Study task 4: Paragraph 4- Summarise and paraphrase.

 Writing in the manifesto Fuck Committees (1998) Kalman claims that ‘faceless corporate committees’ Kalman,(1998),Fuck Committees, http://www.manifestoproject.it/fuck-committees/ , understand the needs of mass audience. They remove the passion and free thought from creatives that make the adverts, magazine articles and TV. By doing this he remarks that this creates a ‘…cultural mush that will not be hated nor loved by anyone.’ Kalman,(1998),Fuck Committees, http://www.manifestoproject.it/fuck-committees/ .  Kalman is essentially saying corporation have taken control of the creative free thinking individuals and are getting them to work for their ideal corporate culture in America, and as a result they are helping increase the corporate strategies and stock prices.  The Committees pay people to come and look through the creatives work to make ‘the scripts are dumb enough to amuse what they call the ‘lowest common denominator’. Kalman,(1998),Fuck Committees, http://www.manifestoproject.it/fuck-committees/ ., to ensure that they fit in with the vision and communicates the product messages. However the money that they make doesn’t go back into a culture that people need. In the past millionaires used to invest in libraries, museums, and global foundations. Now Kalman claims that we only get junk mail and sales pitches. But towards the end of his manifesto he offers us a solutions, that there are still some ‘lunatic entrepreneurs’ Kalman,(1998),Fuck Committees, http://www.manifestoproject.it/fuck-committees/ ,  who could still invest in a peoples culture.  ‘who will understand that culture and design are not about fatter wallets, but about creating a future.’ Kalman,(1998),Fuck Committees, http://www.manifestoproject.it/fuck-committees/ .  He finally comments that there money could change the world.            

Study task 4: paragraph 3 - Evaluation.

Kalman’s manifesto (1998) , identifies the issues and problems between creative individuals with free thinking ideas and the corporate committees that removes this and gets the artist to work to their cultural ideals.  In doing this he attempts to make us see the control the committees have over culture and how they use creatives to influence it. ‘…today’s faceless corporate committees, which claim to understand the needs of the mass audience…’Kalman,(1998),Fuck Committees, http://www.manifestoproject.it/fuck-committees/ .  The main point that Kalman makes in his manifesto is that all creatives’ work, for instance television, theatre, articles for magazines, are checked by people payed by the committees to ensure they meet the corporate cultures.  ‘All cars look the same.’ ’Kalman,(1998),Fuck Committees,  http://www.manifestoproject.it/fuck-committees/ .   The creatives have their individuality taken away from them and are forced to produce the corporate ideal culture. The public are drawn in by this culture. The corporations gain money from this, but in the past they would have invested there millions into culture, investing money in libraries and global charities.  We get nothing from corporations now. ‘But to be fair, the above is only 99 percent true.’ Kalman,(1998),Fuck Committees, http://www.manifestoproject.it/fuck-committees/.    ‘There are a very few lunatic entrepreneurs who will understand that culture and design are not about fatter wallets, but about creating a future.’ Kalman,(1998),Fuck Committees, http://www.manifestoproject.it/fuck-committees/ .  There is some hope that committees will invest money back however are we just trapped in the endless cycle of corporate idealism, with new technology and new ways of communicating to people will this problem only increase?             

Study task 4: paragraph 2- image analysis.

 MacNaughton,date seen(12/12/2015), www.pinterest.com.

The man feature in the image is President Assad the Syrian leader. He is on the right had side of the image, performing a salute which could be associated with dictatorship, more typically the Nazis. However under his arm are five figures that have been hung from his arm dead. This is in reference to the suggestion that Assad is terrorising and killing people of his own country. The scale of Assad compared to the hanged people, portraying the dominating power he had over them and the dead are silhouettes, interpreted as faceless insignificant. The monochrome colours used reinforce the interpretation of the issue; it is a sad, dark situation and the colours give the image a very cold, dead feel. The black as well, associated with death. The way Assad is drawn as well with cold eyes, motionless, no acknowledgement to the dead. The illustrator gives him a face of steel, carless, almost robotic.  Having both parts of the image connected together gives the impression that Assad killed these people.  This image could also communicate that his dictator ship is kill people is this why they are hanging from his salute?  

Study Task 4, paragraph 1 - triangulation.

