OUGD501 - Lecture.
The Gaze and the media.
'According to usage and conventions which are at last being questioned but by have'
Hans memling
Blames the woman for the display of her body, because she holds a mirror because she is therefore looking at herself, it is okay for us or others to look at her. The hammer of witches, allows people to prosecute woman as witches, any of those outside the norm. If you drowned you were innocent, if you floated you were guilty.
Fashion magazine.
The device of the mirror appears in contemporary fashion images, we cannot see her eyes or reflection in the mirror. She is pre-occupied by looking at herself, this gives us permission as the viewers to gaze at her too. A moment of spying upon her.
Birth of venus.
The woman in this image is partially covering her eyes, per or post sleep, we are left to regard the named body uninterrupted. We are invited by the artist, but the woman also does not stop us.
Sophie Dahl for opium.
This version of the advert was deemed too sexual for publishing, felt that it was too sexual and wouldnt pass the advertising standard. The advert was then turbed on its side, the advert now had more emphasis on the face rather than the body.
Titan's venus urbino. (1538)
Women looks out of the side of her eyes, a flirty invitation, we are then made to feel we are spying on her. The curtain dictates a personal space. Left hand covering herself modestly or a sexual gesture?
MANET olympia (1863)
- A modern nude.
An example of the slight differences of pose. Similar body position, There is a difference in the woman's gaze. Here there is a challenge to the gaze. Hand position is definite, stopping the viewer from viewing this part of her body. The woman is actually a prostitute, rather than being a mythological figure, she is a modern nude and she has the symbols of wealth, jewellery and a servant. Money is celebrated with this powerful female figure vs mythological woman.
Ingnes 'Le grand Odalisque' (1814)
The gorilla girls took the image and made it into a poster which they put on buses.
Less than 5% of modern artists are woman.
85% of the nudes are female.
MANET Bar at the folies bergeres (1882)
Makes painting as a self portrait. skeud perspective, mirror reflects her back but not as it should do in feel life. Reflected in the mirror behind her is the Paris society, which she is not a part of, from this we are able to depict the tradgedy of the photo, it also highlughts the superficiality of the Parisian culture.
Jeff wall 'Picture for women'
Same position as the previous painting, the image is complex. There is a mirrored wall behind her where he is reflected, image is divided into thirds, camera represents Manet, photographer is separated from female figure. Refers to the use of Manet's painting.
Coward. R. 1984.
The camera in contemporary media has been out to use as an extension of the male gaze at the women on the street.
Model is wearing sunglasses which means that the gaze cannot be returned, we are able to gaze at her without feeling we are being looked back at.
Eva Herzigova (1994)
Looking down at the people below, we are able to survey her without her knowing.
'Peeping tom' (1960)
The problem with objectification of the body results in the ditatchment of who women really are, real women.
The profusion of images which characterises contemporary society could be seen as obsessive distancing of women. A form of voyeurism.
The female body is not the only who is objectified.
He is 'sleeping' we are able to look at the image.
The problem is the volume of images.
In what frequency is objectification evident in ads.
Although male objectification has been increased it is no way balanced.
however this balance does no reflect the POWER balance.
Dolce and Gabbana. (2007)
all our gazes are returned, we are no passive.
Laura Mulberry.
Studies spectatorship in Hollywood cinema.
Looks at the way bodies are chopped up by the camera, framing where if there is a sexual scene, what parts of the body are in close up. Making the body partial removes us from the actress, the females in the films are never the driver os the story, they are reacting passively to the male characters.
In the cinema, one may look without being seen, by those on screen and those in the audience. Facilitate the voyueristic process of objectification of female characters and the identification if the ideal ego on screen.
Women are active and aggressive. Reposition the role of women in art history. The idea of the artist as a genius is always given to a male figure. Making their voices visible. Women are marginalised within masculine discourses of art history.' Women are supposed to be marginalised.
Cindy Sherman (1977-79) Untitled film still #6
Work challenges the gaze.
Image is turned upright so that there is more of a focus on the face.
Holding a mirror, rathern than looking at herself. We are denied the narritive that allows us to look at her without her looking back. There is something staged and awkward looking about the image.
Barbara Kruger (1981) Your gaze hits the side of my face.
Newspaper impression, reference to some sort of violent connotation, of objectifying women by looking at them.
Sarah Lucas 'Eating a bannana'
Pictures herself eating a banana. Humourous work with a strong message, returning the male gaze.
Self portrait with fried eyes - describes women with flat chests. No way that we are allowed to look at her without feeling challenged.
Tracey Emin 'Money photo' 2001.
Work couldnt be real or genuine because she was making so much money out of it, seen as prostitution.
In 2013 we still have page 3, a naked picture in a national newspaper for anybody to see. Caroline Lucas MP in june 2013. Was asked to remove her tshirt, draws attention to the ludicrous acts. The sun itself was availible in palimentry houses. (No more page 3)
It does strike me as irony ans the t shirt is not allowed to be worn, however the newspaper is availiable in different locations of the westminster estate.
Criado-Perez.
Re-instate female figures on bank notes. removing women from history, if they are going to be replaced, replace them with powerful women.
Argued that the equality act 2010 commits public institutions to end discrimination.
recieved up to 50 rape and death threats a day on her twitter account. She was forced to delete her account. There is now a report abuse button.
Lucy Ann-Homes - fought a campaign to get rid of page three, and also received death threats.
Murray ends 77-year wait for British win, Ignores that 30 years ago Virginia won the British title.
Social networking is used ti perpetuate the male gaze.
Susan Sontag.
To photograph something, you are able to have some possesion of something. Like sexual voyuerism, it encourages what is going on to keep on happening.
Paparazzi shot of princess Diana. People desire these images, to see the mask of the celebrity lifted, to see them as ordinary people.
Reality television.
- Big brother appear to offer us a position of power, we see everything and have the descision on who goes and who stays.
There is no active role for the viewer.
contestants are aware of their representation.
The truman show (1988)
Who life is a reality television set. He discovers his world is a sham and everything around him is a staged event.
Big brother offers equality, both men and women but makes voyeurism an everyday activity, they cannot see us, but we can see them.
'Looking is not indifferent. There can never be any question of 'just looking'. Victor Burgin (1982)
Thursday, 31 October 2013
Monday, 28 October 2013
OUGD501: Context of practice - Seminar 3
Context of practice.
Seminar 3 - Identity.
Main points from the lecture:
- Psuedo science, identity is based on physical characteristics you are born with it and cannot escape it, It is your biological make up, this is a trait of essentialism. Eg. If you are born back you are less intelligent.
