Deb Satterfield's daughter is selling the cookies for her troop. Payment is due at time of delivery... which is immediate! She has them in stock. They will be at the College of Design, and I can arrange a time to meet with you.
All cookies are $3.50 per box
Monday, January 16, 2012
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Barthes "Rhetoric of the Image"
My last blog post mentioned Roland Barthes' 1977 article, "Rhetoric of the Image." I wanted to give you the lowdown on his main ideas that are still extremely relevant today. I would argue they are even more relevant with our digital revolution and designers creating many different types of advertising.
Barthes' argument surrounds how meaning gets into images, particularly in advertising. For his argument, he analyzes the messages that an ad may contain and looks at a specific example of a Panzani ad. Advertising images are intentional. He states that the signifieds of the message must be communicated clearly and often they are expressed emphatically. In his analysis, he separates the linguistic message into denotational and connotational and further separates it from the image altogether. Hence, he presents three messages for the analyzed ad; the linguistic message, a coded iconic message and a non-coded iconic message.
Barthes did a fantastic job of breaking down the Panzani ad into its separate meanings. I never thought that an image could be deconstructed into so many varied meanings and messages. The title of the article is perfectly matched to the content of the article. Rhetoric is a term that I continually struggle with to fully understand its meaning. However, the way Barthes uses it, makes the concept make sense in how advertising images are rhetoric. He has inspired me to deconstruct my own design work (particularly ads) and the work of others.
Barthes' argument surrounds how meaning gets into images, particularly in advertising. For his argument, he analyzes the messages that an ad may contain and looks at a specific example of a Panzani ad. Advertising images are intentional. He states that the signifieds of the message must be communicated clearly and often they are expressed emphatically. In his analysis, he separates the linguistic message into denotational and connotational and further separates it from the image altogether. Hence, he presents three messages for the analyzed ad; the linguistic message, a coded iconic message and a non-coded iconic message.
Image retrieved from http://teaching.zachwhalen.net/comics/content/panzani-ad
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Wired Magazine's Design Boost and Graffiti Art Cover
Wired Magazine has acquired a new design, replete with graffiti art by Pilgrim on the cover. The cover design to the January 2012 issue is quite a departure from the other mags on the rack. The use of negative space is quite nicely balanced to create overall unity. However, the ads inside the magazine really create an oxymoron to the #riot ideology. Between the full page ads for luxury cars, liquor, designer watches and computers, is a poignant article about social media propelling recent political riots. If I buy a bottle of The Glenlivet and a Range Rover, would I be contributing to the hashtag riots? There's several connotated meanings here between the ads. Just as my old pal Roland Barthes covered in his article "Rhetoric of the Image." What are these ads really saying?
Friday, December 9, 2011
Two Articles on Culture Jamming
Image retrieved from Adbusters
Article 1
Jennifer Sandlin and Jennifer Milam, “Mixing Pop (Culture) and Politics: Cultural Resistance, Culture Jamming, and Anti-Consumption Activism as Critical Public Pedagogy”
Summary:// Sandlin and Milam analyze how and why culture jamming activists enact what they call critical public pedagogy. Although they borrow the concept of critical pedagogy from Ellsworth, they apply it specifically to culture jamming. They study two examples of jammers, Adbusters and Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping, as means of resistingconsumerism. They argue that culture jamming operates as critical public pedagogy, by (1) fostering participatory, resistant cultural production; (2) engaging learners corporeally; (3) creates a (poetic) community politic; and (4) opens transitional spaces through détournement.
Article 2
Summary:// Andrews presents his article to focus on the modern, radical “protest puppetry” that began in North America as a form of dissent to end the Vietnam war as introduced by the Bread & Puppet Theater. He explains that protest puppetry is any kind of puppet theater that makes fun of authority. He also explains what a puppetista is and a puppeteer. A puppetista is an artist-activist, while a puppeteer is not necessarily an activist; both make puppets.
Summary:// Sandlin and Milam analyze how and why culture jamming activists enact what they call critical public pedagogy. Although they borrow the concept of critical pedagogy from Ellsworth, they apply it specifically to culture jamming. They study two examples of jammers, Adbusters and Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping, as means of resistingconsumerism. They argue that culture jamming operates as critical public pedagogy, by (1) fostering participatory, resistant cultural production; (2) engaging learners corporeally; (3) creates a (poetic) community politic; and (4) opens transitional spaces through détournement.
Image retrieved from http://www.revbilly.com/
Article 2
Morgan Andrews, “When Magic Confronts Authority: The Rise of Protest Puppetry in N. America.”
Summary:// Andrews presents his article to focus on the modern, radical “protest puppetry” that began in North America as a form of dissent to end the Vietnam war as introduced by the Bread & Puppet Theater. He explains that protest puppetry is any kind of puppet theater that makes fun of authority. He also explains what a puppetista is and a puppeteer. A puppetista is an artist-activist, while a puppeteer is not necessarily an activist; both make puppets.