A number of authors have commented on the aspect of money. Garland ,(1964),  Adbusters, (2000) and Kalman (1998) have all commented on how large corporations and companies are getting money but in ‘First Things First’ (2000) and (1964) manifesto, they are making accusations that creatives are going for jobs that are offered by large companies because they want the money and are not using their talents to make a difference. ‘…industry are wasted on these trivial purposes which contribute little or nothing to our national prosperity.’ Garland, (1964), First things First, http://www.manifestoproject.it/ken-garland/ . However in ‘Fuck Committees’ (1998) the author comments that the corporations are checking the work that creatives work to make sure it fits into their corporate culture. ‘It’s about the struggle between individuals with jagged passion in their work and today’s faceless corporate committees, which claim to understand the needs of the mass audience…’Kalman,(1998),Fuck Committees, http://www.manifestoproject.it/fuck-committees/ . So creatives are being restricted in one account and are being accused not doing enough to bring about change. They want to but because of the large companies having so much control over culture and money it is hard for creatives to avoid. They need money to live; good jobs selling expensive products, some of which are promoting bad ethics for the consumer and individuals who make them   ‘…cigarettes, credit cards, sneakers, butt toners, light beer, heavy-duty recreational vehicles .’ Adbusters,(2000),First things First, http://www.manifestoproject.it/adbusters/ .  This will get the money in but, we could put talents to better use because this may help to take control of the companies and bring more power and money back into a culture into which everyone contributes, not just the rich. Kalman yet says that, ‘There are a very few lunatic entrepreneurs who will understand that culture and design are not about fatter wallets, but about creating a future. They will understand that wealth is means, not an end.’ ’Kalman,(1998),Fuck Committees, http://www.manifestoproject.it/fuck-committees/ . So change could still be implemented by the rich however there is still some responsibility lying on us as creatives too.        

Visual response to Paris attacks , Jean Jullian's peace or paris.

Using print I tried can create my own response to the paris attacks baked around the symbol Jean Jullian drew as his response. At the top of this page this image, the hands are meant to represent people reaching for peace, but i don't think that this is clear and needs much more development.
The image here is of the CND symbol surrounded by out stretched hands. I really like this image because visually it is neat and the composition is good. It is so posed to represent the spreading of peace. Still not sure that this is 100% clear , text would help but I want to try and develop it more with out text. the image needs to be the key feature.

Visual journal response to Charlie Hebdo magazine front cover.

These are just some quick response images to the charlie hebdo magazine front cover, and the attacks that happened due to it.
I think that I can definitely do more responses to this but this is a good visual starting point.

250 word summary - Art and Activism-Gavin Grindon.

Article summary: Art and Activism-Gavin Grindon. Copenhagen crisis.

In Art and Activism, Gavin Grindon reports on the climate change summit in Copenhagen, and discusses how art is used to show political ideas. The summit lasted two weeks and public opinion went far beyond the political institutes of the summit, it influenced cultural life. A number of visual art projects by different organisations started appearing, stating their opinions. These institutions turned to art as a way of communicating quickly, the WWF created two ice polar bear sculptures that were melting whilst on display. Greenpeace installed a photography exhibition on the effects of climate change. ‘Hopenhagen’ was a project set up right in the centre of Copenhagen and gained great support from major companies with Coca cola offering ‘a bottle of hope’ and hosted an exhibition in which cabins of clear glass were lit with green neon lights. This involvement increased public interest in climate change; however the exhibitions only demonstrated the problems but gave no solutions.

 ‘The art which is most successfully engaged with the issues of climate change was that which has more affinity with extra-institutional activist practices.’Grindon,11,2009. Activism art in the last few years has become popular. The galleries do show pieces that raise issues of activism but without the consequences.  However this type of art can raise issues, bike bloc for example, an art activism project ran the real risk of social activism and galleries pulled out. This was because of new police powers. In the UK, the National Extremism Tactical Coordination Unit, started acting on non- violent climate activism with new anti-terrorist police powers. The same happened in the US, labelling the phenomenon as a green scare and invented the term eco-terrorists. Art activism has now been seen as a disturbing social and political issue and a type terrorism, but not in the way in which the Taliban or ISIS are, however it does this mean it is terrorism. Terrorism is defined as – ‘unofficial or unauthorised use of violence and victimisation in the pursuit of political aims’. 

http://dictionary.reference.com/

  Can activism art really be label as terrorism or just an annoyance to political and social wellbeing?                              

250 word summarising - Visualizing the face of domestic terrorism in editorial cartoons- by Janis.L.Edwards.

Visualising the face of domestic terrorism in editorial cartoons: transforming a stereotype.- Janis.L.Edwards.