Identity and 'the other' in visual representation.
- Creation of identities
- Concepts of 'otherness'
- Analysis of visual example.
Identity: Who we are and how others perceive who we are.
What makes you, YOU? (Individual subjectivities - our sense of self)
Discuss in small groups:
- Interests and hobbies.
- Your job/ course you study.
- Being a student/ non student.
- Morals (What you believe in).
- People you surround yourself with (family, friends, peers).
- Nationality and regional. (Where you are from). ENVIRONMENT.
- Appearance, how you decide to dress.
- If you have money, and If so, how you deal with your money. (Spend or save).
- Marital status (Society sees people differently, divorce, widowed, single etc)
- Era you were born in.
- Diet. (Alters the way you look, overeat, under eat, affective of health.)
Peoples diets are commodified (M&S) Finer foods are bought as symbols of identity.
Affects us physically and socially, we have a better outlook on life, once we have had a good meal etc. We are sometimes grumpy when hungry.
Dialectic (Both physical and social effects)
- Education.
How do you express your identity?
- Social media.
- How you dress/ look.
- Music you listen to.
- Places you choose to go to hang out.
- The brands you choose to buy (food, clothes, items)
- Possessions fashion. Particularly in urban environments where people are more anonymous. Used as a barrier to stop people knowing exactly who you are. An 'artificial' performance of identity.
However people from a more wealthy background may se it as the 'norm' to wear these brands.
Social interactions - How you treat others.
Mannerisms - presenting yourself differently to people ( friends as a contrast to your boss)
- Interests and hobbies.
- Whom you associate yourself with.
Our subjectivities are given to us through our wider society, but also our self creation of who we choose to be.
Seminar 3 - Identity.
Main points from the lecture:
- Psuedo science, identity is based on physical characteristics you are born with it and cannot escape it, It is your biological make up, this is a trait of essentialism. Eg. If you are born back you are less intelligent.
Identity and 'the other' in visual representation.
- Creation of identities
- Concepts of 'otherness'
- Analysis of visual example.
Identity: Who we are and how others perceive who we are.
What makes you, YOU? (Individual subjectivities - our sense of self)
Discuss in small groups:
- Interests and hobbies.
- Your job/ course you study.
- Being a student/ non student.
- Morals (What you believe in).
- People you surround yourself with (family, friends, peers).
- Nationality and regional. (Where you are from). ENVIRONMENT.
- Appearance, how you decide to dress.
- If you have money, and If so, how you deal with your money. (Spend or save).
- Marital status (Society sees people differently, divorce, widowed, single etc)
- Era you were born in.
- Diet. (Alters the way you look, overeat, under eat, affective of health.)
Peoples diets are commodified (M&S) Finer foods are bought as symbols of identity.
Affects us physically and socially, we have a better outlook on life, once we have had a good meal etc. We are sometimes grumpy when hungry.
Dialectic (Both physical and social effects)
- Education.
How do you express your identity?
- Social media.
- How you dress/ look.
- Music you listen to.
- Places you choose to go to hang out.
- The brands you choose to buy (food, clothes, items)
- Possessions fashion. Particularly in urban environments where people are more anonymous. Used as a barrier to stop people knowing exactly who you are. An 'artificial' performance of identity.
However people from a more wealthy background may se it as the 'norm' to wear these brands.
Social interactions - How you treat others.
Mannerisms - presenting yourself differently to people ( friends as a contrast to your boss)
- Interests and hobbies.
- Whom you associate yourself with.
Our subjectivities are given to us through our wider society, but also our self creation of who we choose to be.
Stuart Hall.
Our identity is not something innate, there may be innate factors that go towards our subjectivities. These 5 categories equally decipher our selves.
- Laws that limit how we exist, suppressed by legality, society limits our desires by a certain extent.
- What we buy, the way we act, our affections, our mannerisms.
- What you do in society, what you do for a job. The role that you have is ultimately part of your identity through choice or not.
The things that you buy are related to your role, for instance if you are a business man you are expected to but your house certain things. From a welfare point of view you have the funds to purchase what others do not etc.
It is not enough to describe our identities as something that we just express, or about our jobs or what we own, because it is all of these things in a complex multi determining shift and cycle. All 5 of these elements to our make up, combine to create the ultimate you.
Jacques LACAN.
- Working after Freud as a physcoanalyst.
- Worked after Freud.
- Came up with the otherness.
- Came up with the idea that when you are born you do not understand and do not have any comprehension that you are distinct or separate from your mother, through breast feeding etc you are semiotically linked. When you are born you are a 'hommelette' a scrambled mix of parts you don't understand. They do not understand the separation of themselves from anything else in the world.
In the mirror stage 6-18 months, first stages of identity, a baby looking at itself in the mirror and seeing for the first time externally a sense of itself as a cohesive being in the world. First sense of being an individual. Particularly occurs through things like giving out signals and noticing these things have a response. Crying and helping, hungry and food.
We gain a sense of who we are through the actions/ response of the outside world to the things that we do, this is how we know ourselves to be independent individual and isolated.
After 18 months a lot of our sense of identity is secured.
Not who we would like to be or who we think we are, it is formed by the reception of others.
But this sense of our own identity is fragile. It is illusionary, We believe we are a powerful unit making changes in the world, however this is not true because babies cannot live without others help.
All of our identity masquerades, link back to our mirror phase, we are individual and when we act the world responds.
All the rest of our actions (dress, act, strive for status - popularity) same process, trying to strive for stability and identity. Never one moment when we are entirely happy because we never have that stable identity.
In the mirror phase in order to secure our identity we have to measure our selves as subjects against objects, against what we are not, involves taking other people and simplifying what they are (I am black because I am not white, I am a man because I am not a woman) Taking a limited reading of what others are to reaffirm to ourselves what we are as individuals. Securing our sense of self.
EXAMPLES OF OTHERING:
- Brands: Not about buying a gucci watch to be part of that affluent world, having a gucci watch to know you are not one of the council estate underclass.
- Accent: If you have renounced pronunciation, you are saying you are part of an educating cast, not part of the general working class who communicate with slang. By trying to be this way, we are trying to seem more secure, assuming we are better.
In the lynx advert:
Not just about buying something to smell nice. More complex, stereotyping, pushing another sense of society away. Buy using this deodorant you attract lots of women and are therefore more masculine, if not you are like the 'others' who are less masculine.
