Friday, 11 February 2011
Monday, 17 January 2011
Wednesday, 15 December 2010
Task 3
I have 3 ideas on what to write my critical essay on.
1. Exploring the views of hierarchy and snobbery in use of typography.
1. Exploring the views of hierarchy and snobbery in use of typography.
This could be done through a similar way Adorno talks about popular music. Main focus will be the Culture lecture and seminar, but also Marxism might be an interesting view to debate the class struggle and how this affects the base and superstructure.
Books I could use...
2. Graphic Design vs. Fine Art.
This would be pretty interesting... but do think I may give a one sided view. Again, the culture lecture and seminar would be useful when exploring this topic. Also I think Foucaults writings on Panopticism would be useful as I can look at how we act in certain situations and how this makes the gap between Graphic Design and Fine Art bigger.
Books I could use...
- Adorno, T. (1991) The Culture Industry: Selected Essays on Mass Culture. London, Routledge. (306 ADO)
- Arato, A. and Gephardt, E. (eds.) (1998) The Essential Frankfurt School Reader. London, Continuum. (306.22)
- Debord, G. (1994) The Society of the Spectacle. London, Rebel Press. (306 DEB)
- Marcuse, H. (1991) One-Dimensional Man. London, Routledge. (306 MAR)
- Strinati, D. (2nd edition, 2004) An Introduction to Theories of Popular Culture. London, Routledge, pp. 45-76. (306.2)
- D'Amato, P. (2006) The Meaning of Marxism. Chicago, Haymarket Books. (335.4)
- McClellan, D. (ed.) (2000) Karl Marx: Selected Writings. Oxford, Oxford University Press. (335.4)
- Strinati, D. (2nd edition, 2004) An Introduction To Theories Of Popular Culture. London, Routledge, pp. 115-153. (306.2)
- Foucault, M. (1975) ‘Panopticism’ in Hall, S. and Evans, J. (1999) Visual Culture: the Reader. London, Sage Publications. (306.23)
I could explore the Gaze theory for this topic.
Books I could use...
Books I could use...
- Betterton, R. (ed.) (1987) Looking On: Images of Femininity in the Visual Arts and Media. London, Pandora Press. (704.072)
- Coward, R. (2000) ‘The Look’ in Thomas, J. ed. (2000) Reading Images. Basingstoke, Palgrave, pp.33- 39. (306.23)
- Lutz, C. and Collins, J. (1993) ‘The Photograph as an Intersection of Gazes: the Example of National Geographic’ in Taylor, L. (1994) Visualizing Theory: Selected Essays from V.A.R. 1990-1994. New York, Routledge, pp.363-384. (306.23)
- Mulvey, L. (1975) ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’ in Hall, S. and Evans, J. (1999) Visual Culture: the Reader London, Sage, pp.381-389. (306.23)
- Sturken, M. and Cartwright, L. (2nd edition, 2009) Practices of Looking: an Introduction to Visual Culture. Oxford, Oxford University Press. (306.23)
Thursday, 9 December 2010
Jean Baudrillard and Hyperreality lecture
Brand are overpowering and can even change history. Coca-cola invented the Father Christmas we know and picture today. Since the late 1920's advertisements boomed by the use of magazines and graphic illustrations. The use of the hand-drawn allowed artists to be more expressive and bend the truth. We are still doing this today by Photoshop and 3D visualiser tools. Advertisers can create unrealistic realities which can be difficult to distinguish.
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| Illustration from Charles Dickens a Christmas Carol |
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| Coca-cola Santa |
Monday, 29 November 2010
Task 2
Quickly read Adorno's (1941) article 'On Popular Music' (links below). In no more than a few paragraphs, summarise his ideas on pop music, concentrating on key points such as 'standardisation', 'psuedo-individualisation' etc.
Post a link to a YouTube pop video that, in your opinion, epitomises Adorno's sentiments. Explain why, trying to emphasise the links to the wider 'culture industry' in general.
‘A fully concentrated and conscious experience of art is possible only to those whose lives do not put such a strain on them that in their spare time they want relief from both boredom and effort simultaneously.’ (Adorno, On Popular Music, p.80). Popular music and serious music have different audiences, and this is based on culture. Popular music attracts a popular culture audience for its simple ‘pre-digested’ rhythm, whereas in serious music ‘every detail derives its musical sense from the concrete totality of the piece’ (p.74).
Standardisation is the fundamental characteristic of popular music ‘structural standardization aims at standard reactions’ (p.73). This in itself has two parts, stylisation and pseudo-individualisation. Stylisation is the repetitive structure of popular music and if an aspect of any musical piece can be defined, it is deemed as ‘stylised’ to Adorno’s ears. The second aspect of standardisation, pseudo-individualisation, comes into play alongside this. As an audience, we yearn to be individuals and if we believe that we are just one sheep in a mass flock, it makes the object of our desired less reputable. ‘Concentration and control in our culture hide themselves in their very manifestation. Unhidden they would provoke resistance,’ (p.78) Pseudo-individualisation makes the audience believe they are being an individual and want to engage with popular music. Pseudo-individualisation works in popular music by ‘making them forget that what they listen to is already listened to for them, or ‘pre-digested’.’ (p.79).
The popular culture audience wishes to escape the dejected custom of their everyday lives, they have a mechanised labour lifestyle and fears of unemployement, war and redundancies create personal stress. This brings me back to my first point, where only individuals who are not stressed and need to release from the pressures of life can ‘understand’ serious music. The popular culture masses need this ‘pre-digested’ music to distract them. ‘They crave a stimulant. Popular music comes to offer it.’ (p.81).
Post a link to a YouTube pop video that, in your opinion, epitomises Adorno's sentiments. Explain why, trying to emphasise the links to the wider 'culture industry' in general.
‘A fully concentrated and conscious experience of art is possible only to those whose lives do not put such a strain on them that in their spare time they want relief from both boredom and effort simultaneously.’ (Adorno, On Popular Music, p.80). Popular music and serious music have different audiences, and this is based on culture. Popular music attracts a popular culture audience for its simple ‘pre-digested’ rhythm, whereas in serious music ‘every detail derives its musical sense from the concrete totality of the piece’ (p.74).
Standardisation is the fundamental characteristic of popular music ‘structural standardization aims at standard reactions’ (p.73). This in itself has two parts, stylisation and pseudo-individualisation. Stylisation is the repetitive structure of popular music and if an aspect of any musical piece can be defined, it is deemed as ‘stylised’ to Adorno’s ears. The second aspect of standardisation, pseudo-individualisation, comes into play alongside this. As an audience, we yearn to be individuals and if we believe that we are just one sheep in a mass flock, it makes the object of our desired less reputable. ‘Concentration and control in our culture hide themselves in their very manifestation. Unhidden they would provoke resistance,’ (p.78) Pseudo-individualisation makes the audience believe they are being an individual and want to engage with popular music. Pseudo-individualisation works in popular music by ‘making them forget that what they listen to is already listened to for them, or ‘pre-digested’.’ (p.79).
The popular culture audience wishes to escape the dejected custom of their everyday lives, they have a mechanised labour lifestyle and fears of unemployement, war and redundancies create personal stress. This brings me back to my first point, where only individuals who are not stressed and need to release from the pressures of life can ‘understand’ serious music. The popular culture masses need this ‘pre-digested’ music to distract them. ‘They crave a stimulant. Popular music comes to offer it.’ (p.81).
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