Cartoonists in the past found it really easy to depict terrorists using stereotypes. The meaning and the idea that the cartoonist is trying to convey was easily recognised. However there are two problems with this, it unfairly stigmatizes individuals or a group, and the stereotype could fail to communicate effectively with the intended purpose.  The perspective of terrorism from the U.S. is largely based on the Middle Eastern and Muslim people. They were usually depicted as ‘bomb-throwing, terrorist villain, with his dark bushy beard and big nose, developed as an easily recognized reference.’Edwards,2,2008. International terrorists where given the stereotype however domestic terrorism is different as it is American citizens, ecoterrorism, mail bombs and anit-abortion assassinations and attempted murders. This presented a challenge for editorial cartoonists. They had to change their visual depictions of terrorists. Less the 1% of terror attacks in the U.S. where performed by international terrorists it was actually domestic terrorism. As cartoonists battled with changing the face of terrorism, they responded to domestic terrorism in three ways. They re-enacted dramatic events, depicting the event rather than the person, the impact of terrorism on community and ‘definitional depictions of the perpetrators.’ Edwards,7,2015. This means that they used masked men, the devil, the KKK, or a beast. So in order to solve the problem they made the terrorist itself, face less. This is a much more equal and fair way to depict the diversity of terrorism and defeats the stereotype. When 9/11 came along there where less stereotypical depictions used and more metaphorical images, this demonstrates well the positive change that came about because of it.          

250 word summarising- Peace for Paris.

Peace for Paris and the role of the image-maker in times of tragedy.- by Rob Alderson, Creative review. 

 In reposes to the terror attacks that happen in France 2015. Jean Jullien created a simple pen and ink sketch of the Eiffel tower and the CND symbol for peace. It went viral. Peace for Paris illustration was shared by thousands of people on social media. The symbol had struck a chord in the people who viewed it; it quickly became a significant message of hope to many people. During the time of the post it had reserved 160,000 likes and more than 3,400 shares in a very short space of time. However people began to question Jullien’s motives behind the image. They commented that he was too quick to respond and that he was doing for self-gain and promotion. ‘Would it be better for designers to pause and think about how they can practically contribute to the aftermath of a major incident?’ Alderson,2,2015. Jullien admitted that he was “embarrassed” by the reaction the drawing had created. But he felt that he had done the right thing to do. ’But if you’re an artist, or an designer or an illustrator what do you do?’ Alderson,2,2015. The image had a very powerfully effect and it helped people to express their opinions and sadness at the tragedy; it wasn't just a way of communicating for Jullien it universally communicated as well. Imagery helps us to understand.’ And that’s where imagery comes in. It bypasses the head and goes straight for the gut. Many people wanted to show solidarity with Paris and express hope in the face of horror- in Jullien’s image they found a very concise way of doing that. Alderson,3,2015.          

250 words summarising and paraphrasing.

In the revisit of First Things First, Rick Poynor in his review of the manifesto (1964-2000) stated that designers should be doing more to communicate social and political issues rather than advertising for money. ‘Distinction drawn by the manifesto was between design as communication (giving people necessary information) and design as persuasion (trying to get them to buy things.)’Poynor,4,2000. The manifesto was ignored by designers for that reason; they wanted money and didn’t give a thought to the more ethical reasons ‘Most preferred to keep their heads down.’ Poynor,4,2000. The designers would rather produce work for the more exciting corporate brands e.g. Nike compared to CND (campaign for nuclear disarmament.)  ‘The vast majority of design projects and certainly the most lavishly funded and widely disseminated- address corporate needs…’ Poynor,4,2000.

Artists and designers coming out of art school were and still are working for more corporate projects because of the money. ‘For many art and design schools, they are obsessed with how cool an advert looks, rather than with what it is really saying…’ Poynor,4,2000. The main message made in the original manifesto and the one in 2000 is that nothing has changed during these 35 years. Katherine McCoy when she states that’ Designers who have grown up in a commercial climate often find this hard to believe. That feels political or social concerns are either extraneous to our work or inappropriate.’ McCoy,5,2000  Even though this article does centre on advertisement, illustrators’ still have these same problems. As illustrators we have the skill of communicating key ideas in a way anyone can understand why don’t we use them to question and challenge political and social issues more? However if commercial work gets you established as a popular designer then you chose to show work demonstrating your opinion of issues, then would the work have more of an impact?   

C.O.P workshop.

(unknown)

 Amnesty international.

(unknown) Latuff 2011. 5 chosen images for the task. 

A3 piece of paper with sketches in repsond  once to each image.

Final responce to the image based on the sketches I made about the image,with one word to describe the image and that is is subject in which the visual journal will follow.