Whole societies depend on this. On a social level, shoring up unstable identities through the illusion of unity. We have to invent new cases of othering to constantly feel stable.
A problem of the other, at least we are not like this, and we do not have these problems, we live rightly and live in a stable world. Looking away from the problem, we are distanced from people and these issues. Article about aids next to advert about a boots advantage card in a magazine.
Next weeks task:
Analyse one image from the media, newspaper story or advert, popular music press, or sub culture. For the audience of that image, secure an identity, by othering people. What the images promise you in terms of solidifying a sense of self, by reducing the other.
Thursday, 24 October 2013
OUGD502 Context of practice - Identity lecture.
Context of practice.
Identity lecture.
Essentialism (traditional approach) draws on the idea that you have an inner essence, a biological make up that cannot be changed.
Physionogomy.
The closer you are to the vertical, the closer you are to the perfect race, the more intelligent you are, as you move away towards a diagonal line you are seen as unintelligent.
Phrenology.
18 th century - In a balanced human being you have equal parts of the brain broken down to represent 'society's good character'. If your animal instincts are larger, you are looked down upon by society.
Historical phases of identity.
Pre modern
- Personal identity is stable, desfined by long standing roles.
Institutions defined identity - church, monarchies etc.
Farm workers, soldier, factory worker, housewife and gemtleman, husband and wife. Tied to institutional agencys, industrial capatilism, the state, the church.
Modern
- People begin to have anxiety about who they are, and the idea that you can start choosing who you are.
Charles Baudelaire - The painter of modern life (1863)
Introduces the gentleman stroller, they are seeing and being seen, he has time on his hands, doesn't have to go to work, this is how his identity is formed.
Veblen - Conspicuous consumption of valuable goods is a means of reputability to the gentleman of leisure. Consuming things that can be seen by others. Showing off wealth, in terms of visible objects. If you can show off in what you're wearing, you do not need to go to work.
Thorstein Veblen - The theory of leisure.
Emulation - The lower class aspires to be the upperclass, invention of cheap knock offs, and so the upperclass constantly change what they are wearing. Relevant today in the idea that new things always come around, Thinks are built in...
The mask - People hide behind what they wear.
'The feeling of isolation is rarely as decisive and intense when one actually finds oneself physically alone, as one is a stranger without relations...
demonstrates the anxiety we feel when separated in society by what we own/wear, so much so that we feel more alone when surrounded by people than we do when we are alone.
Post Modern
- You can change at will who you want to be.
Discourse analysis.
Cavallaro quote on discourse.
- Age
- Class
- Gender
- Nationality
- Income
- Education
- Race
Class
Nationaity
Race/ Ethnicity
Gender and sexuality.
To be non white european, middle class, and hetro sexual you are cast out.
others of this are deemed the 'Otherness'.
Zygmunt Bauman.
quote on identity.
Introspection - when you find yourself alone, instead of collecting their thoughts, scan their mobile phone etc, in case someone out there may want them.
I think therefore I am/ I shop therefore I am.
Barabra Kruger - Buy me, i'll change your life.
In the past on sundays family would have gone to church. The family trip to the shopping mall is the of incarnation.
Identity lecture.
Essentialism (traditional approach) draws on the idea that you have an inner essence, a biological make up that cannot be changed.
Physionogomy.
The closer you are to the vertical, the closer you are to the perfect race, the more intelligent you are, as you move away towards a diagonal line you are seen as unintelligent.
Phrenology.
18 th century - In a balanced human being you have equal parts of the brain broken down to represent 'society's good character'. If your animal instincts are larger, you are looked down upon by society.
Historical phases of identity.
Pre modern
- Personal identity is stable, desfined by long standing roles.
Institutions defined identity - church, monarchies etc.
Farm workers, soldier, factory worker, housewife and gemtleman, husband and wife. Tied to institutional agencys, industrial capatilism, the state, the church.
Modern
- People begin to have anxiety about who they are, and the idea that you can start choosing who you are.
Charles Baudelaire - The painter of modern life (1863)
Introduces the gentleman stroller, they are seeing and being seen, he has time on his hands, doesn't have to go to work, this is how his identity is formed.
Veblen - Conspicuous consumption of valuable goods is a means of reputability to the gentleman of leisure. Consuming things that can be seen by others. Showing off wealth, in terms of visible objects. If you can show off in what you're wearing, you do not need to go to work.
Thorstein Veblen - The theory of leisure.
Emulation - The lower class aspires to be the upperclass, invention of cheap knock offs, and so the upperclass constantly change what they are wearing. Relevant today in the idea that new things always come around, Thinks are built in...
The mask - People hide behind what they wear.
'The feeling of isolation is rarely as decisive and intense when one actually finds oneself physically alone, as one is a stranger without relations...
demonstrates the anxiety we feel when separated in society by what we own/wear, so much so that we feel more alone when surrounded by people than we do when we are alone.
Post Modern
- You can change at will who you want to be.
Discourse analysis.
Cavallaro quote on discourse.
- Age
- Class
- Gender
- Nationality
- Income
- Education
- Race
Class
Nationaity
Race/ Ethnicity
Gender and sexuality.
To be non white european, middle class, and hetro sexual you are cast out.
others of this are deemed the 'Otherness'.
Zygmunt Bauman.
quote on identity.
Introspection - when you find yourself alone, instead of collecting their thoughts, scan their mobile phone etc, in case someone out there may want them.
I think therefore I am/ I shop therefore I am.
Barabra Kruger - Buy me, i'll change your life.
In the past on sundays family would have gone to church. The family trip to the shopping mall is the of incarnation.
Monday, 21 October 2013
OUGD501: Consumerism seminar.
MONDAY 20/10/2013.
CONSUMERISM SEMINAR.
A recap of the lecture:
- Desire, False need for commodities.
- Manufacturing a desire.
- Social control / freedom.
- Stratification / Inequality.
People think that they are free and happy, because they can afford certain things with their finances, such things give them the illusion of power. Therefore they think they are free.
Consumerism acts as a palliative - acts as a sedation or a drug.
The rise of mass production meant an increase of the amount of things in the world.
Advertising and branding grew out of this, Branding a product created false needs and tempted those who felt they need to be free.
Freud - Argued that humans are irrational beings and that we have instinctual urges, animal like and one of the most destructive species on the whole planet. A civil society is incompatible with our base desires, we can not all be happy because we cannot act out all our instincts.
Bernays - Father of public relations, linking products - brands, celebrities and politicians to our instinctual desires. Employed to orchestrate these ideologies on a mass system, employed to destabilise socialist countries.
