Glamorizing Bad Parenting

I thought the 'Joe Camel' ads were banded because of the appeal of a mature product to underage children? Why is this advertisement any different? Despite the white text in which “No Smoking” is advocated there is an obvious disconnect between the textual message and the pictorial one. The text is attempting to be a public service announcement while the image is counteracting it and portrays a beautiful, young and chic girl with a cigarette in her mouth. “Actions speak louder than words”, “A picture is worth a thousand words” need I go on? These two pictures are glamorizing bad parenting, smoking and skimpy, unrealistic wardrobe choices for pregnant young women. Pregnant women shop at maternity store for a reason and should not be pressured to remain as skinny as the model here. The girl featured in this image is extremely young to have a baby and maintains her slender figure and chic style while pregnant (when a woman SHOULD be putting on weight!) and neglecting her child. The attempted intention of the images was originally to promote healthy living and responsible parenting and life decisions. Instead of a proactive approach where the behavior sought is shown, the magazine this spread was featured in decided to show what they were fighting against. Unfortunately, there was obviously a miscommunication between designers and the creative process took a turn for the worst. In an attempt to create an aesthetically pleasing image the original concept behind the project became lost and unidentifiable thus enforcing behavior they set out to prevent.

images source : http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nadya-suleman-vogue-no-smoking

VW: Vivacious and Withstanding

Since 1937 Volkswagon has been serving the common, working class citizen, a German based car company the name literally means "people's car". When first established, German cars were primarily luxury cars and the average person could not afford much for than a motorcycle. Today, the company has gone global and now provides cars including the Jetta, Passat and the Beetle.

The Beetle has a special place in American car lovers’ hearts. It is affordable, efficient and is still able to make a personality statement about the driver. It has inspired childhood games such as “slug bug” and is now decorated as cows, flowery meadows and literal translations of the name-bugs! Cars are a status symbol but in the case of the VW Bug they go beyond status exhibiting the individuality, economic and environmental state of the owner. Similarly to overly priced cars, a beetle easily attracts the attention of passers by. It is not because of it’s $200,000 price tag that makes the beetle so lovable but the nostalgia or sense of entertainment that it invokes through its historic face that seems to be smiling at you. The original model of the VW bug is now an icon used to create laid back hippie stickers, 60s references, kids movies, classic and reliable images. It has withstood the test of time in outlasting other car models and companies during economic down swings and times of intense competition in the car market. Volkswagon designers went beyond designing a car that is merely within the price range of the working class. They provide a vehicle that withstands the test of time while becoming a classic symbol in american society and creating an outlet for automobile expression.

image source: google image

Objectified

The film Objectified explores the different design processes and the meaning behind the material objects that we surround ourselves with everyday. According to Henry Ford “Every object tells a story if you know how to read it”. Objectified brings the viewers attention to the magnitude of Ford’s statement. Everything that is man-made must be design by someone! From the time I get up and brush my teeth with a Collegiate tooth brush to the moment I wrap myself up in my West Elm bedding, I am surrounding myself with design. There are thousands of designers who under went a rigorous creative process in order to create the objects that serve everyday way in everyday. Starting with an idea or concept and then radiating from there; what to include, what to eliminate (many designers in the movie operated under the minimalist philosophy), what materials to create from and overall functionality.

One designer that was featured in the movie, whom which I have grown to admire, is the man behind the apple, Senior Vice President of Industrial design, Jonathan Ives. He has revolutionized the mp3 player, reinvented the aesthetic of the computer and aided in propelling apple to the superpower of the technology world that it is today. Ives states that he is constantly asking the question “Why?”. “Why do we need it?” “Why is it one way as opposed to another?” “Why can’t I change it?”… “Why?”! He explains that good design feels inherent which, to me, explains his ability to fit together the user tendencies, wants and needs with simple alterations to his product such as the iphone’s ability to fit perfectly and desirably in the operator’s hand. Johnny Ives is seems to be the epitome of what designers aspire to be; able to tap into the user’s mind in order to create successful, beautiful products.

image source: http://www.objectifiedfilm.com/blog/the-official-objectified-poster/

Comparison & Contrast: Gaga & The Material Girl

She rules pop culture and has taken advantage of the concept of fame in order to increase her own. Constantly the highlight of tabloid and media news, her name has become part of the international, household vocabulary. She is one of the most innovative and outrageous artists, unbound by gender, cultural or social constraints. She is forward thinking in music, fashion, performance, sex and just about any other form of expression she has come in contact with.

This description could easily describe the infamous Lady Gaga as well as her predecessor, the original ‘Pop Princess,’ Madonna.

Gaga is a tribute to the fact that history repeats itself. Both women are a new age‘blonde bombshells’ according to their time period of fame climax. (I would say Gaga has reached hers today, but I feel that would be too presumptuous and imply that Iunderestimate her ability to continue exploring the avant-garde.) Both climbed the musical ladder through night -clubs, dance music and the support of minority and under-dog groups such as the African American community and the gay population. The ability to combine many forms of art into one cohesive image with the help of many designers, photographers and out-of-the-box thinkers has been the character trait that skyrocketed both of these women to fame. They embrace creativity and allow their bodies and music to be vessels for extravagant and futuristic expression. The two pop icons have in fact acknowledged their similarities performing in collaborative efforts and in comical projects such as an SNL catfight.

