“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
Session 5 notes on lecture
Avant-garde- leading- pushing the boundaries in the early 1900s, not doing expensive art/photography/graphics more commercial.
Not doing the norm.
The idea of Avant-garde is described by some as modernism.
Things could be mass produced.
Only rich people could afford original paintings so Avant-garde said we want to design for all.
Germany & Paris= Avant-garde- Picasso- surrealism- Dadaism.
Greenberg. American, editor of political art magazines- good for Avant-garde- promoted people- like Jackson Pollock
True art= an original, a one off? Not true
Graphics= mass produced, does that still make it true art?
Art is art no matter what its value is or how much money the artist gets. The idea that only rich people can afford art is silly. Art that is free is still art.
True art depends on the eye of the beholder. You can think something is good because of the technical side gone into it- but you may not like it visually.
Not doing the norm.
The idea of Avant-garde is described by some as modernism.
Things could be mass produced.
Only rich people could afford original paintings so Avant-garde said we want to design for all.
Germany & Paris= Avant-garde- Picasso- surrealism- Dadaism.
Greenberg. American, editor of political art magazines- good for Avant-garde- promoted people- like Jackson Pollock
True art= an original, a one off? Not true
Graphics= mass produced, does that still make it true art?
Art is art no matter what its value is or how much money the artist gets. The idea that only rich people can afford art is silly. Art that is free is still art.
True art depends on the eye of the beholder. You can think something is good because of the technical side gone into it- but you may not like it visually.
Charles Traub interviews Charlotte Cotton
Cotton has spent her career as a Museum Curator of Photography. This has allowed her to see both a vast range of photographic work, to interact with a large number of photographers and to observe how people viewed different types of photography over the years. In 2004 she published a book on “The Photograph as Contemporary Art”.
Charles Traub is clearly a photographer and brings his own experience to the interview. Photographers seem to see themselves as producing either high art (for galleries and a small number of people) or commercial pieces (for magazines and as contracts for firms). This seems to be a dilemma for them, especially the tension between trying to make a living and wanting to explore ideas that may have no financial value.
The interview takes place as Charlotte Cotton has moved to a new role in New York as a Director of Cultural Programming: Art & Commerce. Charles Traub asks her to draw from her experience in the different cultural and commercial context of London, and comment on the democracy of photography as well as the changing social and economic context for photographers. They also explored the line between photographic art and photographic representation.
On the democracy of photography Cotton commented that public access to collections has opened the field up so it is owned by everyone. This is a bit like opening museums up to the public.
On the changing social and economic context for photographers, she had several points to make. One was that there was less of a role now for the photographic essay on social issues, as that had been taken over by film and other media. Another was that photographers now could not just sit back and place their work in one or two industry magazines. In a very crowded and commercially-driven print media, they had to create their own niche and places. They also had to create their own peer networks, rather than seek approval from a few respected older individuals. This was important as photography needs to be part of several people’s lives and thinking, rather than created in isolation.
Exploring the line between art and commercial photography, Cotton used the field of fashion photography. She said there had been some iconic fashion photographers whose work had developed into an art form. She does not like, however, people putting themselves in one category or the other. The interview concluded with her saying that there has been a shift from “the messenger being the message to the medium being the message”. I think this means a shift from photographer just documenting something to actually playing with the possibilities of photography itself.
Charles Traub is clearly a photographer and brings his own experience to the interview. Photographers seem to see themselves as producing either high art (for galleries and a small number of people) or commercial pieces (for magazines and as contracts for firms). This seems to be a dilemma for them, especially the tension between trying to make a living and wanting to explore ideas that may have no financial value.
The interview takes place as Charlotte Cotton has moved to a new role in New York as a Director of Cultural Programming: Art & Commerce. Charles Traub asks her to draw from her experience in the different cultural and commercial context of London, and comment on the democracy of photography as well as the changing social and economic context for photographers. They also explored the line between photographic art and photographic representation.
On the democracy of photography Cotton commented that public access to collections has opened the field up so it is owned by everyone. This is a bit like opening museums up to the public.
On the changing social and economic context for photographers, she had several points to make. One was that there was less of a role now for the photographic essay on social issues, as that had been taken over by film and other media. Another was that photographers now could not just sit back and place their work in one or two industry magazines. In a very crowded and commercially-driven print media, they had to create their own niche and places. They also had to create their own peer networks, rather than seek approval from a few respected older individuals. This was important as photography needs to be part of several people’s lives and thinking, rather than created in isolation.