Image retrieved from http://www.puppetista.org/performances.html
Image retrieved from http://www.puppetista.org/performances.html
Reflection:// The Jennifers present a good analysis of culture jamming through the work of Adbusters and Reverend Billy. I have been a long-time reader/viewer of Adbusters and appreciate its stance on subverting mainstream ads and the corporations behind them. Since much of its content is derived from its readers, often it seems obscure and sometimes I just don’t get the point of a particular piece. Other times, the copy and images are right on and I understand at least to a certain extent. The Media has portrayed the protesters as trouble-makers and not having a stated purpose. Andrews talks about the Media portrayal of the puppetistas protest of the RNC. A Fox News reporter accused those protesters of not having a clear message either.
Reflection:// The Jennifers present a good analysis of culture jamming through the work of Adbusters and Reverend Billy. I have been a long-time reader/viewer of Adbusters and appreciate its stance on subverting mainstream ads and the corporations behind them. Since much of its content is derived from its readers, often it seems obscure and sometimes I just don’t get the point of a particular piece. Other times, the copy and images are right on and I understand at least to a certain extent. The Media has portrayed the protesters as trouble-makers and not having a stated purpose. Andrews talks about the Media portrayal of the puppetistas protest of the RNC. A Fox News reporter accused those protesters of not having a clear message either.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Margaret Olin, “The Gaze” (2003)
Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walker_Evans
Evans's photo of Allie Mae Burroughs, a symbol of the Great Depression
Olin presents different theories of the gaze by Mulvey, Fried, Freud, Sartre and Lacan. She discusses power in the gaze in relation to these theories, such as Freud’s castration anxiety and scopophilia. She also defines “gaze” as useful for uniting formal and social theory. As a concrete example of this definition, Olin presents us with a photograph of “Sharecropper’s Wife” by Walker Evans in which she discusses the need for someone to gaze and the possibility of someone to gaze back. This, as well as the theories she presents, has to do with the consequence of looking.
When I flipped through this article the first time, I was struck by the photograph of the woman. She looks so unhappy, hardened by years on the farm. I knew that she was a farmer of some sort, but then I looked at the title and realized that she farmed someone else’s land. She was named in relation to her husband in this title, perhaps as a statement of the under appreciation of women or more likely, just the praise of ordinary men who are not famous.
Olin presents different theories of the gaze by Mulvey, Fried, Freud, Sartre and Lacan. She discusses power in the gaze in relation to these theories, such as Freud’s castration anxiety and scopophilia. She also defines “gaze” as useful for uniting formal and social theory. As a concrete example of this definition, Olin presents us with a photograph of “Sharecropper’s Wife” by Walker Evans in which she discusses the need for someone to gaze and the possibility of someone to gaze back. This, as well as the theories she presents, has to do with the consequence of looking.
When I flipped through this article the first time, I was struck by the photograph of the woman. She looks so unhappy, hardened by years on the farm. I knew that she was a farmer of some sort, but then I looked at the title and realized that she farmed someone else’s land. She was named in relation to her husband in this title, perhaps as a statement of the under appreciation of women or more likely, just the praise of ordinary men who are not famous.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Michel Foucault, “Panopticism” (1977)
Image retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panopticon
Panopticon blueprint by Jeremy Bentham, 1791
Foucault presents a social theory surrounding Bentham’s Panopticon building with spatial unities that create an environment for those in power to see their subjects. However, their subjects cannot see those in power at any time, and do not know when they are being gazed at. The not knowing when one is being looked at would then result in the subjects self-monitoring themselves for behavioral change. Foucault’s idea of Panopticism is then an exercise of power in institutional settings.
Yikes! It is scary being watched and not knowing who is looking and when. Perhaps this was George W’s idea for the Patriot Act? It’s working George… we are a society in fear of being watched and heard and we don’t know who is doing the watching and listening. At first, I was puzzled as to why Foucault started with the plague and spent so much time on that first section. However, it was made clear when he finally got around to the Panopticon and I realized that he is very gifted in his prose.
Foucault presents a social theory surrounding Bentham’s Panopticon building with spatial unities that create an environment for those in power to see their subjects. However, their subjects cannot see those in power at any time, and do not know when they are being gazed at. The not knowing when one is being looked at would then result in the subjects self-monitoring themselves for behavioral change. Foucault’s idea of Panopticism is then an exercise of power in institutional settings.
Yikes! It is scary being watched and not knowing who is looking and when. Perhaps this was George W’s idea for the Patriot Act? It’s working George… we are a society in fear of being watched and heard and we don’t know who is doing the watching and listening. At first, I was puzzled as to why Foucault started with the plague and spent so much time on that first section. However, it was made clear when he finally got around to the Panopticon and I realized that he is very gifted in his prose.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Naomi Wolf, “The Beauty Myth” (1991)
Wolf argues that the “beauty myth” uses images of female beauty as a political weapon against women’s advancement; a backlash against feminism. This myth is used to force male domination by sidetracking women into seeing themselves in competition with other women for beauty. While the first wave feminists combated domesticity, and earned rights, Wolf presents a binary system for every victory won.
Amen, sister! I have read other works by Wolf and really enjoy her writing style as well as the content. She so eloquently frames her argument in presenting the binary cause and effects of feminism. When she mentioned that the economy is supported and substantiated by women being paid less, my mouth dropped. I had never considered this angle to the inequality in pay.
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