensitivity, and creativity, he will know how to build an image that translates this intention, with harmony and aesthetics.
This is creating beauty. That is Philip Hallawell Visagism.
₢Philip Hallawell
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