Although these woman are reincarnations of each other, Madonna, the original pop culture magistrate, first broke social, racial, cultural and sexual norms thus setting the stage for Lady Gaga to be as shocking as she is today. Not as outrageous by today’s standards, Madonna was just as ground breaking in her own right and, perhaps, without her, Gaga would not be as accepted (term used loosely) in the modern popular culture world. I wait in anticipation to see if Gaga can stand the test of time and baggage that accompanies instant stardom. Will she manage to transcend to the level of Madonna as a superstar in pop culture and a timeless icon?

image source: google image

Design as a conversation

Design is mark-making, skillful planning, a product of the creative mind and most of all a conversation. It is a conversation between the designer and various other parties including other artists and the public that views or interacts with the design. Designers as a general rule need to be able to work together in groups, bouncing ideas off of each other and utilized the skill set that each member provides. There must be verbal communication as well as a figurative conversation during which designers put forth a concept or idea and others respond. The response of other designers then contributes to the fabrication of the final product.

Another relationship that occurs is between the designer and the public. In the case of Yoko Ono, she creates a wordless conversation in her performance “Cut Piece” where members of the audience approach her with a pair of scissors and cut pieces of clothing from her body. They continue to deconstruct and strip away her clothing and are then invited to do the same to each other. In this particular scenario of feminist performance art Yoko has a multi-directional conversation with the participants, feminist community and the general public who later view the performance through video footage.

Creation from Without

Many painters, photographers, directors and musicians are inspired by emotion and personal philosophy that has developed due to their personal experiences. Drawing creativity based off knowledge, passion and past experiences seems logical and fairly typical but what about being inspired by factors that are not directly correlated to the designer or artists?

On August 22^nd 33 miners became prisoners within a collapsed gold and copper mine. Rescuers were only able to drill holes big enough to provide food and water for the miners' survival until the proper technology could be obtained in order to ensure a safe ascension to the surface.

Hopefully, late Tuesday night, deemed “D-day”, with the aid of oxygen masks and several secure harnesses miners will be able to climb into the ‘Phoenix’ capsule and ride it up more than 2,000 feet to freedom. NASA engineers have been aiding in the reinforcement of the capsule so that it is well equip for the job that lies ahead.

The engineers at NASA are active designers who are thrown in a situation (similarly to our in class activity ‘Stone Soup’) given set of resources and small time frame to accomplish an out of the ordinary task. Their inspiration, one would hope, is not the paycheck but the end result if their design is successful. Their creativity and planning become the means of saving 33 lives. Their inspiration has nothing to do with their emotion, likes, dislikes, or past. Their motivations are the lives waiting 2,000 feet below the surface of the earth waiting to return to their families.

image provided by http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/chile/8026154/Phoenix-capsule-arrives-to-rescue-Chilean-miners.html

Lampo Leong

Lampo Leong, an established internationally known artist, scholar and calligrapher, made the trek out from Missouri to give a lecture on his investigation of the “Omega Curve” and his extensive work in Calligraphy. Although Leong’s lecture focused on the curve as a symbol of the pervasive and enduring expression of grandeur and loftiness of nature and art, it was his explanation and demonstration of Calligraphy that captivated my attention. Leong eloquently creates beautiful pieces of Chinese calligraphy where the process is almost as beautiful as the final product.

Unfortunately, before I attended this lecture I expressed no interest in Asian art partially due to my incompetents in name pronunciation and partially due to my lack of background knowledge. However, Lamp Leong combines his highly sophisticated training in traditional painting with his heritage and love of Chinese calligraphy thus creating novel pieces of a hybrid artwork that have sparked my interest and awe. When posed with the questions “What does it say?” He shakes his head in disappointment. Leong claims focuses on the form, scale, shape, composition, unique style and spirit that the Calligraphy portrays rather than the literal translation of the text. Leong explains that Chinese calligraphy transcends the typical form of writing with a greater appreciation for the complexity of line more than any other region of the world. Leong criticized Pablo Picasso’s Woman with Yellow Hair for the line quality, lacking in strength, energy and spiritual quality. He acknowledges that Picasso is not known for his calligraphy but this simple comment emphasizes the years of practice and elite skill that are required to produce an element as simple as a line. This one component must create a three-dimensional space with thickness, layering, subtle curve and conveying the proper flow of the Qi or Chi; the closest translation in English being energy or spirit. Chinese calligraphy is a process that involves the mind, heart and hand in a matter of seconds. With no time to think, the true nature of the spirit and talent within the artists is revealed onto the paper in the raw. The artists must be caught up in the rapture in order to transfer the chi onto the paper with a stroke of rhythm and resilience in a movement. This elaborate process reallocates the practice of calligraphy into a category of its own; a combination of literary, visual and performance art.