• Key points from workshop:
• C.O.P is hard.
• C.O.P helps you with general knowledge ,skill both writing and drawing , and to form your own opinions.
• Drawing and image making is just as important as writing. 
• Key moments from visual journal should be put on blog.
• visual journal is your own visual response. 
• The visual journal is an ongoing investigation:

My theme- Political and social.

The subject- Destruction. 

Visual responses to 3 found images.

1 -Estate gazette. 











2 -Amnesty international.                        3- Amenity international

This was my initial visual response because I was't sure weather we where meant to do 3 or 1. It is an atomic bomb that looks like maggie thature , distorting building. 

Just in case I did 2 quick responses to image 2 firstly, having the men running at the bribed wire that conceals a gun with the exit sign above. 

And a response to image 3, mushroom bombs and after effect to the weapons shown in the image. 

First things First 250 word analisis

Chosen Question: Discuss the role that illustration can play during periods of political and/ or social upheaval?

Article analysis: First things first( 1964&2000).

 In the revisit of First things first, Rick Poynor in his review of the manifesto (1964-2000) said that designers should be doing more to communicate social and political issues rather than advertising for the money. ”Distinction drawn by the manifesto was between design as communication (giving people necessary information) and design as persuasion (trying to get them to buy things.)”Poynor,4,2000.  Secondly the manifesto was ignored by designers for that reason, they wanted money and didn’t give a thought to the more ethical reasons “Most preferred to keep their heads down.” Poynor,4,2000. The designers would rather produce work for the more exciting corporate brands e.g. Nike compared to CND(campaign for nuclear disarmament.) “The vast majority of design projects-and certainly the most lavishly funded and widely disseminated- address corporate needs…” Poynor,4,2000.

Also artist and designers coming out of art school where and still are working for more corporate projects because of the money. “For many art and design schools, they are obsessed with how cool an ad looks, rather than with what it is really saying…” Poynor,4,2000. And finally, the main message made in the original manifesto and the one in 2000 is that nothing has change in between these 35 years. And I agree with McCoy when he states that” Designers who have grown up in a commercial climate often find this hard to believe says McCoy , that  feels  political or social concerns are either extraneous to our work or inappropriate.” McCoy,5,2000  Even though this article dose centres on advertisement, illustrators’ still have these same problems. If I was offer the chance to design something for Nike or CND then I would more than likely go for Nike because it offers the money, however from having read this manifesto and the revisit of it, I can now see how that view is wrong. We have a skill of communicating key ideas in a way anyone can understand why don’t we use them to question and challenge political and social issues more? However I disagree with the point of young designers, which they just go for the big corporate needs more. If that work gets you established as a popular designer then you chose to show work demonstrating your opinion of issues, then would the work have more of an impact?   

Summary of image analysis.

Question given : discuss the role that illustration can play during periods of political and/or social upheaval.

Definition of political : Of or relating to the government or public affairs of a country, or dealing with the structure of affairs of government , politics or the state.

Definition of social: Relating to society to it's organisation or relating to rank or state in society.

Images found:
First image is by Kent Williams called "why the military never learns". The idea behind the image was to put a deadly spin on the classic playground sandbox image by bring toy soldiers to life. It is a very lighthearted fashion image but it amplifies the horror of the image. The soldiers are behaving very childishly and just flinging the bombs around them and hitting the city behind them.  Also there backs are turned as if they don't care and don't want to see they destruction. They also have little tanks around them which give the impression that war is a game to them. The place where it is set look resent could be Afghanistan and it looks like American soldiers. This could potentially be a very controversial image , but communicates the artist point clearly, war is like a game to them and they don't really care where they attack.



The second image is from Private eye magazine and is a sketch. There is a caption under the image of  Noah's ark which says "so what exactly are we -refugees or migrants?" This sketch is a response to to current refugee crisis and the ongoing debate over weather they referee or migrants. The refugees are compare to animals in this image, and have been before this when David Cameron referred to the refugees as a "swarm", bad choice of words. These people are crammed into boats because they are desperate to leave there country and then they arrive in other country's that are desperate to get rid of them , I think that is a prime example of a current social issues we have, that need to change.

Task 1 image analysis exercise.

500 Words.

The uncle sam range- image by Schumacher and Ettlinger, new york.

(Before) - image by Adrian Allinson. 

(After) - image by Adrian Allinson.

Both of these images tend to centre on very similar aspects. Firstly Cultural, they are about cultural superiority. The white races are viewed as the superior beings and the black races are viewed are the lesser man. For example in the first image “The Uncle Sam Range” advert for range stoves, is aimed at the higher-class male, and the purpose is to advertise “The Uncle Sam Range”(1876) . It shows white upper class Americans sitting around a table discussing business, with their wall, carpets and clothing covered in the American flag, and symbols of American independence around the room for example the declaration of independence hangs on the wall. They are nationalists very proud of there country, grand, powerful people. This is show in the font is large shine and gold which also demonstrates wealth. 

