CONTEXT OF PRACTICE / OUGD501 PRACTICAL PEICE. CONCEPT & DEVELOPMENT. After speaking with Richard about my ideas and starting to think about them in a practical sense really helped me to visualise possibilities. the focus for me is the regulated ethos of social control and how it is used yet goes unnoticed and how we contribute to it, however unconsciously. During my crit, I mentioned that I did have a couple of ideas in symbolising and visualising the fact that most of the products that are available to us, especially food based products, are dictated by only a couple of companies and that the freedom of choice that we believe we have is intact very much in control through higher powers in industry. For some reason, when thinking about a wide range of foods, I couldn't help but think 'biscuits' I think this is because there are so many different types of biscuit available in for stores these days. I thought this may be a good basis to start testing my ideas in the form of a gridded, as discussed in the crit regarding the insertion of the regulated hair cuts in North Korea. I also think this a simple and relatable way to symbolise the message I am trying to get across.
To start with, to make star that this idea was viable, I used some simple google images to get an idea of how the visuals in my head could be applied to a poster format. I was happy with how this was looking so I decided to take my own images on purchasing a couple of different types of biscuit.
I experimented with lying out the biscuits in a way that has a orderly appearance so as to represent the regulatory side of the concept however the fact that these are menial biscuits adds an intrigue through relatability.
Even though I do like the appearance of the layout, I am not happy with the lighting of the imagery and how there are heavy shadows around the products. For now, to further test my idea I will just use these images however I will re-take the photographs to get better quality.
I started to apply typography to the imagery. Adding the statement freedom of choice to the layout helps to put into context the images and brings understanding as the different types show the offer of choice.
Once the understanding of the image, and the hierarchy of type is taken in, this is then questioned and a bit of the understanding is taken away by the pun 'takes the biscuit'.
the intrigue s then switched to curiosity in wondering what this means.
I wasn't happy with the layout above so I started to experiment with laying the type over the image.
I also played with a few bits of different typography to see if this helped enhance the imagery any more, However I feel that the 'Bebas Neue' typeface is suitable for the statement and draw immediate attention do to the uppercase letterforms.
(I realise there is a spelling mistake!)
I also started to play with actually over lapping both type and image and i n a way obscuring the message slightly which in turn draws a little longer amount of attention in order to make out the message and understand what is being said.
I really like how this appears. I feel that the way in which the type sometimes has to be interrupted by the rigidity o the layout symbolise how no one can really escape from the issue presented regarding the control and freedom we are made to believe we have, however are moulded to conform and invest into the industries that actually do. I also think that how intermittently, the image covers and hide some of the type and its message is also a good representation of how many people go by in life without realising the hold that is on us with in society due to how well we are diseased and lulled into a false sense of satisfaction.
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After showing this layout to some people in the studio to see how other received and understood it, some were a little concerned about the break up of the letters and how this effected the way in which the message was read.
Because of this I decided to try out a few different layouts that continued the aesthetic and representation of the previous designs however added more to the reading of the type and made that a little more important in the hierarchy.
I feel that bring the free and dom closer together and overlap each other helps to keep the syllables connected and appear as a single word, however the jaggered layout of both gives the same effect in hindering the message slightly so it conforms to the over ruling layout.
I also played with opacities for added effect.
Whe I went back to take some better pictures of the biscuits, I decided to add more to really get the point across on freedom of choose.
If I could afford to, I would make sure that each biscuit was different however this would cost me a lot of money to but numerous amounts of biscuit for just one from each pack.
I vastly prefer these images just because of the lack of shadowing due to the improved light and also because of the larger amount of product and how this emphasised the 'freedom of choice' message a lot stronger than before.
I re-applied the message and played around with the layout again to get the best aesthetic and combination of image and type.
Because the the individual pieces of the imagery were now smaller, the type could be further manipulated because the smaller images took away less of the type.
