Abigail Moss' Textile Design Research Journal: Every Picture Tells A Story

Saturday, 1 October 2016

Every Picture Tells A Story

This post highlights the importance of images and what impact they can have.

This cartoon is by Chris Riddell and was featured in The Guardian on 6th September 2015. It was prompetd by a photograph of a Syrian refugee boy that was washed up on the beach after trying to get from Turkey to Cos, Greece.

" A picture speaks a thousand words"

This image is powerful, it hits at our emotions, it sends a message instantly.

Would it be so poignant if it was a adult male?

The following Gucci advert ran in Le Monde newspaper a few days before this tragic incident.

In my opinion it was a case of bad timing, Gucci would have had it planned for months. However out of respect I feel it should have been removed from the paper and maybe an apologetic press release published. It did however get people talking about the brand name, so the advertising worked whichever way you looked at it.

Images as we have seen have a powerful impact on us, they portray a range of messages instantly. Below are two famous images that have had a huge impact; one negative and one positive.

This image was captured by Nick Ut as children fled from a burning napalm attack during the Vietnam War in 1972. The girl in the centre, Kim Phuc had torn off her burning clothes. The image captured the atrocities of the war and increased the anti-war feelings in America. It is an iconic photograph that is still impacting to this day.

The above image is of a sailor kissing a woman in Time Square after hearing about the end of the Second World War. In one image it shows the joy and jubilation that everyone felt when the war was finally over. The image was captured by Albert Eisenstaedt; he didn't get the names of the couple.

Photographs capture poignant moments in time, be it atrocities, important breakthroughs, political/ethical/cultural changes or happier times. They send a message to the viewer instantly and can alter out thoughts on the subject matter just as quickly. They are an extremely effective way to send an informing message.

The following links are to websites I found with a range of iconic images on them.

http://all-that-is-interesting.com/influential-photographs

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/01/world/gallery/iconic-images/

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Glossary (definitions from google search unless stated otherwise)

