30/11

Innocence Lost: the politics of looking
There is no innocent eye

Idealogy- What they want us to see
                What we are not allowed to see- The Beijing Olympics

Karl Marx- Sociologist, has a Marxist view on life
-Althusser

• Works on a micro scale (only reaching to a small number)
• Saying whats wrong
• The norms and values

The Cultural appropriation

• Robert Maplethorpe

• Tom Hunter-First photographer to have a stand alone show in the nationla gallery
• 'Woman Reading a possesion order' 1997
• Girl reading by ab open window

JUXTAPOSITION- Interpreting something to create critical distance

Campaigning photos

• Barbara Kruger
• Peter Kenard- Santas Ghetto 2006

Culture Jamming

Ad-busters  and Green peace

Adverts only mean something when we know original braning and who people are

Marc Quinn- Alison Lapper Pregnant, 2005

Gillian Rose 2001- Visual Methodologies

-The site of production of an image or object

Site of image or object

Site of audience

Our looking is not value free, neutral or objective, but positioned

Our making is positioned (social, historical)

Cultral production involves the power to perpetuate 

• Susan Sontag 1977- On Photography
• Lisa Tinckner-Media Images

More History of Photography

Aaron Siskind 1949

• Jerome, Arizona
• Close up of a peeling surfce-Abstract

El Lissitsky 1924

• The Constructor
• Playing around with photos- Montage

Hannah Hoch 1919 (Just after WW1)

• Cut with the kitchen knife Dada...
• 1919 was the beginnings of photomontage 
• Collage, collecting magazines
• Disrupted the way people saw images-using scale, people were socked by the poltical offences, they had no formality

Raoul Ubac 1938

• La Conciliabule
• Photo abstract- using double developing - was done in photography

Albert Renger-Patzch 1924

• 'The world is beautiful' series
• Critisied for not testing what could be done and not pushing any boundaries

Jack Vettriano

• Painter
• The work is held in private venues but rarely shown in galleries
• Most bought living artist in the UK
• He is a technical painter
• But has no link to history of art

Dziga Vertov 1929

• Man with a movie camera

Harold Egerton 1936

• Ping pong ball splashing coloured milk
• was taken using flash with exposure time of 1 millionth of a second
• was the beginning of movement photography

Jerry Uelsmann

• Uses 2 frames to make a surrealist photo

Eddie Adams 1968

• 'General Loan executing a Vietcong suspect'
• seen as brutal
• changed the public view of the Vietnamese

Huynh Cuong (Nick) VT 1972

• Children fleeing a Napalm strike
• Was an iconic photo at the time

Manit sriwanichpoom 1972

• The Bloodless war series

Gursky

• Like we are ants
• looking into our lives

Warhol

• Repetition
• Marilyn Monroe

Christopher Caine

• Up and coming fashion designer
• Uses knitted products
• Used size 12 modes on the catwalk- bigger than the average  size 6/8 models used by other designers

Marco Everistti

• Taken to court
• Art Director-Peter MAyer
• Goldfish in blender

Thomas Demand

• Good to use for silence
• Makes 3D models from cardboard then destroyed them

Justin Quinnel

• Mouthpiece series
• Breakfast 2009
• A Bristonian photographer
• Using pinhole photography

Nanook of the North 1921

• Using film to document the life of Eskimos- very sociological
• Re-staged Eskimo culture
• Life was more developed, updated and modern

Susan Sontag

• 1977 pp3-24
• To photograph is to appropriate the thing photographed

Intertextuality

• Is the way artists use other/original images

Catching Up- Sally Mann Interview

I have never really heard about or had an interest in Sally Mann, but after reading her interview with 'Timeout' I learnt a lot about what her interests our and what she does. I thought it was good because she shared her personal views of photography and why as an occupation it can be, and is, so interesting. She has her own mind and does her pieces for herself and not as worried as others would be at what critics or the public think of her work. She has her own style so others cannot critisise it because it is different and she doesn't copy others.
There have been disputes about her pictures of her children and the ethical side of them. Some see them as art but others may critisise them for showing revealing pictures of her children. Sally Mann considers the photophotos to be “natural through the eyes of a mother, since she has seen her children in every state: happy, sad, playful, sick, bloodied, angry and even naked.: The press response to this was huge with critics agreeing and disagreeing with what Mann thinks.

Pink- Stupid Girl video

Semiotics: the 'Science of Sign Systems'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR4yQFZK9YM 

These are some of the images from the video.

The scenes differ from what girls are doing to "fit in" or be popular, or natural girls that may not fit in or be awkward.

Signs

-The young girl looking at the Tv- watching etiquette lessons- what she should grow up to be.

- Curtains closed- being shut off, closed from the world

-Throughout the video an angel and devil are shown- representing the good girl who does everything right and the other who rebels.

-The girl at the start is wearing scruffy jeans and boyish top but holding/playing with the barbie dolls around her.

-Also having an american football on the table

-Girl walking in to glass door - dim/dumb/plastic

-Woman president- hoping for change, having a dream, changes the point of the video, showing a different side and meaning to the video.