By necesity to exist, we have to desire comodoties, the wealth of our capatilist society we are made to purchase/make things.
As a bi-product we are given the illusion we have the free choice, this is however within a system of options, made to look like infinite options. It pacifies us momentarily. Our desires have been met and it makes us, for a small time, docile. - The pleasure principle.
From what has been discussed in the lecture and adjoining seminar, critically analyse a piece of advertising. Discuss how the advert reflects the mental and physical conditions of consumerism. Reference John Berger for evidential support.
The piece of Advertising i have chosen to work with is from the Oxfam Charity.
Charity appeals, particularly those in the western quarter of the earth have realised and addressed the consumers need to expend, factoring this into an array of new bids for the cause in which they epitomise. The oxfam advert 'Reinvent your shopping' is the quintessential representation of just this. At first glance of the advert we can see that there is no reference to the context of the charity, we are not informed of what the money we spend goes towards, the ethos or the purpose of the charity. This is due to the materialisation that the contemporary culture are disconnected and therefore unconcerned with events in the world, 'all real events are exceptional and happen only to strangers.' (Bergers) For this reason, advertisers see no necessity in adding this information, and instead use the space in these advertisements to react to the consumers compulsions.
Within this appeal Oxfam have offered an easy way out, without the audience having to take even a small stride out of their comfort zone. More so, instead of only imposing that they pay a small fee per month, investors are offered the opportunity to receive some exclusive items which they believe will improve their lives. It gives solution to the audiences fabricated needs to continually consume more. The audience have no perception that the Oxfam advert is in use to raise money for paramount issues such as lack of food, water, health and education. These issues are concealed by something of more interest to the participator, and so they advance in life, knowing not of these important issues, but filled with the warm feeling and docile mind that they have helped themselves in helping someone else. 'The act of acquiring has taken the place of all other actions, the sense of having has obliterated all other senses.'
One does not walk away feeling shame for a purchase they that have made for what it 'proposes will make us in some way richer - even though we will be poorer by having spent our money' (Bergers) However the advert does try to put a bandage over this concept by ensuring the audience that the range of products are the 'Great value you've been looking for', thus encouraging them to spend more and reassuring them that this is what they need, linking meaningless products to their repressed instincts as proved by Edmund Bernays. Ergo people feel they are able, through the acquirement of a material item, able to bridge the gap between what is being offered and the future it offers to what they will become.
It is because of these adverts that the consumer self is very much alive today. That humanity will always be unsatisfied with their current lives, as they continue to strive to feel fulfilled and proficient and they have been taught that in order to succeed at this, they must continually consume without fail as, 'The power to spend money is the power to live.' (Bergers)
CONSUMERISM SEMINAR.
A recap of the lecture:
- Desire, False need for commodities.
- Manufacturing a desire.
- Social control / freedom.
- Stratification / Inequality.
People think that they are free and happy, because they can afford certain things with their finances, such things give them the illusion of power. Therefore they think they are free.
Consumerism acts as a palliative - acts as a sedation or a drug.
The rise of mass production meant an increase of the amount of things in the world.
Advertising and branding grew out of this, Branding a product created false needs and tempted those who felt they need to be free.
Freud - Argued that humans are irrational beings and that we have instinctual urges, animal like and one of the most destructive species on the whole planet. A civil society is incompatible with our base desires, we can not all be happy because we cannot act out all our instincts.
Bernays - Father of public relations, linking products - brands, celebrities and politicians to our instinctual desires. Employed to orchestrate these ideologies on a mass system, employed to destabilise socialist countries.
By necesity to exist, we have to desire comodoties, the wealth of our capatilist society we are made to purchase/make things.
As a bi-product we are given the illusion we have the free choice, this is however within a system of options, made to look like infinite options. It pacifies us momentarily. Our desires have been met and it makes us, for a small time, docile. - The pleasure principle.
From what has been discussed in the lecture and adjoining seminar, critically analyse a piece of advertising. Discuss how the advert reflects the mental and physical conditions of consumerism. Reference John Berger for evidential support.
The piece of Advertising i have chosen to work with is from the Oxfam Charity.
We live our everyday lives thinking that we have total control, We are led to believe that we have complete power, we have choice, we live in belief that we are free. But, in fact life as we know it is a routine, one stimulated by the humans natural needs and desires. Advertisers can sense these cravings, and play upon them, associate them with products, repeating this proposition in a vicious cycle. Thence we fall victim of consumerist advertising as we are guided to accept that, what is advertised is the solution of our needs or problems. And for slight moments in time we are pacified, content and docile by our new purchases, this is adapted in Bergers essay 'If we can feed a bewildered herd the illusion that all their desires are satisfied what you have is a stable ordered easily controlled society.'
Charity appeals, particularly those in the western quarter of the earth have realised and addressed the consumers need to expend, factoring this into an array of new bids for the cause in which they epitomise. The oxfam advert 'Reinvent your shopping' is the quintessential representation of just this. At first glance of the advert we can see that there is no reference to the context of the charity, we are not informed of what the money we spend goes towards, the ethos or the purpose of the charity. This is due to the materialisation that the contemporary culture are disconnected and therefore unconcerned with events in the world, 'all real events are exceptional and happen only to strangers.' (Bergers) For this reason, advertisers see no necessity in adding this information, and instead use the space in these advertisements to react to the consumers compulsions.
Within this appeal Oxfam have offered an easy way out, without the audience having to take even a small stride out of their comfort zone. More so, instead of only imposing that they pay a small fee per month, investors are offered the opportunity to receive some exclusive items which they believe will improve their lives. It gives solution to the audiences fabricated needs to continually consume more. The audience have no perception that the Oxfam advert is in use to raise money for paramount issues such as lack of food, water, health and education. These issues are concealed by something of more interest to the participator, and so they advance in life, knowing not of these important issues, but filled with the warm feeling and docile mind that they have helped themselves in helping someone else. 'The act of acquiring has taken the place of all other actions, the sense of having has obliterated all other senses.'
The audience whom participate in what the advert is asking are compelled to do so through a calibre of linguistic triggers. To 'reinvent' is of the future tense, this particular verb is used as all advertisements are directed towards the future, adverts never reflect on the present life, thus 'For publicity the present is by definition insufficient.' Due to the foreseeing root of this term, society feel the need to attain the lifestyle which is being prescribed, convinced that their current lives are not fulfilled. Consequently what is being offered they feel must be the solution to secure an accomplished life. The advert also acknowledges a humans instinctive behavioural traits. We can see in the copywriting two phrases 'Be the first' and 'Before someone else', these particular phrases create the image in the audiences mind that whatever they acquire they will be envied by others, this enhances a persons native intuition to compete, when envied one feels superior to the others in which they are surrounded by, for some 'Being envied is a solitary form of reassurance.' (Bergers) To that end, the aim for many is not to form a community within their society but to separate themselves and almost be resented by others.