Im really happy with how this has turned out. I feel that the layout on a whole regarding the structured image and the type layout at the bottom of the page give of a sense of regulation and conformity. The way in which something seen as so menial, un-influensial and everyday such as the humble biscuit has been ordered, puts a differing percievement up on the image as this is not usually the context these produce are seen in. Due to tho i feel this adds intrigue straight away. The message that is then laid over the top and in and between the image brings a sense of context to the imagery in it being a display of all the choices available. The way in which the message is hidden slightly and broken up represents that fact that this is a subtle and subdued notion. We don't walk in he supermarket every time and demand our rights to free choice, its just something that is there underlying with in the consumer culture unconsciously and is something we expect. this is enforced by this message, to which people fully understand the poster. This allows the corporations at the top to then manipulate this unconsciousness to their own advantage to make as many gains as they can through false presentation of choice. Once the audience feel as though they understand the message, the twists at the bottom through the statement 'takes the biscuit'. The pun questions what we feel we know as a 'free society' and, due to the jokey humorous style of the statement, gives a sense of humiliation towards what we see as integral to our Western societies. Adding the question 'What do you know about social control?' adds context to the poster as a whole. Many people may never of heard of this term so having it as a question almost hands out a challenge to the audience to look it up. I feel that as well as having posters like this to visually explain my points, I should also have something that aids the understanding of the term Social Control
Even though my essay is specific to stupidity in the media and how this could be perceived as another, new form of social control, i feel that this may be a little to specific to apply to a practical piece with becoming a smear campaign against what is seen i the media and how it reflects on us.
Because of this, and to also relieve a little pressure on the fact that I am struggling in trying to come up with a suitable solution in relation to Graphic Design, I have widened the spectrum a little to look at social control as a general subject and work from there.
JUST ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL / WE DONT NEED NO EDUCATION Part II is a protest song against rigid schooling in general and boarding schools in the UK in particular. It was also released as a single and provided the band's only number-one hit in the United Kingdom, the United States, West Germany and many other countries. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Another_Brick_in_the_Wall In this sense, “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2” is not so much a song about complete revolution as it as an anthem about reclaiming one’s individuality; it’s a criticism against the types of teachers and systems that, as in Pink’s case, ridicule an imaginative child for writing poetry. http://rock.rapgenius.com/Pink-floyd-another-brick-in-the-wall-part-ii-lyrics#note-1488557 The visuals used in this video (even if it is a little dated now interns of quality) really illustrate the subject matter that refurs to the freedoms of choice. The video and song concentrates more on specific subject of education and how we are all taught the same things and things that are regulated by a higher power. This also relates to a piece with in my essay from the 'One dimensional man' article that refers to the texts we are made to learn in schools and how they are irrelevant to the every day life, in turn making them hard to find interesting and relate to. ‘Or
one might think of the loss suffered by ‘classic’ critical texts, such as those
of Marx, Deleuze or Sartre (or indeed Marcuse), as a result of being treated as
something to be taught in classes and assessed in exams: instead of having
relevance to one’s life, or even being assessed as irrelevant for good reasons,
they are shunted into a field which is structurally constructed so as to appear
irrelevant to one’s life.’ (Andrew Robinson, 2010, In Theory - Herbert Marcuse:
One Dimensional Man.) This may be a good focus for my work as it is something that we don't realise yet all live through as young children and adults. We are made to think that education is something we all need to be successful in life, however what is taught in schools is
Hair styles for women advertised inside a hair salon in Pyongyang in 2013. Photograph: David Guttenfelder/AP.
Photos showing possible hair styles hang inside a barber shop in Pyongyang in 2013. Long hair is not considered acceptable for men. Photograph: David Guttenfelder/AP
When looking into the topic of social control and freedom of choice, I couldn't help reverting the the country of North Korea and how social control with in this society has come to light quite recently.
Human rights with in this country are hugely restricted such as freedom of speech and access to everyday things to us like the internet and radio.
This article shows the extent of the restrictions and regulation that are inlace to suppress and subdue a whole nation. It is actually quite sickening to read through the immoral statures in place.
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THE ILLUSION OF CHOICE
Ten mega corporations control the output of almost everything you buy; from household products to pet food to jeans.
According to this chart via Reddit, called "The Illusion of Choice," these corporations create a chain that begins at one of 10 super companies. You've heard of the biggest names, but it's amazing to see what these giants own or influence.
(Note: The chart shows a mix of networks. Parent companies may own, own shares of, or may simply partner with their branch networks. For example, Coca-Cola does not own Monster, but distributes the energy drink. Another note: We are not sure how up-to-date the chart is. For example, it has not been updated to reflect P&G's sale of Pringles to Kellogg's in February.)