The image is composed so that they are the centre of it, but in the left hand corner the is a small black child, a slave, who is almost hidden away and he is doing all of the cooking in which these people are about to eat. The second image is like a before and after snap shot aimed at white British people, and its purpose to show technology brought over prosperity (1930). However it is only in the after picture that you see the effect of racism occur again. You have a tall, proud, strong white man smoking his pipe surveying all of the black slaves, who are again doing all of the work, and yet they stay hidden heads down and they look oppressed.

The social similarities within the images are that all the white men have the power and the women are absent. In the first image the woman is serving the people at the table, she is a housewife who would care about family values. The second image in the before shot the women are featured in but in the after shot they are completely absent. This would have probably fitted with the social views at the time.

Technology in these images is viewed as progress, making everyone civilised. The white uppers class Americans are almost saying look we have this stove, you should have one too, so you can be a civilised as us. And the after shot in second image is showing the effect negative effect that technology has had on the positive culture and identify the east African people had and it was destroyed. It is not bring prosperity to them only to the white British.  

Politically, each person in the image is attempting to enhance or build an empire. ‘Uncle Sam’ is enchasing the stereotypical American nationalist. Celebrating their independence, thinking America is the better country and a mockery is being made about other countries in the bill/menu the world is reading.  The second image is showing the building of an empire but it is all created by the exploitation of the slave trade. They are both propaganda images, they cover up the racism with ideals of white supremacy. This also links to the historical aspects of the image. In the time periods in which all the images where produce, it was eathier during and just after the slave trade was abolished.           

Preparatory task.

Culture: Definition- relating to the idea, customs, and social behaviour of society. 

Quote" I happend to have recounted Boris Jonson recently and I said to him ; If you don't get affordable housing into place, they become a curtal desert. Rich people on the whole don't create culture"- Grayson perry.

Grayson perry.

(unknown).

Preparatory task.

Social Definition: Relating to it's organisations or relating to ranks or status in society. 

Quote-"We are here , not because we are law-breakers; we are here in our efforts to become law makers." - Emmeline Pankhurst -http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

(google images, unknown)

(google images, unknown)

Preparatory task.

Historical: Definition- Of or relating to history, concerned with past events. Belonging to the past. 

Quote- "It's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."-  Neil Armstrong.-empoweryouknowledgeandhapptriria.wordpress.com

-  Anne Frank.










 


- Martin Brown( Horrible histories.)

Preparatory task.

Political definition: Of or relating to the government or public affairs of a country. Of relating to, or dealing with the structure of affairs of government , politics or the state. - http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

Quote-"One is left with the horrible feeling now that war settles nothing, that to win a was is as disastours as to loose one"- Agatha Christie autobiography (1977).

- Private Eye.

- Martin Brown - horrible histories.

Preparatory task

Technological: definition- relating to of using technology. 

. Quote- "Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works."  Steve Jobs- www.cheatsheet.com.

-Private Eye.

-http://doublemesh.com

Preparatory task.

Group work:  we made a list of ideas about what we thought each word political, social, cultural, historical, technological meant.

Orientation Week- artist- Nate Williams

   Nate Williams 
Context:

• Gig poster.
• Aimed at young adults
• Could have been displayed on walls , street advertising posts and handed out as flyers.  

Content/Idea:

• Exciting and playful feel to the poster.
• Energetic, there is lots going on , fun text, bright viberent colours mixed with the unusual character makes it very interesting and appealing to the target audience .
•  Pattern is used within the shapes too add extra details and to emphasizes the theme of the poster.    
• Unusual ideas, an alien playing a guitar whilst rideing a radio space horse, brilliant!Also abstract shapes,e.g. the stars, the squiggly solid lines and the box planet, which are supposed to represent outer-space.
• It is obvious what the poster is advertising because to the guitar playing alien, the radio horse and the music notes which are placed around the main focal point of the image.  

Image:

• Print based work, but varied techniques of print, looks to be a mixer and screen and lino.
• Varied detailed line work, there is a slight mathematical approach to the lines, grids and shapes. 
• Bright colors yet a limited colour, green ,red , black and white. Very simple and effective, compliments the line work.
• The composition  allows every element of the image to be seen clearly.
• The image as a hole communicates well to the audience in an exciting , fun and clear way.