-'Dancing in a video next to 50 cent' this relates to a more sexual side, using sex to get noticed/attention

-'Traveling in packs of 2 or 3' like being with friends, shows popularity and confidence.

-Getting a Chihuahua. They are another accessory, makes them look 'hot' = more confidence

-Being fake tanned- trying to do what the 'popular' people do and finding it difficult unusual but walking out of the booth thinking they look amazing, but in fact she looks ridiculous, it makes a girl be put off from getting one

-At bowling- uses an 'emergency blow up tag' to make her boobs bigger to get the attention of her boyfriend as he is interested in the skinny girl baring all.

-On the surgery table- having loads of lines drawn on to show where to cut or insert- i feel it shows how much pink thins she has to do to fit in.

-Girl is more interested in talking on her phone, doing her make-up and drinking coffee, than the girl she just ran over.

-Sees boy looking at girl in gym with boods and small waist so take her t-shirt off to get noticed but  has no response.

-not 'sexy' to eat loads- makes herself sick- linking to Anorexia and Bulimia, very common and serious eating disorders that can ruin lives.

-After being sick she yells "I wanna be skinny" 

-Back at gym her pants say "say no to food" - gets very embarassed

-Home video sex tapes- relates to the Paris Hilton Scandal that was leaked

-Washing the car- reenacting the Jessica Simpson movie.

From 3.00 Pink is being sarcastic and snide against the girls she is trying to pretend to be like and in the end the kid from the start of the video takes the football to play with outside like an ordinary girl with out being 'poisoned' by the media and body image/beverly hills stereotype.

How is an advert positioned using Gillian Rose's method - Specsavers

I have chosen to look at a Specsavers advert.
The whole concept of the advert is mimicking the 'Lynx affect' where a guy is spraying himself with a deodorant and girls start running towards him from different parts of an island, when they get to him he cannot see clearly so puts on these awful glasses, it which the girls see, are turned off by and walk away from him. This followed by their trademark line "Should've gone to Specsavers"

 Specsavers 'The Specs Effect' Advert (Lynx/Axe parody) - YouTube

Production:
How was it made and what methods were used? Designed, directed, produced and filmed, cutting to different camera angles and switching from man to women.
Is it identifiable as a particular genre? I wouldn't say the advert has a genre to it but it has glimpses of sex appeal, action and slight comedy.

Who made it, where and when? It was directed by Daniel Kleinman (Rattling Stick) and written by Specsavers creatives Neil Brush and Simon Bougourd, it was made on an island and was aired on screen in may 2010.

Why did they make it? Who was it made for? At first impressions the advert appears to be a well known Lynx advert. Specsavers do many adverts but this one is appealing to just the male sex,wanting to get 'hot' girl. 

What else was being made at the same time? The Lynx adverts were very popular and easily recognisabl at the time this advert came out. The ad was made as a parody to the Lynx brand and also Axe. 

What was the social, cultural and technological context of its production? I feel that this avert had the sex appeal with all of the women running in their bikins and feel this advert was made so it could go viral. If it does well, viral's are a great way to spread a brand name and encourage buyers.

Image:
What visual effects are produced by the materials and techniques used?  The point of the advert is to persuade buyers to get their prescription glasses from Specsavers, they don't use of show their glasses in their adverts but make the audience think and feel that theirs are best. 

The women in the advert are set in groups/tribes having a different colour set each all running to the same thing/point/man could represent that everyone wants it making the target audience wider instead of targeting men.

Audience:

How has it been displayed and where? On Tv and also as a viral on the internet, during daytime and at water shed hours.

How has it been circulated? It was shown all day long, being one of many of the adverts that Specsavers used, it was also shown through online Tv catch-up.

What viewpoint or values does it offer to its audience consumers? This is only one of many Specsavers adverts, this particular advert appeals to the male audience, being made just for men, it uses the sex appeal and wanting of a man. The main audience though, has to be someone who wheres glasses as the advert is only there for amusement to others.

How does it relate to other visual texts? Like other texts it is trying to entice an audience or buyer, unlike others who advertise their product. Specsaver use the cathy line "Should've gone to Specsavers" to make costumers feel that they are the best brand.

Who is the audience? Is there more than one? Yes!!! specsavers audience is everyone needing to use prescription glasses,  this particular advert is for males,  but Specsavers brand is world wide and anyone would be able to watch the advert as there is a slight comical side to it.

Are the meanings surprised or resistant?  Unless you have seen the advert and know it is for Specsavers, the advert doesn't give anything away until the last 15 seconds when the glasses are shown and the punch line is given away.

Is it's meanings challenged/contested by different social groups? The man used in advert isn't the best looker in the world so he is genuine and average, this could be good because all the girls are flocking to him but it could be challenge in the sense that others may want to see a model-esque man. It would be a better ending to the advert as the point being made would be you could be a stunner but if your eye wear is awful/terrible then a girl wouldn't want you.