This theory is along the same lines as the statement i had included in my essay along with
the quote from John Burger -
‘Capitalism survives by forcing the majority, whom it exploits, to define their own interests as narrowly as possible. This was once achieved by extensive deprivation. Today in developing countries by imposing a false standard of what is and what is not desirable.’ Seeing the the diagram above showing the visual connections between all of these everyday brands give a real sense of visualisation. This really puts in to perspective the illusion on the choices we believe we have yet we live unconsciously to the fact that these brands and so called choices come from the same origin. Seeing that a massive company like Nestle owning and company like The Body Shop is and odd concept. For a company like Nestle that have had a couple of run ins with issues such as child labour and deforestation concerning their chocolate products to umbrella a company like The Body Shop that thrive on the ethos of all natural and ethical products. Using this subject in my campaign/awareness posters can bring to light this system. http://3things.org.au/blog/story/10975 This is an interesting article that talks about the same think, realising and understanding the hidden connections and rulings of the companies and brands that play a part in a lives everyday.
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I like this poster and how it works to cleverly release the message of how we are being used as part of a consumerist culture and how we are tricked into believing that we have all these choices that intern make us feel as though we are a individual.
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WOMEN & SOCIAL CONTROL Even though this may not be seen as a direct from of control through governments, I feel it is still very much a form of social control in the sense there are expectations on women that have more of an influence on everyday life than really noticed. An article that discusses why women wear makeup and show the topic in a positive light. http://thoughtcatalog.com/alyssa-mathews/2014/03/4-reasons-why-women-wear-makeup-for-those-who-just-dont-get-it/ I found an interesting article regarding women and their relationship with make up. It contains a poll that asked the question whether women should wear make-up or not and why they have said yes or no. http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-women-wear-makeup
'No, women should not wear makeup.
Most women who do wear makeup usually say, "I don't wear it to impress males, I wear it to feel better for myself." That statement supports the idea that they do wear it for men. By wearing makeup, a woman is clearly showing others that she's insecure and isn't accepting herself. There is no great reason of why any woman should not accept her appearance. Society has brainwashed every female in the world. They have been brainwashed into thinking that covering their face with something that damages the skin makes them more accepted by others, whether it's a male or female.'
Women and Vanity: The Societal Pressures to Look "Perfect"
Donna Holland, Assistant Professor at Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne (IPFW).
Holland said the mass media is responsible for idolizing how women should look in society.
“There are pressures for women to have that perfect image all the time,” Holland said. “But even prior to mass media being so ever-present in our lives, in the 1920s even, there were still efforts to control how a woman appears. Clear back to the days of Cleopatra, makeup and perfumes have been an aspect of what it means to be a woman.”
Even though this is a some-what unconscious control that men have over women and how they wish to appear, it is certainly through the 'developed instincs' of a women that give the pressure to themselves. So women now see it as a natural, everyday, normal thing to put make up on to 'enhance there own beauty' however this has all been derived from centuries of pressures generated from wanting to be accepted and scene as 'beautiful' to men.
Once it had been seen as perfectly acceptable by the inferior women to strived for by women to appeal to the superior man through 'beauty'. Even though in todays society, woman are seen as more independent from men and have more rights and status, the influences from the past are still very much present.
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CRIT - 29 / 4 / 14
MINI-CRIT WITH RICHARD
Even though I have a good couple of ideas that I thin are relevant and doable for this module, I feel that I am lacking in commitment when it comes to the different ideas I have. Using the initial thoughts, I felt that the most appropriate from for most of my ideas was in some kind of campaign that relied on posters.
I explained my ideas to Richard and shared my concerns on how I could apply some of the concepts in a cohesive piece.
1). To create something that looks incredible on the outside yet has no substance to it and is deemed useless.
2). To create something that displays all the choices we have in certain things, however seeing them all together make you realise that they are all the same.
3). To make a list of what seems to be important things, yet there is a display of confusion were more integral things get mistaken for menial, superficial things.
I asked whether he thought it would be better for me to apply all of these ideas into a range of prints or concentrate on one of them and expand.
We got talking about the second idea and how I had related to the issues in North Korea. We agreed that this would be a good angle on the deliverables to produce. Using the stiff regulated ethos from such regimes may be a good way to visualise what is actually going on in our own society and how its scarily relates to what we see as unacceptable.