Exploring the line between art and commercial photography, Cotton used the field of fashion photography. She said there had been some iconic fashion photographers whose work had developed into an art form. She does not like, however, people putting themselves in one category or the other. The interview concluded with her saying that there has been a shift from “the messenger being the message to the medium being the message”. I think this means a shift from photographer just documenting something to actually playing with the possibilities of photography itself.
Tamsin Blanchard on Vivienne Westwood
Vivienne Westwood created a small, independent fashion company. She has the ideas and the team of people that work for her translate them into the products she sells and the packaging that goes along with it.
While most companies have a logo that is part of their brand, and use it on everything, Vivienne Westwood does not. She has managed to create symbols that do the same thing – identify products as from her company – but in a creative way, and creativity is what her company is all about.
The main symbol, since she started up in 1981, is an orb that symbolises history and tradition. Around this is a ring like the rings of Saturn, that symbolises the future. Quite a long timeline!
The artist Tracy Emin, a friend of Westwood, has livened up the orb design giving it more tension and movement. As any creative person would, Westwood has also evolved the symbolism in her ranges. For the “Man” range she drew from the shapes of history in the stones of Stonehenge.
The Westwood symbols are widely copied for fake products, but no one can copy her creativity or what she might do next.
While most companies have a logo that is part of their brand, and use it on everything, Vivienne Westwood does not. She has managed to create symbols that do the same thing – identify products as from her company – but in a creative way, and creativity is what her company is all about.
The main symbol, since she started up in 1981, is an orb that symbolises history and tradition. Around this is a ring like the rings of Saturn, that symbolises the future. Quite a long timeline!
The artist Tracy Emin, a friend of Westwood, has livened up the orb design giving it more tension and movement. As any creative person would, Westwood has also evolved the symbolism in her ranges. For the “Man” range she drew from the shapes of history in the stones of Stonehenge.
The Westwood symbols are widely copied for fake products, but no one can copy her creativity or what she might do next.
Session 3 notes on lecture
The cloths we wear tell us what Society we live in, as individuals.
Graphic Design- a sign is “something which stands to somebody for something in some capacity”
Charles Sanders Pierce, 1977
Paolo Uccello- demonstrated to represent European perspective. (Western) “The Battle of San Romano”
Aboriginal Art- Top view different markings different views ect.
Chinese Art- landscape, everything same size but stuff towards the top is further away.
Cave paintings- 40,000 years ago large wild animals, humans and hand prints. What were the images for?
• Visions. Forms of communication.
• Drawing of sense of place.
Petra Cliffs- Engravings in Rocks. Used as communication, the first words. Contemporary- don’t look old/ out of place now.
Geo cliffs- large scale landmarks done by people who physically could not see them. Pictogram, ideogram, logograms.
Chinese language nearly 50,000 different characters, we have 26. Chinese calligraphy = Artist
Hieroglyphics- Egyptian writing
Chester Beatty museum in Dublin in Dublin Castle, best book museum in the world.
Dura- Typography, 15 hundreds, 16th century
Graphic Design- a sign is “something which stands to somebody for something in some capacity”
Charles Sanders Pierce, 1977
Paolo Uccello- demonstrated to represent European perspective. (Western) “The Battle of San Romano”
Aboriginal Art- Top view different markings different views ect.
Chinese Art- landscape, everything same size but stuff towards the top is further away.
Cave paintings- 40,000 years ago large wild animals, humans and hand prints. What were the images for?
• Visions. Forms of communication.
• Drawing of sense of place.
Petra Cliffs- Engravings in Rocks. Used as communication, the first words. Contemporary- don’t look old/ out of place now.
Geo cliffs- large scale landmarks done by people who physically could not see them. Pictogram, ideogram, logograms.
Chinese language nearly 50,000 different characters, we have 26. Chinese calligraphy = Artist
Hieroglyphics- Egyptian writing
Chester Beatty museum in Dublin in Dublin Castle, best book museum in the world.
Dura- Typography, 15 hundreds, 16th century
Friday 11 December 2009
“Fashion is a language and a game” (Luigi Maramotti)
Luigi Maramotti gained his experience of the fashion industry from the inside, as a member of the family firm behind MaxMara,. In the chapter “Connecting Creativity” (in “Creative Industries” edited by John Hartley) he looks at what drives change in fashion, then at how important it is to connect the creativity involved at each stage in the process of producing and selling fashion goods.
Maramotti first tries to explain what drives change in fashion. He suggests that what people wear is related to their culture and societies, but that changes do not happen by accident. They need “human action, the work of creative people, of industry and the complicity of consumers”. He describes fashion first as a language, then as a game. As a language he says people are communicating through what they wear – they are saying things to each other about status, about the groups they belong to. As a game, he says fashion is not like a game with a winner, but a game of interaction between people that goes on forever with no end.
