Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Sunday, 13 November 2011
Semiotics
Today we learnt about semiotics, a way of writing about something we understand visually.
Sign = Signifier + Signified
form concept
form concept
- Iconic Signs - look like the things they signify
- Indexical Signs - refers to other knowledges such as grey clouds = rain
- Symbolic Signs - have meaning due to convention. words + flags etc.
- Symbolic Signs - have meaning due to convention. words + flags etc.
After discussing a number of topics such as sign systems, the really interesting pioneer plaque and the hidden meanings behind leather trousers.. we moved onto Pink's video 'Stupid Girls'.
The entire video is filled with visual data we can process and understand. The lighting hitting certain bits of her body, the fashion, from gangsta clothes to the slutty girly outfits. At the start of the video the girl is playing with barbie toys yet by the end of 'stupid girls' she favours more masculine toys and goes outside to play football. There are conscience guides at the very start of the video. Fire/hell = bad and White/heaven = good. Which is an indexical sign. We know them from cartoons and other religious referencing video present in our western culture.
The video takes a lot of signs such as big boobs, platinum blonde hair and orange tans, along with surgery to show exactly what people associate those things with, 'stupid girls'. There is also a shot of Pink with 50cent and she is dancing against him, sharing the camera space equally. However, the light is on her, but only on her curves. 50cent pays no attention to her at all, showing she is only a body. His clothes are also emanating pimp, with a fur coat and lots of jewelery. There are clips aimed at looking aged due to the tv showing black and white only, the clothing being dated, exaggerated female gestures, these all give impressions of war times, when girls looked immaculate and acted so. There is some footage of her playing football outside with a lot of guys showing that she could be doing something other than being a stupid girl and there is an indication of her being president whilst stood on a podium infront of the American flag.
Basically everything in this video from start to finish is set up to show something meaningful. The camera angles, the lighting, the clothing, the environment, the lyrics at the time. the camera space shared with others, the direct links to other popular culture icons such as Paris Hiltons sex tape and Jessica Simpsons car washing all of it is visually symbolic of stupid girls and the idea you don't have to become one.
The video takes a lot of signs such as big boobs, platinum blonde hair and orange tans, along with surgery to show exactly what people associate those things with, 'stupid girls'. There is also a shot of Pink with 50cent and she is dancing against him, sharing the camera space equally. However, the light is on her, but only on her curves. 50cent pays no attention to her at all, showing she is only a body. His clothes are also emanating pimp, with a fur coat and lots of jewelery. There are clips aimed at looking aged due to the tv showing black and white only, the clothing being dated, exaggerated female gestures, these all give impressions of war times, when girls looked immaculate and acted so. There is some footage of her playing football outside with a lot of guys showing that she could be doing something other than being a stupid girl and there is an indication of her being president whilst stood on a podium infront of the American flag.
Basically everything in this video from start to finish is set up to show something meaningful. The camera angles, the lighting, the clothing, the environment, the lyrics at the time. the camera space shared with others, the direct links to other popular culture icons such as Paris Hiltons sex tape and Jessica Simpsons car washing all of it is visually symbolic of stupid girls and the idea you don't have to become one.
Friday, 4 November 2011
Fashion
Today we looked at what fashion is, the way it has developed over time and it's morality problems in greater depth. Fashion is somewhat a reflection of culture and the constant changes around us.
It can only be appreciated if others understand it. Something highly fashionable in one country may not be viewed the same in a place with a completely different culture. It also helps people to feel like they fit in. We discussed the idea of belonging to a crowd. Fashion allows us to pinpoint different categories of people. You could quite easily go around a school or college and put people into certain groups based upon what they are wearing. The judgement may not be entirely true about the person, but people definately fit into certain categories here from the popular, sporty people, the super girly girls and the goth group who all hang out in black hoodies.
Fashion is different based upon who is viewing it and again different to whoever is wearing it. Like art it is a number of signs, symbols and iconography that communicate a meaning about the person.
The reading task after this was Street Style & It's meaning in Postwar Japan - Hiroshi Narumi.
The text generally is about how the youth subcultures in both Britain and Japan are very similar in the visual language they use, although the influences as to why would be vastly different. After the war many subcultures formed within Japanese cities mainly Tokyo, with lolita, ganguro and gyaru girls to name a few. Japan very much so took to frowning upon the groups of young people wearing clothes which did not conform, they were moved along for simply wearing what they did because of the statement the clothing itself was making to people. Not only did the clothes not fit, but if worn differently to the way something was meant to be worn that was also a statement of rebellion in itself.
