“Controversies” was an exhibition and book created in 2008 at the Musee d’Elysee by Daniel Giradin (curator) and Christian Pirker (barrister). The idea behind the exhibition was that in the 170 years since photography was invented, photographs have often caused controversy and resulted in legal proceedings.
Giradin says that the exhibition demonstrates the “insoluble paradox between freedom and constraint” that is photography. Photography brought up some new legal challenges both of law and of ethics. For example, can copyright be applied to reality as seen through the camera and where multiple images can be reproduced, or only to art, where the reality has been interpreted? As society changes, so does its culture and its view of ethics. This is reflected in how photography is perceived over time.
There is mention also of the political power of images… “whoever controls the image controls the mind”. Giradin takes this further to basically complain that authority is exercised through reproduction rights, including the charges that many collections of photography apply to reproduction of their images.
The exhibition merges legal and ethical aspects of photography, and just tries to show how photography was both a reflection of, and influenced by, society as it changed between the 19th and 20th centuries.
As one of the examples in the exhibition, the case of the photos by Gary Gros of Brooke Shields as a 13 year old is given. A nude photo from this series has become widely known, and when Brooke Shields became an adult she tried to stop further publication of the picture, claiming it was embarrassing. Despite several trials, she did not succeed as her mother had signed over the rights and the courts upheld this contract.
Christian Pirker’s notes on the exhibition from a Barristers point of view, summarise the situation and debate nicely:
“When a conflict becomes a controversy, it is an indication of the attitudes and sources of tension in any given society at that particular moment. A controversy is like a mirror in which the convictions of a community at that time become visible.”
Tuesday 15 December 2009
Session 6 notes on lecture
Semiotics
The reading of signs- communication through non verbal art (graphics/photography/fashion). Something that stands for something to someone. Our body language. The way we dress etc
To be a sign you need a signifier which indicates a concept ie rain cloud on weather map.
Languages don’t remain fixed. Things can change quickly.
Phonetic alphabet= each letter makes a sound associated with a sound.
Symbolic Signs= union Jack Flag
Anything, art, music videos, films etc is text that can be read.
Semiotics is not the only way to understand signs.
Pink Stupid girl video
Fire for devil and white for angel. Her good and bad conscience- symbolism
The words stupid girls- when she was having plastic surgery. Identifying to other music videos and how it makes them look. Obsessed with weight and image. The setting is in a gym, a salon, a base ball court. Camera angles show power when she is president, makes her underneath her.
Martin Creed- won turner prize for turning light on and off.
The death of the Author- image music and text- Barthes Ronald
Post-structuralism = release on our knowledge of things to read…image video etc “the meaning is not contained in the text”
Absolute adverts= Absolute Vodka always has a bottle in the image .
Apple logo- Adam and Eve. Apple fruit is the healthy option so Mac is the better option.
Everything comes out of the previous. Type-computers-internet blog etc
The reading of signs- communication through non verbal art (graphics/photography/fashion). Something that stands for something to someone. Our body language. The way we dress etc
To be a sign you need a signifier which indicates a concept ie rain cloud on weather map.
Languages don’t remain fixed. Things can change quickly.
Phonetic alphabet= each letter makes a sound associated with a sound.
Symbolic Signs= union Jack Flag
Anything, art, music videos, films etc is text that can be read.
Semiotics is not the only way to understand signs.
Pink Stupid girl video
Fire for devil and white for angel. Her good and bad conscience- symbolism
The words stupid girls- when she was having plastic surgery. Identifying to other music videos and how it makes them look. Obsessed with weight and image. The setting is in a gym, a salon, a base ball court. Camera angles show power when she is president, makes her underneath her.
Martin Creed- won turner prize for turning light on and off.
The death of the Author- image music and text- Barthes Ronald
Post-structuralism = release on our knowledge of things to read…image video etc “the meaning is not contained in the text”
Absolute adverts= Absolute Vodka always has a bottle in the image .
Apple logo- Adam and Eve. Apple fruit is the healthy option so Mac is the better option.