In the second part of this chapter, Maramotti argues that creativity is not just having a creative idea, but is the whole creative process leading to a product that people buy use. He uses his own company, MaxMara, to illustrate how a firm can tap into, and harness, creativity. He is not keen on buying creative input from outside the firm, but on having a company that brings out the creativity in the people that work on each stage of creating and selling fashion products. He describes the kind of creativity needed in each stage – the market research, the data processing, the technological and technical innovation, the design, the cost analysis, production opportunities, marketing, advertising and promotion. He attributes the success of MaxMara to having creativity is “embedded at the heart of its culture” and says the “results are tangible”.
I think there are some things in Maramotti’s views on connecting creativity that also apply to graphic design. If fashion is a language, so is the visual communication in graphic design. It is perhaps more than a language as it should become a conversation between those who are trying to get a message over and those whose behaviour they are trying to influence. Like changing fashion, the conversation continues, one group feeding back to the other.
One important thing for graphic design is to pick up on attitudes and how the target audience see themselves. As this is changing all the time, the graphic designer has to listen to that conversation, and use the right language to be listened to.
We also have to realise that it is not just the original idea. Creativity will develop and change the concept as teams work on it from idea to finished product and its uptake. I’ve seen this even in project work, where my ideas change as the concept develops and where people make comments that set me off on another line of thought to explore. As people and their ideas change with time, as Maramotti concludes “the game will last forever”.
Maramotti first tries to explain what drives change in fashion. He suggests that what people wear is related to their culture and societies, but that changes do not happen by accident. They need “human action, the work of creative people, of industry and the complicity of consumers”. He describes fashion first as a language, then as a game. As a language he says people are communicating through what they wear – they are saying things to each other about status, about the groups they belong to. As a game, he says fashion is not like a game with a winner, but a game of interaction between people that goes on forever with no end.
In the second part of this chapter, Maramotti argues that creativity is not just having a creative idea, but is the whole creative process leading to a product that people buy use. He uses his own company, MaxMara, to illustrate how a firm can tap into, and harness, creativity. He is not keen on buying creative input from outside the firm, but on having a company that brings out the creativity in the people that work on each stage of creating and selling fashion products. He describes the kind of creativity needed in each stage – the market research, the data processing, the technological and technical innovation, the design, the cost analysis, production opportunities, marketing, advertising and promotion. He attributes the success of MaxMara to having creativity is “embedded at the heart of its culture” and says the “results are tangible”.
I think there are some things in Maramotti’s views on connecting creativity that also apply to graphic design. If fashion is a language, so is the visual communication in graphic design. It is perhaps more than a language as it should become a conversation between those who are trying to get a message over and those whose behaviour they are trying to influence. Like changing fashion, the conversation continues, one group feeding back to the other.
One important thing for graphic design is to pick up on attitudes and how the target audience see themselves. As this is changing all the time, the graphic designer has to listen to that conversation, and use the right language to be listened to.
We also have to realise that it is not just the original idea. Creativity will develop and change the concept as teams work on it from idea to finished product and its uptake. I’ve seen this even in project work, where my ideas change as the concept develops and where people make comments that set me off on another line of thought to explore. As people and their ideas change with time, as Maramotti concludes “the game will last forever”.
Thursday 3 December 2009
My definition of chosen specialism
Graphic design is all about communication. Every day we are bombarded by information about products, services, discoveries, things that happen and things that might happen. We take it in though our eyes, ears, noses, fingertips and process it in our brains. Sometimes we react, sometimes we ignore – often storing for future use. Good graphic design is trying to get us to take note and react; it is trying to make a connection with us so we will filter out the message from all the noise of the others. Visually it should be a design that evokes a response in those it is trying to get through to. It should be the right colours, patterns, people, time, language, size and appeal to the target age group.
As an example, if a business wants to sell a new product to the teenage market, the design and “feel” of the product must appeal to them. Graphic designers must come up with a look that will make teenagers look twice, and want to be connected to. As another example, a hotel group might want a design that they can use on all the things they use to connect with customers (web, leaflets, advertising). It must be one that stands out and says “this is us and we are good” even at a glance. The colours, the style, the images must appeal to the likely customers so they say “yes, this is me”.
As an example, if a business wants to sell a new product to the teenage market, the design and “feel” of the product must appeal to them. Graphic designers must come up with a look that will make teenagers look twice, and want to be connected to. As another example, a hotel group might want a design that they can use on all the things they use to connect with customers (web, leaflets, advertising). It must be one that stands out and says “this is us and we are good” even at a glance. The colours, the style, the images must appeal to the likely customers so they say “yes, this is me”.