Not all subculture groups were simply dressing to make a statement, the bôsô-zoku were the biker gangs who actually caused trouble. The costumes worn by this group of people however, were also designed entirely to shock. Symbols from right-wing political parties and military groups were used to make them appear intimidating. This visual system of appearing shocking also showed up in Britain in the form of Punk culture.
British fashion moved on to create new meanings for people, however Japanese fashion seems to have more emphasis on the effects of other cultures.
It can only be appreciated if others understand it. Something highly fashionable in one country may not be viewed the same in a place with a completely different culture. It also helps people to feel like they fit in. We discussed the idea of belonging to a crowd. Fashion allows us to pinpoint different categories of people. You could quite easily go around a school or college and put people into certain groups based upon what they are wearing. The judgement may not be entirely true about the person, but people definately fit into certain categories here from the popular, sporty people, the super girly girls and the goth group who all hang out in black hoodies.
Fashion is different based upon who is viewing it and again different to whoever is wearing it. Like art it is a number of signs, symbols and iconography that communicate a meaning about the person.
The reading task after this was Street Style & It's meaning in Postwar Japan - Hiroshi Narumi.
The text generally is about how the youth subcultures in both Britain and Japan are very similar in the visual language they use, although the influences as to why would be vastly different. After the war many subcultures formed within Japanese cities mainly Tokyo, with lolita, ganguro and gyaru girls to name a few. Japan very much so took to frowning upon the groups of young people wearing clothes which did not conform, they were moved along for simply wearing what they did because of the statement the clothing itself was making to people. Not only did the clothes not fit, but if worn differently to the way something was meant to be worn that was also a statement of rebellion in itself.
Not all subculture groups were simply dressing to make a statement, the bôsô-zoku were the biker gangs who actually caused trouble. The costumes worn by this group of people however, were also designed entirely to shock. Symbols from right-wing political parties and military groups were used to make them appear intimidating. This visual system of appearing shocking also showed up in Britain in the form of Punk culture.
British fashion moved on to create new meanings for people, however Japanese fashion seems to have more emphasis on the effects of other cultures.
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
London 2012 Olympic Logo
Is this design really that bad?
I think so.
I don't want to appear like I'm just jumping on the band wagon here but really.. It looks like it came from the 80's. It's jagged, brightly coloured, not visually appealing in the slightest and seems to have offended far away countries such as Iran. Many people even state their 9 year old could have done better.
Whoever thought it up was really on a mission to make it the most annoying, ugly logo ever and make enough people talk about it for it to get well known. This works quite a lot for advertising products, but I'm not sure what they meant to achieve here!
I feel the previous olympic logos leaned towards showing off their own style or something about their country. I would have preferred something more boring, classic looking. I like how the designers tried to say it was to include everyone, before aiming it at young people. I'm sure most of the older generations will not enjoy the insanely bright colour choices here. So does this even work? Growing up I haven't ever followed the olympics, not without soon flicking around to find something better. The only people I know who watch it are older. Personally, I feel a lot of this makes no sense. Who is this aimed at?
I don't feel like everything has to be plain and boring when appealing to a larger audience. Everything at once though? I'm not liking it. I just feel the logo says nothing about the country it's held in other than we make terrible logos. It is mostly just a date in horrible colours.
If I'm honest the branding in black and white actually looks quite nice. It's a memorable shape overall. But it's still ugly..
I think so.
I don't want to appear like I'm just jumping on the band wagon here but really.. It looks like it came from the 80's. It's jagged, brightly coloured, not visually appealing in the slightest and seems to have offended far away countries such as Iran. Many people even state their 9 year old could have done better.
Whoever thought it up was really on a mission to make it the most annoying, ugly logo ever and make enough people talk about it for it to get well known. This works quite a lot for advertising products, but I'm not sure what they meant to achieve here!
I feel the previous olympic logos leaned towards showing off their own style or something about their country. I would have preferred something more boring, classic looking. I like how the designers tried to say it was to include everyone, before aiming it at young people. I'm sure most of the older generations will not enjoy the insanely bright colour choices here. So does this even work? Growing up I haven't ever followed the olympics, not without soon flicking around to find something better. The only people I know who watch it are older. Personally, I feel a lot of this makes no sense. Who is this aimed at?
I don't feel like everything has to be plain and boring when appealing to a larger audience. Everything at once though? I'm not liking it. I just feel the logo says nothing about the country it's held in other than we make terrible logos. It is mostly just a date in horrible colours.
If I'm honest the branding in black and white actually looks quite nice. It's a memorable shape overall. But it's still ugly..
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