a Dandy - 1. a man unduly concerned with looking stylish and fashionable.
Advertising - the activity or profession of producing advertisements for commercial products or services.
Assemblage -a work of art made by grouping together found or unrelated objects.
Automatism - 1the performance of actions without conscious thought or intention. 2the avoidance of conscious intention in producing works of art, especially by using mechanical techniques or subconscious associations.
Blog - 1. a regularly updated website or web page, typically one run by an individual or small group, that is written in an informal or conversational style.
Bluejacking - Bluejacking is the practice of sending messages between mobile users using a Bluetooth wireless connection. People using Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones and PDAs can send messages, including pictures, to any other user within a 10-meter or so range.
Brand - 1. a type of product manufactured by a particular company under a particular name.
Bricolage -(in art or literature) construction or creation from a diverse range of available things.
Collage -a piece of art made by sticking various different materials such as photographs and pieces of paper or fabric on to a backing.
Communication - 1. the imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium. 2. means of sending or receiving information, such as telephone lines or computers.
Consumer - 1. a person who purchases goods and services for personal use. 2.a person or thing that eats or uses something.
Consumption - 1. the action of using up a resource.
Critical Reading - Critical reading is a more ACTIVE way of reading. It is a deeper and more complex engagement with a text. Critical reading is a process of analyzing, interpreting and, sometimes, evaluating. When we read critically, we use our critical thinking skills to QUESTION both the text and our own reading of it.
Dada -Dada was an art movement formed during the First World War in Zurich in negative reaction to the horrors and folly of the war. The art, poetry and performance produced by dada artists is often satirical and nonsensical in nature. (tate.org.uk)
Dataveillance - the practice of monitoring digital data relating to personal details or online activities.
Detournement -A term coined by Guy Debord and the Situationist International (SI) movement of the 1960's, Detournement is usually translated into English as ‘diversion’ and was the method of artistic creation used by the situationists. It was, in effect, plagiarism where both the source and the meaning of the original work was subverted to create a new work. In the SI’s own words "there is no Situationist art, only Situationist uses of art." (urban dictionary.com)
Digital Footprint - A digital footprint is a trail of data you create while using the Internet. In includes the websites you visit, emails you send, and information you submit to online services. A "passive digital footprint" is a data trail you unintentionally leave online.
Echo Chamber in Media - In news media, the term echo chamber is analagous with an acoustic echo chamber, where sounds reverberate in a hollow enclosure. An echo chamber is a metaphorical description of a situation in which information, ideas, or beliefs are amplified or reinforced by communication and repetition inside a defined system. Inside a figurative echo chamber, official sources often go unquestioned and different or competing views are censored, disallowed, or otherwise underrepresented. (wikipedia)
Fanzine - a magazine, usually produced by amateurs, for fans of a particular performer, group, or form of entertainment
Flaneur - a man who saunters around observing society
Fordism - the use in manufacturing industry of the methods pioneered by Henry Ford, typified by large-scale mechanized mass production.
Glossary - an alphabetical list of words relating to a specific subject, text, or dialect, with explanations; a brief dictionary.
Guerrilla Advertising/Marketing - Guerrilla marketing is an advertisement strategy concept designed for businesses to promote their products or services in an unconventional way with little budget to spend. This involves high energy and imagination focusing on grasping the attention of the public in more personal and memorable level.
Ideological - Ideological is an adjective that describes political, cultural, or religious beliefs. An ideology is a body of ideas, and those who agree with the main idea of something take an ideological stand to support it.
Image - 1. a representation of the external form of a person or thing in art.2. the general impression that a person, organization, or product presents to the public.
Irrationality -not logical or reasonable.
Juxtaposition -the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.
Logo - a symbol or other small design adopted by an organization to identify its products, uniform, vehicles, etc.
Mapping - record in detail the spatial distribution of (something)
Mass Media - plural of mass medium.1. any of the means of communication, as television or newspapers, that reach very large numbers of people. (dictionary.com)
Mass Production - Mass production is the manufacture of large quantities of standardized products, frequently utilizing assembly line technology. Mass production refers to the process of creating large numbers of similar products efficiently.
Media - 1. a plural of medium. 2. (usually used with a plural verb) the means of communication, as radio and television, newspapers, magazines, and the Internet, that reach or influence people widely.(dictionary.com)
Medium - 1 a : something in a middle position b : a middle condition or degree : mean 2 : a means of effecting or conveying something: as a (1) : a substance regarded as the means of transmission of a force or effect (2) : a surrounding or enveloping substance (3) : the tenuous material (as gas and dust) in space that exists outside large agglomerations of matter (as stars) b plural usually media (1) : a channel or system of communication, information, or entertainment — compare mass medium (2) : a publication or broadcast that carries advertising (3) : a mode of artistic expression or communication (4) : something (as a magnetic disk) on which information may be stored c : go-between, intermediary d plural mediums : an individual held to be a channel of communication between the earthly world and a world of spirits e : material or technical means of artistic expression 3 a : a condition or environment in which something may function or flourish b plural media (1) : a nutrient system for the artificial cultivation of cells or organisms and especially bacteria (2) : a fluid or solid in which organic structures are placed (as for preservation or mounting) c : a liquid with which pigment is mixed by a painter.(www.merriam-webster.com)