Japanese Subcultures

This article was to establish the comparisons between British and Japanese subcultures.
Five Japanese subcultures are:

• Roppongi-zoku
• Miyuki-zoku
• Harajuku-zoku
• Futen-zoku
• Boso-zoku

Zoku is another word or type of tribe and can be linked to British sub-cultures according to what time  they appeared/ were around. The youth tribes are linked to media, comics, music, TV and magazines.

Roppongi-zoku, Miyuki-zoku and Harajuku-zoku were a similar authentic code which was close to the Mods, Futen-zoku was similar and corresponded to hippies and Boso-zoku had similarities to Punk subculture.

Key Words:

• Japanese Street Style
• Subculture
• Youth culture
• Consumer Society
• Globalization

The zokus were most popular in Tokyo changing fashion and using different items and forms of clothing in an urban space. The media in Japan used the word Zoku to describe the fashion groups of the young people in the media, this was a similarity to British media as they present youths in a manufactured way that has formed subcultures. From having studied media I can see that youths are only presented with in the media when they have done something wrong, this links to what Dick Hebdige said "In our society, youth is only present, when its presence is a problem". This means the only deviant youths have become visible from the media in the same form that each Zoku has attracted a great proportion of media coverage, making them so easy to document today.

Consumerism and style in the Early 1960's

First half of the 60's was when three major subcultures appeared from different areas of Tokyo.

These areas were Roppongi, Miyuki Street in Ginza and Harajuku. These lent their names to the zoku subcultures which were invented by media reporters.

In 1960's Japan had Americanised meaning many Japanese cultures were abandoned and became westernised. Westernised consumerism began in Britain in 1029's but only became established in th main areas of Japan in the 1950's

Westernisation meant that male attire was a smart suit and neatly cut hair or casual t-shirt and jeans. Women's style was difficult to determin but showed that they favourtised and were influenced by the 'Euro-America' skirt by the British 60's.

Hemp-Coffee bean sacks were popular to carry around as coffee was imported from overseas making it fashionable to drink.

"Dandyism-male fashion- 'looking the part' constantly. Miyuki-yoku conscious of their appearance.

Uniformed appearance, hinted at the power if consumerism, style controlled people, correct way to behave.

Anti-middle-class Style of the Late 1970s

Boso-Zoku

• Biggest and most notorious deviant group
• Caused nationwide moral panic
• Motorcycles gangs like 'bikers' e.g British Rockers and American Hells' Angels
• Boso-Zoku were younger than over seas counterparts.
• Referred to their risky, dangerous and fast driving
• Were similar to the behavior of the punk sub-culture e.g Antagonistic towards the dull, middle-class character of society
• Some of the radical groups turned to bombing, highjacking and fighting.
• Eventually calmed down and became more appropriate updating their cars, motorcycles, clothing and flags.
• Maturing of Boso-Yoku had children and led to new groupds within the Bobo. 

                               -Yankii (Yankee)- High school drop out

                               -Yakuza- Japanese gangster

                               -Tsuppari- Flamboant Defiance

• Costumes were given nicknames from dour or frightening images

                               -Tokkofuku- Suicidal Kamikaze party

                               -Sentofuku- Combat suit

                               -Dokajan- Construction worker wear

                               -Jimbei- Traditional summer suits worn by their fathers

                               -China- Chinese suits

• Symbols were embroided into suits for a shock effect not as Nazis
• Binbags, Safety pins, Old Schol uniforms, Bondage and tape were often used in their general catwalk.

Politics of Location: Subjectivity on the Street

• The main aim was to portray themselves on the public roads
• Each having their own location, the Yokus were named from where the styes originated from similar to British subcultures. 
• Mods-Soho
• Hippies- London Street Commune (empty mansions in Piccadilly)
• Punks- Kings road
• Skinheads- from football terraces 

Each subculture was developed behind closed doors and only publicised with in media and favourite habitats.

2012 Olympics Logo

The logo for the 2012 Olympics was unveiled by Seb Coe, chairman of the London 2012 organising committee, in June 2007. The logo was designed by the Wolff Olins agency and cost £400,000. 

Ever since its unveiling the logo has had scrutiny from all over the country and also other countries. The logo for the Olympics has to be bold, modern, flexible, noticeable and relevant both in 2007 when it was created and in 2012 during the games. With its bright colours and jagged edges I feel that the designer has created a modern logo for both years.

One of the claims against the logo was the Iranian believe that the word "Zion" can be read using the numbers which to them is a very revolting act. In some way it is visible but only if you over think the logo. Another problem some had with the logo was that it looked like a sexual act using two well known cartoon characters. Unless one would of heard about it, no one with a decent or clean mind would think of any obscurity or absurdness of the logo.

I personally think the logo is eye catching and noticeable, but there are other logos that the public have designed which are more suitable for the olympics in London and that represent the country in a better and more neutral way.

For instance this logo designed by a viewer  James Wren was sent into the BBC with some other images, illustrating different ways in which the logo can be designed. I prefer the simplicity of it and the way in which he incorporated the Olympic rings.