Saturday 21 November 2009
blog post on 24 hours of design
Creative Practices (graphic design, fashion, photography and fine art) are everywhere around us. Over 24 hours I kept a note of where they were around me.
Reaching out to turn off my phone alarm, I checked for messages. Some problems with the design of the phone – looks good but could be slimmer shape and buttons easier to manipulate (especially when half awake!) Emerging from the shower I thought about the rather clunky design of the shower fittings, which could be updated.
From my pile of clothes I chose a warm slim line top of woven cotton. Feels slightly itchy against the skin but is an easygoing design and I’m working at home today. Whoever hit on denim jeans was a genius. They are tough enough for all purposes and can be adapted in shape and trimmings to new trends all over the world.
Switching on the kettle for coffee I realised it was a new one! This one showed the level of the water from the outside and you could see just how many cups you would get from the boiled water. Good design to help us use less electricity and water – better for the planet.
Most of the day working on my own projects I lost track of time. Later I switched on the T.V. and one of Attenborough’s “Life” series was on. Such startling photography in making the film it really caught my attention. The advert breaks were annoying, but a couple caught my eye as they didn’t seem to match the product they were selling. Possibly the designers were trying to catch my eye just like that! The meerkats comparing the market still made me smile; who thought to make them Russian and put them in Jacuzzi baths? Just in time before the shops shut, I remembered I had to send a birthday card and didn’t pick one with photos on the front, but a fine art print of soothing colours.
Ending the day enjoying a new Sony game I couldn’t help noticing how the designers had updated the graphics to make the characters more realistic. The speed of improvement in these graphics is astonishing. Bit addictive these things. Off button. Sleep (in kikoy – very distinctive Kenya fashion statement, now all over the world).
Reaching out to turn off my phone alarm, I checked for messages. Some problems with the design of the phone – looks good but could be slimmer shape and buttons easier to manipulate (especially when half awake!) Emerging from the shower I thought about the rather clunky design of the shower fittings, which could be updated.
From my pile of clothes I chose a warm slim line top of woven cotton. Feels slightly itchy against the skin but is an easygoing design and I’m working at home today. Whoever hit on denim jeans was a genius. They are tough enough for all purposes and can be adapted in shape and trimmings to new trends all over the world.
Switching on the kettle for coffee I realised it was a new one! This one showed the level of the water from the outside and you could see just how many cups you would get from the boiled water. Good design to help us use less electricity and water – better for the planet.
Most of the day working on my own projects I lost track of time. Later I switched on the T.V. and one of Attenborough’s “Life” series was on. Such startling photography in making the film it really caught my attention. The advert breaks were annoying, but a couple caught my eye as they didn’t seem to match the product they were selling. Possibly the designers were trying to catch my eye just like that! The meerkats comparing the market still made me smile; who thought to make them Russian and put them in Jacuzzi baths? Just in time before the shops shut, I remembered I had to send a birthday card and didn’t pick one with photos on the front, but a fine art print of soothing colours.
Ending the day enjoying a new Sony game I couldn’t help noticing how the designers had updated the graphics to make the characters more realistic. The speed of improvement in these graphics is astonishing. Bit addictive these things. Off button. Sleep (in kikoy – very distinctive Kenya fashion statement, now all over the world).
Sunday 11 October 2009
Eye for design
I watched this image emerge from the page as my brother created it. Called "Storm Brewing" it is a close up of the face of a Eurasian Eagle Owl, with the approaching storm clouds reflected in its clear, dark eye. More of my brother's work can be seen on his website Aveling Artworks. What I particularly liked about the owl face was the pattern created by the beak, eye and white feathers and the contrast of textures between the glassy eye, waxy beak and fluffy feathers.I have always enjoyed seeing patterns in things around me, from the stark black and white stripes of a zebra when I lived in Kenya to the complex shapes that tree branches make against the sky. I like the fact that in Graphic Design you can use visual images to communicate rather than great chunks of text and masses of words. Too many words in the world and not enough time for them! Now I have started the Foundation Degree in Creative Practices I hope I can develop the skills to have a career in Graphic Design. Possibly not in U.K. In two years time I would like to be travelling to South America and other parts of the world that I havn't experienced yet.
Since being in Bristol I've enjoyed seeing Grafiti Art, such as in the Banksy exhibition. Some of this art is really interesting and unusual and I'm looking forward to seeing how it evolves and changes.
Wednesday 7 October 2009
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