Meme - 1. an element of a culture or system of behaviour passed from one individual to another by imitation or other non-genetic means. 2. an image, video, piece of text, etc., typically humorous in nature, that is copied and spread rapidly by Internet users, often with slight variations.
Modernisation - the process of adapting something to modern needs or habits
Modernism - modern character or quality of thought, expression, or technique. "a strange mix of nostalgia and modernism" a style or movement in the arts that aims to depart significantly from classical and traditional forms.
Modernity - the quality or condition of being modern. "an aura of technological modernity" synonyms: contemporaneity, contemporaneousness, modernness, modernism, currency, freshness, novelty, fashionableness, vogue; More a modern way of thinking, working, etc.; contemporariness.
Montage -a piece of work produced by combining smaller parts, or the process of making such a work. (dictionary.cambridge.org)
Panopticism - Panopticism is a social theory named after the Panopticon, originally developed by French philosopher Michel Foucault in his book Discipline and Punish.
Panopticon - 1. a building, as a prison, hospital, library, or the like, so arranged that all parts of the interior are visible from a single point. (dictionary.com)
Parkour - the activity or sport of moving rapidly through an area, typically in an urban environment, negotiating obstacles by running, jumping, and climbing
Production - 1. the action of making or manufacturing from components or raw materials, or the process of being so manufactured.
Propaganda - 1. information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view.
Psychogeography - the study of the influence of geographical environment on the mind or on behaviour. "a newly emerging discipline within geography is psychogeography" the geographical environment of a particular location, typically a city, considered with regard to its influence on the mind or on behaviour.
Publicity - 1. notice or attention given to someone or something by the media. 2.the giving out of information about a product, person, or company for advertising or promotional purposes. 3.material or information used for advertising or promotional purposes.
Rationalisation - Rationalization is a reorganization of a company in order to increase its efficiency. This reorganization may lead to an expansion or reduction in company size, a change of policy, or an alteration of strategy pertaining to particular products.
Rationality -Rationality is the quality or state of being reasonable, based on facts or reason. Rationality implies the conformity of one's beliefs with one's reasons to believe, or of one's actions with one's reasons for action.
Readymade -The term readymade was first used by French artist Marcel Duchamp to describe the works of art he made from manufactured objects. It has since often been applied more generally to artworks by other artists made in this way. (tate.org)
Research - the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions.
Rhetoric - 1. the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the exploitation of figures of speech and other compositional techniques. 2. language designed to have a persuasive or impressive effect, but which is often regarded as lacking in sincerity or meaningful content.
Semiotics - the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation.
Serendipity -the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.
Situationism - 1. the theory that human behaviour is determined by surrounding circumstances rather than by personal qualities. 2. a revolutionary political theory which regards modern industrial society as being inevitably oppressive and exploitative.
Social Media - websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.
Specialization - Specialization is a method of production where a business, area or economy focuses on the production of a limited scope of products or services to gain greater degrees of productive efficiency within an overall system.
Standardisation - Standardization is a framework of agreements to which all relevant parties in an industry or organization must adhere to ensure that all processes associated with the creation of a good or performance of a service are performed within set guidelines.
Surrealism -a 20th-century avant-garde movement in art and literature which sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, for example by the irrational juxtaposition of images.
Taylorism - the principles or practice of scientific management and work efficiency as practised in a system known as the Taylor System.
Technology - the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry. "advances in computer technology" machinery and devices developed from scientific knowledge. "it will reduce the industry's ability to spend money on new technology" the branch of knowledge dealing with engineering or applied sciences.
The Industrial Revolution - The rapid development of industry that occurred in Britain in the late 18th and 19th centuries, brought about by the introduction of machinery. It was characterized by the use of steam power, the growth of factories, and the mass production of manufactured goods.
The Propaganda Model - The propaganda model is a conceptual model in political economy advanced by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky to explain how propaganda and systemic biases function in mass media.
Ubiquitous - 1. existing or being everywhere, especially at the same time; (dictionary.com)
Urban Exploration - Urban exploration (often shortened as urbex or UE, and sometimes known as 'roof-and-tunnel hacking') is the exploration of man-made structures, usually abandoned ruins or not usually seen components of the man-made environment.
Urban Sketching - Urban Sketchers (USk) is a global community of artists that practice drawing on location in cities, towns and villages they live in or travel to
Vlog - a blog in which the postings are primarily in video form.

Saturday, 1 October 2016

Every Picture Tells A Story

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