COP 2 / Research & Ideas

OUGD501 / CONTEXT OF PRACTICE
PRACTICAL PEICE 
INITIAL IDEAS & RESEARCH


Because Ive been struggling to come up with some ideas on what to do for my practical piece I decided to revert back to my essay and pick out which bits I feel are the most integral to its content.

Concerning the main focus in social control, this is what I tried to concentrate on most. 


‘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.’ (John Berger, 1972, Ways of Seeing, p154). 

Id like to possibly play with the ideas of believing that we are free and being lulled into an unconscious content. being told we can choose what we have, how we present ourselves and what we do with our lives but only with in the realms of what the government feel acceptable.

Because we have become so content with what is available to us, we no longer look beyond this, its almost like a piece of our being that has faded away and diminished.

One Dimensional man raises the spector of the closing off or ‘atrophying’ of the very possibilities of radical change and human emancipation’ (Herbert Marcuse, 1962, One Dimensional man, Studies in the Ideology of Advanced Industrial Society, p21). 

In context to this essay things we have been made content with is the fact that through social media, we like to watch other people that have become successful in a very small field of popular culture. This is something that we force fed and there for become obsessed with, this also leads to imitation regarding subjects such as the way we look and act.

‘The power to spend money is the power to live. According to the legends of publicity, those who lack the power to spend money become literally faceless. Those who have the power become loveable’ (John Berger, 1972, Ways of Seeing, p143).

POWER IS MONEY  /  MONEY IS POWER  

I thought this could be and iterating basis regarding the thought that it is what we have and how much of it we have defines us.

This may be a good focus as some kind of shock realisation into what we have become.

'Human beings don't all look at things the same way, innocently as it were. In this culture, the look is largely controlled by men.' (Rosaline Coward, The Look, Reading images, p33.) 

This quote regards the type of controls that are placed upon women considering appearance and perception. Even though this s not a direct form of control through governments, it is something that has been in place for many many years in order for men to remain dominant with in society. I liked the idea of making women look at themselves when choosing how they wish to appear in front others. This can take forms in fashion, clothing, makeup etc. and give a realisation to why women feel as though they have to wear these things to be seen as acceptable in today's society.

In the late 19th century Freud developed and put forward a theory that we all hold forces unconscious in the human mind that are of dark sexual and violent desire and if these forces are not subdued and controlled, would be very damaging to society. 

'Today's ideal is immaturity, a modern variant of feminine passivity'. (Rosaline Coward, The Look, Reading images p35.) The fact that this woman acts in an un-educated manner mimics those who have not yet the maturity or capacity to have years of knowledge, for example, children. This portrays the sense of immaturity to which men, according to the theories of Freud, find sexually arousing, as they feel capable of dominating such women.

I feel that this is one of the stronger points of my essay, however I feel it would be hard to apply to a concept for a physical piece due to the dark nature and the many different inputs that make up the point.

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INITIAL IDEAS

1). To create something that looks incredible on the outside yet has no substance to it and is deemed useless.

I had a few different ideas that I could apply this concept to something physical.

A book that looks incredible on the outside with rhinestones, gold foil and other high end decorations however the inside pages are empty. I could maybe also include the quote about being faceless with out money.

I thought tis could be a good play on the saying 'don't judge a book by its cover'
Also with the quote regarding the faceless statement would also hold a contradiction to the fact that the item has a lot of face, however no substance so deflecting the statement and making you realise that this is not the case.

I also thought That I could take the integral part of the quote and make it into some beautiful typography. Then I could either fill the type wight beautiful things (which could look cool photographically, so actually make the typographic quote out of physical objects) or I could have all the decoration on the outside, and the negative space then makes up the saying.




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.
I thought that this could be displayed in a way that uses everyday things that we do not really sea on a conscious level like biscuits, soaps & shampoos, shoes & clothing etc.

I liked the idea of making something like this into a campaign that could utilise posters and perhaps other printed things like billboards or banners.

Every time I think of the word regulated, I always look to what goes on in North Korea concerning the blatant suppression and control that takes place there. one of the most recent stories that have come to light is the choice of hair-styles were the people of the country can only choose from like 20 (and they all look pretty similar).

I feel that playing with the rigidity of this regime may be an interesting concept when came to akin something that people in our society see as completely un-acceptable and so wrong and applying it i a way that makes them realise that, even though its on the a wider spectrum, we are still under a similar influence of control.



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 do like this idea because it is something that all us us have fallen victim to and can be found guilty of. Putting menial and superficial before things that are a lot more valuable and precious. Even though it would play on a common, unconscious issue, I think it would also work in a positive way to make people look at what they have and appreciate it a lot more.



I looked into possibilities and inspiration from other practitioners (shown in the Other practitioners post). This was to try and visualise my ideas with in a context by looking at how others have achieved his.


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All of these ideas relate to the points made in my essay. Ive been struggling with how to apply my ideas in a way that is meaningful and still relevant to graphic design, I feel I going to have to be careful not to go to conceptual and not have it communicate a message successfully.

I thought about possibly using all of the ideas above and applying them into a sequence/range of posters that could work together in putting a cross a message that make the audience look at them selves and perhaps think bout the decisions they make.