Further more they manipulate the consumers need to be coveted, through a list of lexis combinations such as 'big-name fashions' implying that, the items on sale are luxurious, thus better than the norm, and accordingly better than others possesions. 'Hand- crafted' also constitutes the notion that all pieces under this label will be individual and unique, and by this, unattainable by any other than those whom choose to purchase them. Much persuading the audience to make an investment as 'The state of being envied is what constitutes glamour.' (Bergers)
Further more they manipulate the consumers need to be coveted, through a list of lexis combinations such as 'big-name fashions' implying that, the items on sale are luxurious, thus better than the norm, and accordingly better than others possesions. 'Hand- crafted' also constitutes the notion that all pieces under this label will be individual and unique, and by this, unattainable by any other than those whom choose to purchase them. Much persuading the audience to make an investment as 'The state of being envied is what constitutes glamour.' (Bergers)
One does not walk away feeling shame for a purchase they that have made for what it 'proposes will make us in some way richer - even though we will be poorer by having spent our money' (Bergers) However the advert does try to put a bandage over this concept by ensuring the audience that the range of products are the 'Great value you've been looking for', thus encouraging them to spend more and reassuring them that this is what they need, linking meaningless products to their repressed instincts as proved by Edmund Bernays. Ergo people feel they are able, through the acquirement of a material item, able to bridge the gap between what is being offered and the future it offers to what they will become.
It is because of these adverts that the consumer self is very much alive today. That humanity will always be unsatisfied with their current lives, as they continue to strive to feel fulfilled and proficient and they have been taught that in order to succeed at this, they must continually consume without fail as, 'The power to spend money is the power to live.' (Bergers)
Sunday, 20 October 2013
OUGD501: COP2 - Communication theory task
Using the Shannon and Weaver mathematical model we learnt about last session, we were then to take a piece of visual design and apply it to the model.
The visual communication that I chose to compare to the model was some Branding done by design studio Analogue from Leeds for a bar called the 'Lockside lounge' in Camden. The brief for the job was to create a new logo, cocktail menu and stationary set, including business cards. The client wanted a set of designs that would reflect both the industrial. vs. nature theme.
I find that this brief, much like any of the briefs completed by Analogue has been very successful, It is clear that the designer has fully understood the wants of the client, and has brought a greatly considered piece of graphic design to the table. The designs reflect the wants of the client, through its presentation. The use of technical style illustrations usually employed to communicate between constructers/architects etc used throughout the menu, and the finishing effect of each promotional piece, which has been made to look like it has been naturally weathered by the elements, combine forcefully to echo the client's wants. These images are also seen in black and white, an interlinking reminder of the type of graphics seen within the era of industrial revolution, where machinery was heavily celebrated within magazines and newspapers.
The piece is quite easy to decode by its audience as it is not emphatically entropic, It is easy to translate that the work created for a bar, however it is not completely redundant in its design decisions. The 'Lockside' meaning, Water side - nearing a lock, may have quite nautical connotations however the designers have not followed a pronounced nautical motif. Its waterside roots are instead communicated through details such as old sailor style tattoo typography and the inclusion of sea birds. Therefore there are no obvious locations in when communication would fail between Information source, channel and destination.
The visual communication that I chose to compare to the model was some Branding done by design studio Analogue from Leeds for a bar called the 'Lockside lounge' in Camden. The brief for the job was to create a new logo, cocktail menu and stationary set, including business cards. The client wanted a set of designs that would reflect both the industrial. vs. nature theme.
I find that this brief, much like any of the briefs completed by Analogue has been very successful, It is clear that the designer has fully understood the wants of the client, and has brought a greatly considered piece of graphic design to the table. The designs reflect the wants of the client, through its presentation. The use of technical style illustrations usually employed to communicate between constructers/architects etc used throughout the menu, and the finishing effect of each promotional piece, which has been made to look like it has been naturally weathered by the elements, combine forcefully to echo the client's wants. These images are also seen in black and white, an interlinking reminder of the type of graphics seen within the era of industrial revolution, where machinery was heavily celebrated within magazines and newspapers.
The piece is quite easy to decode by its audience as it is not emphatically entropic, It is easy to translate that the work created for a bar, however it is not completely redundant in its design decisions. The 'Lockside' meaning, Water side - nearing a lock, may have quite nautical connotations however the designers have not followed a pronounced nautical motif. Its waterside roots are instead communicated through details such as old sailor style tattoo typography and the inclusion of sea birds. Therefore there are no obvious locations in when communication would fail between Information source, channel and destination.
Thursday, 17 October 2013
OUGD501: Lecture - Consummerism: persuasion, society, brand, culture.
Aims of the Lecture:
- Analyse the rise of US consumerism.
- Discuss links between consumerism and our unconscious desires.
- Look at work of Sigmund Freud.
- Edmund Bernays.
- Consumerism as social control - limits or liberates?
century of self (2002) - Adam Curtis
No logo (1999) - Naomi Klein.
Sigmund (1856-1939)
Father of psycho analysis. Theories were radical and shocking at the time. Argued that humans are rational and about co- operations.
- New theory of human nature.
- From our animal past we have repressed in us lots of supressed desires, which if not controlled can spur chaos. Wanted to access the mind to control this chaos.
- Animal instincts, violent and sexual forces.
- Society that stops us acting out on these fantasies.
Freuds model of personality system.
Most of our actions are driven by what is buried beneath.
ID - where all the primitive desires and instincts are held.
Civilisation and Its Discontents.
- Given these animal instincts and that fundamentally we are dangerous people - dangerous species.
Our desires are incoptible with that of a civil society.
We all have this strong desire for violence.
Society composes laws and systems to keep a harmonious world.
Humanity will always be unsatisfied.
- The pleasure principle.
If our desires are associated and we are made to feel like we can act out on these primitive desires in a socially acceptable way. once our desire for pleasure has been satisfied, we are docile and happy not irrational and content.
Fundamentally civilisation will make us discontent because we cannot satisfy all our desires.
Forst world war. Freud was depressed with world war.
It shouldnt be a suprise the the whole world is set out to destroy itself.