Everything comes out of the previous. Type-computers-internet blog etc
Television advert
The “compare the meerkats” advert has been really successful. From the original idea of having cute little meerkats as the characters, making the main one into a Russian aristocrat helped explain the accented “compare the markets” becoming “compare the meerkats”. From there on, the designers just played on his popularity and the joke that everyone signed up to. They had to create a parallel web site that really “compared the meerkats” but through which people can get referred on to “compare the markets” for cheap car insurance. The latest version of this series is on this site:
http://www.comparethemeerkat.com/my-movies
The first section of the advert is a close up of face shot of the main character Alexandr. As viewers we already know who he is and are attracted to the little face (he has been called the most popular character in Britain!). He starts with “Everyday millions of peoples mix up car insurance with meerkats”, so immediately gets to the point of the advert – comparing car insurance. They have our attention and it is focused on the end goal.
The second section of the advert pans out to Alexandr sinking into a Jacuzzi and being waited on by the subsidiary character Sergei. All the style of the furniture and surrounds reinforces the character and message that this is a Russian aristocrat at home. This is incongruous and both retains our attention while making us relax and smile. We are then thoroughly ready for the hitting home of the message in the final shots.
The third section takes us to the two boards and a bathrobed, damp Alekandr pointing us from “compare the meerkats” to the real goal of “compare the markets”. The company colours and branding (very simple and down to earth) come through on the boards, and stand out against the elaborate surroundings of Alekandr’s “home”.
This advert is very short but reinforces the brand name of Compare the Markets and the goal of obtaining cheap car insurance. It can be short as it is part of a series where the films were much longer and established the context. They can run with this as long as they are developing the joke and viewers are not getting bored with it.
http://www.comparethemeerkat.com/my-movies
The first section of the advert is a close up of face shot of the main character Alexandr. As viewers we already know who he is and are attracted to the little face (he has been called the most popular character in Britain!). He starts with “Everyday millions of peoples mix up car insurance with meerkats”, so immediately gets to the point of the advert – comparing car insurance. They have our attention and it is focused on the end goal.
The second section of the advert pans out to Alexandr sinking into a Jacuzzi and being waited on by the subsidiary character Sergei. All the style of the furniture and surrounds reinforces the character and message that this is a Russian aristocrat at home. This is incongruous and both retains our attention while making us relax and smile. We are then thoroughly ready for the hitting home of the message in the final shots.
The third section takes us to the two boards and a bathrobed, damp Alekandr pointing us from “compare the meerkats” to the real goal of “compare the markets”. The company colours and branding (very simple and down to earth) come through on the boards, and stand out against the elaborate surroundings of Alekandr’s “home”.
This advert is very short but reinforces the brand name of Compare the Markets and the goal of obtaining cheap car insurance. It can be short as it is part of a series where the films were much longer and established the context. They can run with this as long as they are developing the joke and viewers are not getting bored with it.
Saturday 12 December 2009
Session 7 notes on lecture
Modernism- Modern thought, character, or practice. Sympathy with or conformity to modern ideas, practices, or standards.
Postmodernism- of or relating to art, architecture, or literature that reacts against earlier modernist principles, as by reintroducing traditional or classical elements of style or by carrying modernist styles or practices to extremes.
1939 British social structure rigid class. Structure with the upper and middle class.
Second world war had a profound effect on the way british people saw themselves.
What is class? Economics, jobs- how it defines you. How has it changed? Education access has changed (loans). Who is you audience? Language you use, work you show. Groupings and how you define those groups.
1950s- a watershed period for British culture. Increased individualism
Rebel without a cause, 1955. James Dean- influence these films had on consumer culture. How design aspects become important. Car ownership grew 1951-1961.
Futurism- futurist typography.
1915- design and industries association established. Design could be used to develop society. Man was in charge of his or her destiny.
State sponsored art and design (government)
Clash between American (good design is an upwards sales curve) and British (a force for social change to help rebuild a nation recovering from war) design.
Historical Development
Authorities. Description of design or art as ‘fashion’, ethical and moral restraints of ‘good design’.
Key postmodernist theorists. Baudrillard. History of art , Modia and design Foucault
Postmodernism. Difficult to locate historically, not clear when postmodernism began. Postmodernist architecture.
Michael Beutler- dobbles and burgers 2008
Mike Nelson- artist that creates rooms.
Postmodernism (roughly dating from 1945)- Jean Clay 1970 quote.
