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This article also explores the place of emojis in modern communication. In the article scientists experimented with emojis by describing their usually complicated science work via tweets using emojis. the article explores whether visual symbols make it easier or hard to communicate information with others

#cofa1002 #task3

As we thought through what it means to communicate in the 21st century, we couldn't help but consider the place of emojis in our new social lives. We found this article explaining the science behind emojis and how they impact on our communication

#cofa1002 #task3

700 word artist statement.

My project for this assessment task explores the idea that we as individuals are all part of ‘the machine’. Drawing a foundation from my previous assessment, I have used this task to explore the idea that because of the extent to which advertising companies and third party members control our individuality, we have actually been transformed into “cogs” whose job it is to keep the machine that is society running.

Leading on from assessment one, I was really interested in exploring further the ideas that I had encountered when researching advertising, individuality, how technology shapes our understanding of self and the extent to which 3rd party members control our identities. Picking up my research from where Id left it after the first assessment, I started to look further into the idea that because advertising companies and private parties can essentially control what we look at on the internet, they have the power to influence what we buy and therefore dictate what we use to define ourselves as an individual. As I researched this idea more, I started to think about the motivation behind this process, the reason why advertising companies put so much effort into monitoring what we see and look at online. While part of me wanted to believe that it was because they were genuinely concerned about individuals having fulfilling online shopping experiences, as my research continued, I came to the realisation that it was naïve of me to believe this.

Everything I was reading, whether it was explicitly or implicitly stated, was pointing toward the idea that society functions as one big machine – one that is run by wealth corporations, the media and advertising companies. In this machine, we as individuals simply function as little cogs that are being moved by a bigger and more powerful gear. This clearly links back to the question I initially chose to research (1) because it highlights how, due to the fact that third parties are controlling what we see and therefore buy, we have becoming cogs in “the machine” without even knowing it – society and the media feeds us messages like “just be yourself” while realistically, we are all just playing our part in making the machine keep running. Our notion of identity has been built on falsehoods that are so subtly fed to us, no-one realises.

At this point I started to consider what shape my project would take and how I would incorporate everything I had been considering and researching. As I really enjoyed working with clothing in my last assessment, I considered continuing to work with that media. When I thought through idea more I decided I definitely wanted to make more tshirts because it adds to the concept behind the tshirt. Conceptually, the reason I wanted to continue using shirts is because I think by wearing a t-shirt that has a slogan on it or a catch phrase that reveals a certain truth, we are able to, in a way, take back the power that we unknowingly gave to ‘the bigger cogs’ and own our own identity.

I began to sketch some possible ideas for t-shirts, being shaped by the research I was doing along the way. Still being influenced by Barbara Kruger, I began to explore different graphics, designs and even the use of images so that I could communicate these ideas as clearly as I could. After a few different experiments I decided to use the three phrases “you are free” “you are unique” and “you are special” to capture this wider concept. I also chose to accompany these slogans with various different formations of cogs. The reason I picked these slogans is that they describe three things that cogs aren’t – special, unique, or free to do what they will.

Looking at the final project, I was really happy with how the tshirts turned out and I think that they do infact clearly communicate the idea that while we are told that we are special, unique etc., we are really all just part of a machine that is used to fuel materialism and consumerism. This in turn shapes how we understand our “selves” because our notion of identity in today’s society has come to be based on a lie.

FINAL PROJECT. THE "YOU ARE" TSHIRTS.

Week 6 experiment This week in class we looked at the importance of context and time to an artwork or project. We were to create a small sculpture, photograph it in two contexts and then see how the different contexts effected the meaning of the artwork. This really made me think about how I was going to present my project and I came to the conclusion that instead of just having photos of the shirts, I would photograph them on people.

Final photoshop designs. I'm going to use iron on transfer paper which you can print on to put the image of the tshirts

I am still being influenced by Barbara Kruger's work. I found these two pieces and thought they were very relevant to my investigation. The first image i think perfectly personifies the idea that consumerism and the ideals that society places on us has turned us into mindlessly turning cogs - that we are placed in a prison. I also really like the second image because it again shows how advertising is almost like propaganda in the way it targets individuals

#assessment2

Initially photoshop designs of tshirts

Thought it was interesting to see the resemblance between advertising and propaganda. Looking at what society tells us to believe about our selves (special, valued etc.) it was interesting to note how similar those slogans are to the ones used in propaganda and to think about how both advertising and propaganda use and almost manipulate the human mind for the benefit of a third party member.

#assessment2

I started drawing tshirt designs based off the research I had done so far - I think these are looking promising

“We were all of us cogs in a great machine which sometimes rolled forward, nobody knew where, sometimes backwards, nobody knew why.”

Ernst Toller

#assessment2

Things that matter. Pass 'em on.

To start my research i looked up advertising on a website called "up worthy". This video gave me a lot to think about as it presents the idea of advertising using peoples insecurities to make money. This also made me consider if all advertising agencies only have the motivation of profit or whether any of them actually want to sell individuals good, satisfying products.

#assessment2

Reference 4: Article from Forbes

After completing a lot of my research, i found this article which gave an example of tailored advertising. I found it interesting to learn just how much they could work out about you and then influence what you buy as a result of that. Combining the ideas of this article and Barbara Kruger, Target are able to sway how we dress, act, what we buy etc because they're targeting it toward us and manipulating our belief that its all about us.

After reading this article it made me want to change the idea of my poster just slightly to have it on a tshirt instead - i think what we wear plays a big part in how we define ourselves and its scary to think how easily someone else is able to control what we buy and thus how we present who we are.

Reference 3: L'Oreal "Because You're Worth It"

During my research, I found this youtube clip that presented a few really interesting ideas about how society views "self". A big one is that its all about being who you are, being true to yourself and being confident in your own skin. Another idea that is presented, albeit more subtly, is the idea that its all about you. I think this second idea ties in really clearly to how everything in our society has become focused on the individual - the clearest example of that being tailored advertising.

Looking at this video in conjunction with the rest of my research, I am starting to think that our understanding of self is a lie. That we are being sold the idea of being our selves, but those selves are indirectly being shaped and moulded by someone else. We don't actually own our "selves". Thinking about this idea and how I could represent it - I thought of creating a poster that had in big bold letters "JUST BE YOU" but, ironically, the YOU would be copyrighted, showing that it was owned by someone else.

Reference 2: Barbara Kruger "If you don't control your mind"

As i continued to look into the idea of everything we see online being tailored and fitted to you, I couldn't help but be reminded of Barbara Kruger's work. Focusing on materialism, consumerism and identity, Kruger's poignant work really expanded and challenged my ideas about how easy it is to lose control of the way you dress, you way you act, and, in essence, your individuality and "self". It also made me question who is the third party, who are those "behind the curtain" who, in Kruger's words, will control your mind if you fail to.

Reference 1: Article

When i first began researching, I didn't really know where to start. So, working from my brainstorm, I picked one element of it that i wanted to explore whether. The idea that i picked to explore was the concept that we are always outputting data and it is being taken in and analysed by another party. Straight away this concept made me think of the way that Facebook trailors its ads to suit you as an individual.

After reading this article, particularly the part that states that "the best way to stop tracking is to stop using the internet", i began to realise that what we were seeing, viewing, and in a sense being influenced by (maybe a clothing ad influencing what clothes you like) was all being controlled by a third party.

WEEK 1: this is my initial brainstorm after choosing question 1 for the up coming assessment. I found it really interesting to consider what it meant by a "quantitative turn" and how that has, in today's society, changed how we perceive "self". I'm looking forward to researching this topic more.

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