Exercise 10 South African style and Subcultures

South African style and Subcultures

Here are a few South African artists whose art styles appeal to me.

Anton Kannemeyer
Kannemeyer is known for his works for challenging the rigid image of Afrikaners promoted under Apartheid. Kannemeyer’s works deal with the issues of race relations and colonialism. Kannemeyer does this by making use of Hergé’s style of the Tintiin comics and creating satires on the stereotypes of white people being superior, literate and civilised and black people being savage, and illiterate.

Image links:

http://www.artprintsa.com/anton-kannemeyer.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Kannemeyer

http://www.artprintsa.com/images/AntonPeekaboo13.jpg

http://www.artprintsa.com/images/AntonspeakEnglish13.jpg

http://www.artthrob.co.za/06july/images/kannemeyer02a.jpg

http://classconnection.s3.amazonaws.com/801/flashcards/1411801/jpg/ant1336186962894.jpg

http://www.du9.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/antonalphabetofdemocracy1.jpg


Walter Battiss

Walter Battiss is known as an abstract artist. Battiss is also known for creating his own country called “Fook Island”. Battiss was first interested archaeology and tribal art when he was a young boy. This would show in his art later in life. Battiss had been devoted to the study of man in his environment, mainly in the context Africa and rock art.

Image links:
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Battiss

http://walterbattiss.co.za/about-the-artist/

http://chessaleeinlondon.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/battis.jpg

http://www.absolutart.co.za/wp-content/gallery/battiss-walter/9234.jpg

http://laurensbarnard.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/650x650/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/z/_/z_battiss_fookm_island_note_front_dsc_0290_size_13_5cm_x_9_5_mail.jpg

http://quickonline.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/walter1.jpg

http://www.artvalue.com/image.aspx?PHOTO_ID=2451181&width=500&height=500




The Heavy Metal Subculture
Otherwise known as just “metal”, this subculture came about due to fans appreciation of music from the heavy metal genre. To further affirm one’s place as a member of the metal subculture, other than sharing an appreciation for the music, one would attend heavy metal concerts, buying the albums of metal bands, and contributing to websites about heavy metal.

The heavy meal subculture has been created as “a subculture of alienation” and members of this subculture have their own standards of attaining authenticity to be apart of the group. Metal fans have created a community that is exclusively for the youth that is distinctive and away from all that is mainstream in society. However, the heavy metal scene as developed to be strongly masculine community.

To ensure the code of authenticity that is central in the heavy subculture bands have to have a disinterest in what is considered mainstream with music, such as radio hits.  There is also an opposition to authority and being totally devoted to their music. The demographics of heavy metal mainly tend to be white, male, lower/middle class youth.

Heavy Metal Fashion

Heavy Metal Album Art

Image Links:


http://www.steffmetal.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/rhapsody-of-fire-250x300.jpg

http://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lv297xwmjk1qfy3nvo1_500.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_doDc-39zKA5oj0jdK4GTr7zXcJ68HWzWO1B4JKbWhVFn0xZztobn0PqkatZxWr-W_kYE-9dm3DnzavDAsKGvcthOoxdeoIkD9KB1xD1OferobZCqXRJl6pdaPQFmAJRFW3OTZdxCVjw/s640/nicole.jpg

http://kimkardashian.celebuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Kim-Kardashian-Heavy-Metal-Muse-Fashion-Inspiration-061112-6-491x707.jpg

http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/236x/8a/d7/e8/8ad7e80e13f8171f23c107a117f527d8.jpg

http://www.catwalkqueen.tv/assets_c/2009/06/kelly%20gs-thumb-430x331-89447.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguEgykzznsvwdG0tKHfpL2UgF-HzXvExSmWuBT6yGV1ezCJfXIG2B_oRnX5DJ5zWpyZZS3Az3BlMbgxfhJzuScNrToMj19ys0U33OhF0U1E1FT5m23FgE-wI1uo-46WiXC82LfPTY27Y0/s1600/Black-Metal-Barbies-5.jpg

http://kimkardashian.celebuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Kim-Kardashian-Heavy-Metal-Muse-Fashion-Inspiration-061112-9-491x367.jpg

http://img.buzznet.com/assets/imgx/1/6/0/8/0/2/8/1/orig-16080281.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJUU5OLyXvRZr_IgKDXcM7dvRcw3r4ZU5rNvqULCqiAP2B5cAcDBaA1v-C8cJVfJArWQJkAyGxAzSRcPRa-4X0hke9xFc4uCARaAsvWQQg9mVwF1-lVmvbkuxgOE4z_IvjpbLxCrOWFz9/s400/metal.jpg

http://popblerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/legacyofdisorder_album_cover.jpg

http://cdn-i.dmdentertainment.com/cracked/wong/pahana3.jpg

http://www.ocartblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/blue_record_large-545x545.jpg

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w57/miwiyam/uziemperado/portfolio/6.jpg

http://operationgraphite.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/album_iron_maiden_number_of_the_beast_ironmaidenwallpaper-com.jpg

Exercise 2. Design Magazine

 Enjin Magazine

www.issuu.com/enjincr/docs/enjin47

This local magazine is made for designers in all fields of design. The layout of the magazine follows a grid structure for the placement of body copy and imagery. This gives the layout a simplistic look. The content is not restricted to graphic designers only, as they address articles on photography, architecture, illustration, recommended reading for people involved or who have an interest in design.