Conceptual art
Graphic Design
Eskilson (XXXX) post-modern, the return of expressionism
Post-modern response. PUNK- convention to society
Yves Saint Laurent- Modernist.
Elsa Schiaparelli- Post-modern fashion designer.
Postmodernism- of or relating to art, architecture, or literature that reacts against earlier modernist principles, as by reintroducing traditional or classical elements of style or by carrying modernist styles or practices to extremes.
1939 British social structure rigid class. Structure with the upper and middle class.
Second world war had a profound effect on the way british people saw themselves.
What is class? Economics, jobs- how it defines you. How has it changed? Education access has changed (loans). Who is you audience? Language you use, work you show. Groupings and how you define those groups.
1950s- a watershed period for British culture. Increased individualism
Rebel without a cause, 1955. James Dean- influence these films had on consumer culture. How design aspects become important. Car ownership grew 1951-1961.
Futurism- futurist typography.
1915- design and industries association established. Design could be used to develop society. Man was in charge of his or her destiny.
State sponsored art and design (government)
Clash between American (good design is an upwards sales curve) and British (a force for social change to help rebuild a nation recovering from war) design.
Historical Development
Authorities. Description of design or art as ‘fashion’, ethical and moral restraints of ‘good design’.
Key postmodernist theorists. Baudrillard. History of art , Modia and design Foucault
Postmodernism. Difficult to locate historically, not clear when postmodernism began. Postmodernist architecture.
Michael Beutler- dobbles and burgers 2008
Mike Nelson- artist that creates rooms.
Postmodernism (roughly dating from 1945)- Jean Clay 1970 quote.
Conceptual art
Graphic Design
Eskilson (XXXX) post-modern, the return of expressionism
Post-modern response. PUNK- convention to society
Yves Saint Laurent- Modernist.
Elsa Schiaparelli- Post-modern fashion designer.
Session 4 notes on lecture (Photography)
Tom Stoddart- impact of an image can be incredible emotive and get a message across.
Wildlife photography
CSI photography
Fashion photography
Journalist/ Documentary photography
Press photography
Portrait photography
Sports photography- no overlap
Wedding photography
War Photography
Photography= drawing with light silhouette machine 1830s
1825- photography of illustration
Nicephore Niepce 1826- first photography
Daguerre recognized for his invention of the daguerreotype process of photography. 1838- first image of a person- having shoes shined so was still for all shutter speed.
So many processes- who invented photography? Few people
William Fox Talbot= negative
1850-60- image of the moon. Photography was a technique not an art.
Roni Horn- you are the weather
Oscar Rejlander- the two ways of life.
Reconstruction- photomontage.
Alice Bowton- photos of young children and was protected because she was a woman.
Can you do stuff like that because its art? ethical boundary’s. (naked children). Nan Goldin (born 1953) - American fine-art and documentary photographer.
Wildlife photography
CSI photography
Fashion photography
Journalist/ Documentary photography
Press photography
Portrait photography
Sports photography- no overlap
Wedding photography
War Photography
Photography= drawing with light silhouette machine 1830s
1825- photography of illustration
Nicephore Niepce 1826- first photography
Daguerre recognized for his invention of the daguerreotype process of photography. 1838- first image of a person- having shoes shined so was still for all shutter speed.
So many processes- who invented photography? Few people
William Fox Talbot= negative
1850-60- image of the moon. Photography was a technique not an art.
Roni Horn- you are the weather
Oscar Rejlander- the two ways of life.
Reconstruction- photomontage.
Alice Bowton- photos of young children and was protected because she was a woman.
Can you do stuff like that because its art? ethical boundary’s. (naked children). Nan Goldin (born 1953) - American fine-art and documentary photographer.
“THE SOCIAL TURN: COLLABORATION AND ITS DISCONTENTS” (Claire Bishop)
Claire Bishop sets her reflection on social art against a quote from Dan Graham:
“All artists are alike. They dream of doing something that’s more social, more collaborative and more real than art”
Bishop gives examples of different types of collaborative projects, ranging around the world with examples of art being created from a radio station for the elderly in a home in UK, through art workshops in slum regions of south Africa, to bringing together people around social action in the Americas. She suggests that the drive to create art from social contexts like these could be the front line of art today, with artists pushing out the limits of what could be considered art into difficult social and political contexts. She says they “carry on the modernist call to blur art and life”.