Epitomy of the realse of mass instinctual morbid desire on a grand scale.
Death and destruction.
Post the first world war society goes back to normality after the west has won the war, the west become preosperous and has a lot of money and so the west develops and becomes an affluent place.
Nephew of sigmund freud - Edmund Bernays
press agent for celbrities.
During the war he worked for the propaganda office, The council on public relations' PR.
Started in America.
Employed the princiles of his uncle Sigmund freud.
Every business can succeed if you can relate your product to one of these unassociated or any repressed unconcious instincts you can make people want or demand for the product.
1929 easter day parade.
They wanted to smoke because it became a symbol of power, status, freedom and sex appeal.
Attaches something meaningless to a desire.
Product placement - getting products out on films.
Linking a celebrity to a thing, emphasises glamour and sex appeal.
The use of pseudo scientific reports.
'more doctors smoke camel than any other cigarettes.'
making people believe that desire in peoples lives was satisfying.
Fordism.
Things are bought because of the illusion that they will satisfy some of our instinctual needs.
Henry ford (1863-1947)
Techniques of Mass production.
Moving assembling line - much more rapid.
A society that had lots of stuff instead of view comodoties.
Productivity increased therefore profit increased and therefore wages increased.
Much more disposable income to send on things.
Emergence and importance of brands.
Becomes imporatant to subscribe a usp to that product, set products apart.
Business' feel like they have to do something else to the product to make it stand out.
Aunt Jemimas pancale flour didnt sell because people thought they were less of a good mother wife etc.
Changed it so instead you had to crack an egg into the mix, made it seem like the wife was more of a home maker. it was psychologocaly massive. Satisfied the desire to provide/ feed etc. People believed that they were still cooking.
Gave people the idea who couldn't cook an easy shortcut.
Zeitgeist emerging.
Oldsmobile.
Two women are chatting inside.
Equating the act of owning a car to the power of women.
Pleasure is not just driving, it is that you are in control, of every aspect of your life.
Cadillac - Brand is much more sophisticated.
Chateau in the background implys status, affluence and success.
Culture starts to shift from a society based on needs, to a society based on desires.
'I want a car because I want to be free, power'
Perfume - want to be a fantasy figure as those who are in the adverts.
Crisis of over production.
Success of consumerism at this stage, no one ever got to that stage.
No one says i have enough food, car, shoes etc.
False desires.
The hidden persuaders book - Vance packard.
- Selling emotional security.
Freezers developed to spend more than actually needed.
Emotional security of knowing that you have food there whether you need it or not.
Selling reassurance of worth.
Selling ego gratification.
Selling creative outlets.
Selling love objects.
Selling sense of power.
A sense of roots.
A sense of immortality.
We believe that fashion reaffirms our illusionary idea of who we are.
Birth of a society that believes they are free happy and successful. People are just given the illusion that they are successful.
1920- Sold the idea they could satisfy their desires and become happy. People become happy because all of their desires were associated.
A new elite is needed to manage the bewildered herd.
If we can feed the bewildered herd the illusion that all their desires are satisfied what you have is a stable ordered easily controllable society.
Manufacturing consent.
Politicians are incapable to manage society.
Big businesses know what the people want and therefore should work with the government.
Russian revolution in 1917.
Lipperman spread the idea of intertwining governmental policy with PR.
Stop revolutions occuring and the russian revolution spreading to America.
October 24. 1929.
'Black tuesday'
The great depression.
Politicians started to say that consumerism might not be the way to organise a society - not stable.
rOOSEVELT TO INTRODUCE SYSTEMS OF WELFARE AND SOCIAL SECURITY, BENEFITS, JOB CREATION AND INVESTMENTS IN INDUSTRY.
World fair of 1940 in New york.
Built a 'futurama' model.
3 miles wide and 6 miles long.
Displayed the life that people could have.
You can only be free if you start buying into this future, cars etc.
'Democracity'.
Not really free. But to what extent to the governments carry out our policy when we vote?
Conclusion: you are not what you own.
- Consumerism is an ideological project.
- We believe that through consumption our desires can be met.
- The consumer self lives to this day.
- The legacy of Bernay/ PR is alive in the 21st century society.
- The conflicts between alternative models of social organisation live to this day.
- To what extent are our lives free under the western consumerist system.
- Analyse the rise of US consumerism.
- Discuss links between consumerism and our unconscious desires.
- Look at work of Sigmund Freud.
- Edmund Bernays.
- Consumerism as social control - limits or liberates?
century of self (2002) - Adam Curtis
No logo (1999) - Naomi Klein.
Sigmund (1856-1939)
Father of psycho analysis. Theories were radical and shocking at the time. Argued that humans are rational and about co- operations.
- New theory of human nature.
- From our animal past we have repressed in us lots of supressed desires, which if not controlled can spur chaos. Wanted to access the mind to control this chaos.
- Animal instincts, violent and sexual forces.
- Society that stops us acting out on these fantasies.
Freuds model of personality system.
Most of our actions are driven by what is buried beneath.
ID - where all the primitive desires and instincts are held.
Civilisation and Its Discontents.
- Given these animal instincts and that fundamentally we are dangerous people - dangerous species.
Our desires are incoptible with that of a civil society.
We all have this strong desire for violence.
Society composes laws and systems to keep a harmonious world.
Humanity will always be unsatisfied.
- The pleasure principle.
If our desires are associated and we are made to feel like we can act out on these primitive desires in a socially acceptable way. once our desire for pleasure has been satisfied, we are docile and happy not irrational and content.
Fundamentally civilisation will make us discontent because we cannot satisfy all our desires.
Forst world war. Freud was depressed with world war.
It shouldnt be a suprise the the whole world is set out to destroy itself.
Epitomy of the realse of mass instinctual morbid desire on a grand scale.
Death and destruction.
Post the first world war society goes back to normality after the west has won the war, the west become preosperous and has a lot of money and so the west develops and becomes an affluent place.
Nephew of sigmund freud - Edmund Bernays
press agent for celbrities.
During the war he worked for the propaganda office, The council on public relations' PR.
Started in America.
Employed the princiles of his uncle Sigmund freud.
Every business can succeed if you can relate your product to one of these unassociated or any repressed unconcious instincts you can make people want or demand for the product.
1929 easter day parade.
They wanted to smoke because it became a symbol of power, status, freedom and sex appeal.
Attaches something meaningless to a desire.
Product placement - getting products out on films.
Linking a celebrity to a thing, emphasises glamour and sex appeal.