She goes on to consider the politics of social art and seems to suggest that political approval and monitoring of social art steers it towards political policies of inclusion, which may be completely against the need for art to be able to express anger, discontent, challenge and contradiction. So maybe political support of collaborative art stops it being art.
Bishop gives several examples of how the events are perceived by others and often rips into them, saying that they are often not collaborative, but rather conceived and directed by one person, so executed rather than achieved. She finds, for example, some work by Jeremy Deller re-enacting the miner’s strike to be just historical documentation rather than comment. By contrast, she likes the work of Phil Collins in Jerusalem more inspiring. His “they shoot horses” had teenagers dancing against a backdrop of pop hits and patterns in a marathon, capturing their enthusiasm then boredom then exhaustion, that could be related to the tensions of the middle east.
Using examples from other writers, Bishop brings out other views. For example, Kester argues that collaborative art should not be viewed as we are used to by visual and sensory means, but as an exchange or negotiation. Bishop does not agree with this as she says it does not allow frustration or eccentricity to shine though, which is necessary for art to evolve and comment.
She ends her piece by drawing on the work of Lars von Trier’s 2003 film “Dogville”, which she says
“allows us to confront darker, more painfully complicated considerations of our predicament”.
“All artists are alike. They dream of doing something that’s more social, more collaborative and more real than art”
Bishop gives examples of different types of collaborative projects, ranging around the world with examples of art being created from a radio station for the elderly in a home in UK, through art workshops in slum regions of south Africa, to bringing together people around social action in the Americas. She suggests that the drive to create art from social contexts like these could be the front line of art today, with artists pushing out the limits of what could be considered art into difficult social and political contexts. She says they “carry on the modernist call to blur art and life”.
She goes on to consider the politics of social art and seems to suggest that political approval and monitoring of social art steers it towards political policies of inclusion, which may be completely against the need for art to be able to express anger, discontent, challenge and contradiction. So maybe political support of collaborative art stops it being art.
Bishop gives several examples of how the events are perceived by others and often rips into them, saying that they are often not collaborative, but rather conceived and directed by one person, so executed rather than achieved. She finds, for example, some work by Jeremy Deller re-enacting the miner’s strike to be just historical documentation rather than comment. By contrast, she likes the work of Phil Collins in Jerusalem more inspiring. His “they shoot horses” had teenagers dancing against a backdrop of pop hits and patterns in a marathon, capturing their enthusiasm then boredom then exhaustion, that could be related to the tensions of the middle east.
Using examples from other writers, Bishop brings out other views. For example, Kester argues that collaborative art should not be viewed as we are used to by visual and sensory means, but as an exchange or negotiation. Bishop does not agree with this as she says it does not allow frustration or eccentricity to shine though, which is necessary for art to evolve and comment.
She ends her piece by drawing on the work of Lars von Trier’s 2003 film “Dogville”, which she says
“allows us to confront darker, more painfully complicated considerations of our predicament”.
Session 5 Continued
Values and taste- how do we form these?
Jack Vettriano- painter very sought after. His work is never in galleries and critics never talk about him. All paintings for around £45,000
Is art different from fashion, photography, graphics. What’s different about them? How do you say something is better. Say why you like things, why you don’t and explain why. Articulate why
The history and theory of graphic design (Bower Ashton)
The Role of the Artist
Art in Egypt 3000-1000 BC. Artist did art not as they saw them- but an idealised form of the world. Functional, never sculpted or drawn. Everyday life- more of their beliefs and rituals.
Ancient Greek 1000-146 BC. Ideal man and ideal woman. What things should be like. Same as the Romans 146 BC- AD313 loads of sculptures. The artist was no one the subject matter was.
Renaissance. AD1420-AD1525 the artist had an opinion- scientific view of the world, as it is not ideally. Told stories. Three stories in one image.
Commissioned artist
Mannerism and Baroque AD 1525- AD1700 was mainly commissioned by Catholic church.
Rococo AD1700- AD1750
Decorative- others thought it was not serious enough, light, fluffy.