The use of pseudo scientific reports.
'more doctors smoke camel than any other cigarettes.'
making people believe that desire in peoples lives was satisfying.
Fordism.
Things are bought because of the illusion that they will satisfy some of our instinctual needs.
Henry ford (1863-1947)
Techniques of Mass production.
Moving assembling line - much more rapid.
A society that had lots of stuff instead of view comodoties.
Productivity increased therefore profit increased and therefore wages increased.
Much more disposable income to send on things.
Emergence and importance of brands.
Becomes imporatant to subscribe a usp to that product, set products apart.
Business' feel like they have to do something else to the product to make it stand out.
Aunt Jemimas pancale flour didnt sell because people thought they were less of a good mother wife etc.
Changed it so instead you had to crack an egg into the mix, made it seem like the wife was more of a home maker. it was psychologocaly massive. Satisfied the desire to provide/ feed etc. People believed that they were still cooking.
Gave people the idea who couldn't cook an easy shortcut.
Zeitgeist emerging.
Oldsmobile.
Two women are chatting inside.
Equating the act of owning a car to the power of women.
Pleasure is not just driving, it is that you are in control, of every aspect of your life.
Cadillac - Brand is much more sophisticated.
Chateau in the background implys status, affluence and success.
Culture starts to shift from a society based on needs, to a society based on desires.
'I want a car because I want to be free, power'
Perfume - want to be a fantasy figure as those who are in the adverts.
Crisis of over production.
Success of consumerism at this stage, no one ever got to that stage.
No one says i have enough food, car, shoes etc.
False desires.
The hidden persuaders book - Vance packard.
- Selling emotional security.
Freezers developed to spend more than actually needed.
Emotional security of knowing that you have food there whether you need it or not.
Selling reassurance of worth.
Selling ego gratification.
Selling creative outlets.
Selling love objects.
Selling sense of power.
A sense of roots.
A sense of immortality.
We believe that fashion reaffirms our illusionary idea of who we are.
Birth of a society that believes they are free happy and successful. People are just given the illusion that they are successful.
1920- Sold the idea they could satisfy their desires and become happy. People become happy because all of their desires were associated.
A new elite is needed to manage the bewildered herd.
If we can feed the bewildered herd the illusion that all their desires are satisfied what you have is a stable ordered easily controllable society.
Manufacturing consent.
Politicians are incapable to manage society.
Big businesses know what the people want and therefore should work with the government.
Russian revolution in 1917.
Lipperman spread the idea of intertwining governmental policy with PR.
Stop revolutions occuring and the russian revolution spreading to America.
October 24. 1929.
'Black tuesday'
The great depression.
Politicians started to say that consumerism might not be the way to organise a society - not stable.
rOOSEVELT TO INTRODUCE SYSTEMS OF WELFARE AND SOCIAL SECURITY, BENEFITS, JOB CREATION AND INVESTMENTS IN INDUSTRY.
World fair of 1940 in New york.
Built a 'futurama' model.
3 miles wide and 6 miles long.
Displayed the life that people could have.
You can only be free if you start buying into this future, cars etc.
'Democracity'.
Not really free. But to what extent to the governments carry out our policy when we vote?
Conclusion: you are not what you own.
- Consumerism is an ideological project.
- We believe that through consumption our desires can be met.
- The consumer self lives to this day.
- The legacy of Bernay/ PR is alive in the 21st century society.
- The conflicts between alternative models of social organisation live to this day.
- To what extent are our lives free under the western consumerist system.
Wednesday, 16 October 2013
OUGD501: Communication theory - 14/10/13
Communication theory.
Shannon and Weaver were employed by the American army to work in telephone labs. The army wanted to refine their efforts and processes of communication. They wanted to know when and pinpoint where, this process of communication was breaking down.
They worked prominently with radio and telephone communication.
The model above refers to communication in a more common sense, it could be relevant to any kind of communication such as social and visual.
As engineers of army communication, and us as graphic designers, we all need a common understanding of the components in the process of communication, and know the stages where communication could break down.
The communication theory and Graphic design.
By me and Sophie Abell.
Information source - Piece of graphic design.
Transmitter (encoder) - Media used eg. website, bilboard.
Chanel - The piece of work created.
Reciever - Everyone seeing the design.
Destination - Audience (Target Audience) - The message being understood.
When discussing to the rest of the class we found that our interpretation of the communication theory in relation to graphic design didn't really consider the process. Two people which I found did this successfully were Alex and Adam:
Information source - Client and brief.
Transmitter (encoder) - Designer.
Chanel - Piece of work created.
Reciever (decoder) - Audience receives message.
Destination - Audience understand the message.
Next using the system that Alex and Adam had thought of, in our pairs we looked at where the communication process could fall down in some aspects.
Information source - Client.
- May not communicate what they want clearly.
- The client may keep changing their mind.
- Client may not understand what they really want.
Transmitter (encoder) - Designer.
- Might be misinformed by the client on what the client is wanting.
- May mis interpret the brief.
Chanel - Piece of work.
- Could be placed in the wrong location (bilboard etc)
- Could have used the wrong scale/format to produce work.
- Could run into issues during print.
- The design may not reflect what the client wanted.
- Solution may not be appropriate to the brief.
- The channels you choose can limit communication.
Receiver (decoder) - Audience receives message.
- Audience may not receive correct message.
- The message might go to the wrong audience.
- Target audience may not be able to understand the message.
Destination - Audience understands message.
- Audience cannot understand the message.
- Design is rendered useless.
- Audience may not find final design interesting and not relate to it.
The noise source.
Noise - something that interrupts with the communicative acts.
Channel - noise on the line etc.
Brief noise:
- Scrawled handwriting and typo's.
- Client keeps changing their mind.
Transmitter (encoder):
- Designer is trying to do work and people are distracting them.
- Your mac/ the adobe suite stops working.
- Designing at the pub and being influenced/ distracted by people/ alcohol.
Receiver (decoder):
- Other pieces of graphic design are placed around yours therefore distracting the audience.
- People graffiting on a billboard is seen as noise.
Other noise:
- Interrupting the effectiveness of a message.
- People distracting the audience from the message.
- People saying/ communicating the opposite to what the work you have made is communicating to your audience.
- Too much volume of design eg spam.
Communication problems.
Level A - Technical problems.
- How accurately can the message be transmitted?
Level B - Semantic problems.
- How precisely is the message conveyed?
Level C - Effectiveness problems.
- How effectively does the received meaning affect behaviour?
How does it influence how much the audience understand the message you want to communicate.
The process of creating a piece of graphic design is not linear as suggested in the model by Shannon and weaver. It is in fact much more complex. Creating a piece of graphic design and allowing it to reach an audience is not just a communicative line from A to B. The communication between brief, designer and product constantly crosses back over itself with factors such as feedback, and necessary changes to the outcome. Every step of the communicative process in graphic design always links back to the information source as we constantly ask ourselves, Is what we are doing right for the brief? Communication in graphic design should always be a constant dialogue.
Redundancy and Entropy.
Redundancy: Path of least resistance.
- Telephone line communicates 100% off message and does not interrupt a message at all, this is therefore redundant.
Entropy: Moments of bleeding on the line.
- For example the leaking of gas in a gas pipe.
Redundancy is almost totally predictable.
It has to be socially predictable, conventional and understandable. Smaller amounts of information reduce the possibility for technical problems and entropy.
Redundant communacative act:
Shaking someones hand is easily understandable.
Entropic communacative act:
Attaching a buzzer to your hand. Initiates a radical shock and transfers a high amount of information which was unexpected, this is therefore entropic.
Toilet symbols are redundant for their simplicity however confusing ones introduce entropy.
A fine artist or stylist aims for entropy as they are less interested in communication.
If someone picks the name 'Jade palace' for a chinese restaurant or chooses a bamboo like font for a tiki party they are being redundant.
There is an already agreed system of understanding to a british audience etc, therefore it doesn't challenge stereotypes and stands on the shoulders of prejudice.
Entropy: Using helvetica bold for a Hawaiian bar, having a bauhaus inspired interior. A high amount of information to process.
Designers are more interested in building a system within their work to avoid mistakes and moments of entropy. However they may want to challenge the systems of communication.
An example I found and applied to the communicative theory:
Shannon and Weaver were employed by the American army to work in telephone labs. The army wanted to refine their efforts and processes of communication. They wanted to know when and pinpoint where, this process of communication was breaking down.
They worked prominently with radio and telephone communication.
The model above refers to communication in a more common sense, it could be relevant to any kind of communication such as social and visual.
As engineers of army communication, and us as graphic designers, we all need a common understanding of the components in the process of communication, and know the stages where communication could break down.
The communication theory and Graphic design.
By me and Sophie Abell.
Information source - Piece of graphic design.
Transmitter (encoder) - Media used eg. website, bilboard.
Chanel - The piece of work created.
Reciever - Everyone seeing the design.
Destination - Audience (Target Audience) - The message being understood.
When discussing to the rest of the class we found that our interpretation of the communication theory in relation to graphic design didn't really consider the process. Two people which I found did this successfully were Alex and Adam:
Information source - Client and brief.
Transmitter (encoder) - Designer.
Chanel - Piece of work created.
Reciever (decoder) - Audience receives message.
Destination - Audience understand the message.
Next using the system that Alex and Adam had thought of, in our pairs we looked at where the communication process could fall down in some aspects.
Information source - Client.
- May not communicate what they want clearly.
- The client may keep changing their mind.
- Client may not understand what they really want.
Transmitter (encoder) - Designer.
- Might be misinformed by the client on what the client is wanting.
- May mis interpret the brief.
Chanel - Piece of work.
- Could be placed in the wrong location (bilboard etc)
- Could have used the wrong scale/format to produce work.
- Could run into issues during print.
- The design may not reflect what the client wanted.
- Solution may not be appropriate to the brief.
- The channels you choose can limit communication.
Receiver (decoder) - Audience receives message.
- Audience may not receive correct message.
- The message might go to the wrong audience.
- Target audience may not be able to understand the message.
Destination - Audience understands message.
- Audience cannot understand the message.
- Design is rendered useless.
- Audience may not find final design interesting and not relate to it.
The noise source.
Noise - something that interrupts with the communicative acts.
Channel - noise on the line etc.
Brief noise:
- Scrawled handwriting and typo's.
- Client keeps changing their mind.
Transmitter (encoder):
- Designer is trying to do work and people are distracting them.
- Your mac/ the adobe suite stops working.
- Designing at the pub and being influenced/ distracted by people/ alcohol.
Receiver (decoder):
- Other pieces of graphic design are placed around yours therefore distracting the audience.
- People graffiting on a billboard is seen as noise.
Other noise:
- Interrupting the effectiveness of a message.
- People distracting the audience from the message.
- People saying/ communicating the opposite to what the work you have made is communicating to your audience.
- Too much volume of design eg spam.
Communication problems.
Level A - Technical problems.
- How accurately can the message be transmitted?
Level B - Semantic problems.
- How precisely is the message conveyed?
Level C - Effectiveness problems.
- How effectively does the received meaning affect behaviour?
How does it influence how much the audience understand the message you want to communicate.
The process of creating a piece of graphic design is not linear as suggested in the model by Shannon and weaver. It is in fact much more complex. Creating a piece of graphic design and allowing it to reach an audience is not just a communicative line from A to B. The communication between brief, designer and product constantly crosses back over itself with factors such as feedback, and necessary changes to the outcome. Every step of the communicative process in graphic design always links back to the information source as we constantly ask ourselves, Is what we are doing right for the brief? Communication in graphic design should always be a constant dialogue.
Redundancy and Entropy.
Redundancy: Path of least resistance.
- Telephone line communicates 100% off message and does not interrupt a message at all, this is therefore redundant.
Entropy: Moments of bleeding on the line.
- For example the leaking of gas in a gas pipe.
Redundancy is almost totally predictable.
It has to be socially predictable, conventional and understandable. Smaller amounts of information reduce the possibility for technical problems and entropy.
Redundant communacative act:
Shaking someones hand is easily understandable.
Entropic communacative act:
Attaching a buzzer to your hand. Initiates a radical shock and transfers a high amount of information which was unexpected, this is therefore entropic.
Toilet symbols are redundant for their simplicity however confusing ones introduce entropy.
A fine artist or stylist aims for entropy as they are less interested in communication.
If someone picks the name 'Jade palace' for a chinese restaurant or chooses a bamboo like font for a tiki party they are being redundant.
There is an already agreed system of understanding to a british audience etc, therefore it doesn't challenge stereotypes and stands on the shoulders of prejudice.
Entropy: Using helvetica bold for a Hawaiian bar, having a bauhaus inspired interior. A high amount of information to process.
Designers are more interested in building a system within their work to avoid mistakes and moments of entropy. However they may want to challenge the systems of communication.
An example I found and applied to the communicative theory:
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