Neoclassicism- back to serious paintings.
Romancissicism- romantic painting. Sunsets, water etc.
Realism- painting what is actually going on in the world. Reprasentation of reality. To use now traditional painting back in the 1850s was offensive.
Impressionism- big impact. You could take your materials and draw outside from life.
Salon style- eye view, up and up even on the ceiling. Best work at eye level. The Salon was a place in France and the place to have your pictures.
Post modern. Pop art- Andy Warhol, people hated it. Said no artistic value in a can of soup.
www.martincreed.com
Contemporary artist- what is art and what art does. He comments on it that he won the turner prize for switching light on and off. How is that art? No skills, no emotion.
The cycle goes on over centuries is that art is a question that always appear. Art has the potential to provoke questions. Do artists pull wool over our eyes telling us this is a new thing?
Who is the artist? The thinker, craftsman or assistant.
Pliny the Elder AD77 wrote natural History
Lorenzo Ghiberti wrote first autobiography 1450s he gave birth to the artist being special.
Celebrity- Artist did all aesthetics, sculpture printer etc. there were no specialism. Paintings were paid by square foot. Not on the talent.
Michael Craig-Martin
Artist is the entertainer. If you don’t know the history of art how can you understand modern art. Why they do it. Back to the question what is art, and people being outraged at no craftsmanship.
Who is your audience? The people who know art history or everyone.
Matthew Barney
Artistic personalities
- psychology -Social hitories
- The artist “Civilizer”, “Boarder”, “Represent or”
Lombroso- philosopher
Roland Barthes
Suzanne Lacy
Joost Conijn
Jack Vettriano- painter very sought after. His work is never in galleries and critics never talk about him. All paintings for around £45,000
Is art different from fashion, photography, graphics. What’s different about them? How do you say something is better. Say why you like things, why you don’t and explain why. Articulate why
The history and theory of graphic design (Bower Ashton)
The Role of the Artist
Art in Egypt 3000-1000 BC. Artist did art not as they saw them- but an idealised form of the world. Functional, never sculpted or drawn. Everyday life- more of their beliefs and rituals.
Ancient Greek 1000-146 BC. Ideal man and ideal woman. What things should be like. Same as the Romans 146 BC- AD313 loads of sculptures. The artist was no one the subject matter was.
Renaissance. AD1420-AD1525 the artist had an opinion- scientific view of the world, as it is not ideally. Told stories. Three stories in one image.
Commissioned artist
Mannerism and Baroque AD 1525- AD1700 was mainly commissioned by Catholic church.
Rococo AD1700- AD1750
Decorative- others thought it was not serious enough, light, fluffy.
Neoclassicism- back to serious paintings.
Romancissicism- romantic painting. Sunsets, water etc.
Realism- painting what is actually going on in the world. Reprasentation of reality. To use now traditional painting back in the 1850s was offensive.
Impressionism- big impact. You could take your materials and draw outside from life.
Salon style- eye view, up and up even on the ceiling. Best work at eye level. The Salon was a place in France and the place to have your pictures.
Post modern. Pop art- Andy Warhol, people hated it. Said no artistic value in a can of soup.
www.martincreed.com
Contemporary artist- what is art and what art does. He comments on it that he won the turner prize for switching light on and off. How is that art? No skills, no emotion.
The cycle goes on over centuries is that art is a question that always appear. Art has the potential to provoke questions. Do artists pull wool over our eyes telling us this is a new thing?
Who is the artist? The thinker, craftsman or assistant.
Pliny the Elder AD77 wrote natural History
Lorenzo Ghiberti wrote first autobiography 1450s he gave birth to the artist being special.
Celebrity- Artist did all aesthetics, sculpture printer etc. there were no specialism. Paintings were paid by square foot. Not on the talent.
Michael Craig-Martin
Artist is the entertainer. If you don’t know the history of art how can you understand modern art. Why they do it. Back to the question what is art, and people being outraged at no craftsmanship.
Who is your audience? The people who know art history or everyone.
Matthew Barney
Artistic personalities
- psychology -Social hitories
- The artist “Civilizer”, “Boarder”, “Represent or”
Lombroso- philosopher
Roland Barthes
Suzanne Lacy
Joost Conijn
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