They make use of a mixture of serif and sans-serif typefaces in the magazine adding interest to the articles and making them easy to read and the pages don’t appear too busy with type and image. The colours they’ve used appear to be a mixture yellow and an olive green, giving it a gold look in colour. This colour is mainly used for heading and a magenta for links to website. This also doesn’t make the content look too jarring to the viewer and gives a feel of sophistication.

Exercise 9 - Digital Age

Image links

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/08/12/sunday-review/12TRUST/12TRUST-articleLarge.jpg

http://juliewasher.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/digital-age.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7geifdvnfDhOJvhLh5ZBSonzsfsU86WJecoTC7t_zvTYbayUpDxq1M4uvEI3MF5kJzEdGMIukfrRpQCXWLLR350BwQySob2A1AoFQ9WyzRQkGyJgihC2jsJqAQykRlSWFudKYKVStCS0/s1600/Fractal.jpg

http://art.ngfiles.com/images/58000/58721_los-tres-hermanos_the-horrors-of-the-digital-age.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8bwsa1xYOvMzulr9TMKpohurMs-jOwUj36ZrOKnvZH2lYVI3-DZazw-JS48FQ8bTdjwRLf00awgw4bGnYxtucnCQQFiGII3uJw9WJf1dfa-iuwaCEN4Z8IfA1xcDoeb7SEWpCEFhUtA/s400/geekkids.jpg

http://www.telemetrylabs.com/SiteMedia/Telemetry-Labs/Homepage/cloud-based-homepage.png?width=305&height=306&ext=.png

http://usscospeaks.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Digital-World.jpg

http://s.hswstatic.com/gif/virtual-reality-8.jpg

Exercise 8

Exercise 8

Konik, I. 2007. “Thematising the ugly side of sublime technological development in Sonzero’s Pulse (2006) as an inadvertent critique of the ‘technocentricism’ of postmodernity”. South African Journal of Art History 22(3).

Before I go about giving my view on what Konik is saying about the Sonzero’s movie Pulse (2006), let’s look into what the movie is about. Sonzero’s Pulse (2006) is an English remake of the Japanese 2001 film also called Pulse, or otherwise known as Kairo in Japanese, directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, which is also based on his novel of the same title.

Both movies plots follow the idea ghosts invading the world of the living via the Internet or computer server and this spreads around the world as a virus thus creating an apocalyptic world to which people need to escape from technology. It is stated that the Japanese film is “a philosophical exploration into the alienation and loneliness of modern existence due to technology,” whereas the English film shows people having to abandon technological devices i.e. cellphones; computers; internet connection; etc., to be freed form these ghosts.

[ For further reading on the both of these movies see:
•    www.imdb.com/title/tt0454919/
•    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse_(2006_film)
•    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kairo_(film) ]

Now, moving on to Konik’s statement on Sonzero’s Pulse (2006). Konik is saying that the themes that follow in Pulse (2006) of showing how technology takes over people’s lives and how it becomes autonomous almost taking away the human element with how people interact with technology, i.e. technocentricism.

The theories on technocentricism come from Lyotard and Kristeva, who argue that the effect technology can have a negative impact on people to the point that the “human” aspect is no longer needed or serves no purpose in the technological process as it is now automated. This is especially so as technology is highly capitalised almost to the point that we as people cannot live without them.
Such themes are shown in the movie by the thing creating autonomy (the ghosts) invading through the computers and cellphones, the only solution to escape these ghosts (as aforementioned) is to abandon all technology in order to be freed from such a fate.

Exercise 7

Exercise 7. Modernism and Postmodernism


What is Modernism and Postmodernism?

In terms of graphic design Modernism is considered to be a style or a movement that aims to move away significantly from classical and traditional forms of art and design.    This movement came about during the time of the Industrial Revolution when designers felt that they had to change their traditional beliefs for them to be in accordance with modern ideas. This led to designs, which were once one-of-a-kind pieces, to being mass-produced with the advancement of technological processes.

Postmodernism came about the late 20th century and had sort to move away from modernism by making use of earlier styles and conventions and mixing different artistic styles and media that had once been rejected by modern artists and designers.

Here is a table listing some of the differences between Modernist and Postmodernist approaches, methods and values.   

Modernism


•    Clean
•    Simplicity
•    Minimalist
•    Original, blank slate
•    Whole and pristine. Has integrity.
•    Rejection of realism
•    Made use of form following function
•    Abstract
•    Logical and ordered




Postmodernism

•    Juxtaposition
•    Complexity
•    Realism
•    Appropriated, borrowed, making new form what’s old
•    Incomplete, damaged, broken, torn, scratched, stained, compromised
•    Untraditional
•    Holds no boundaries
•    Figurative
•    Illogical and disjointed

United Colours of Benetton - Exercise 6

“United Colours of Benetton” is clothing, that originally went by the name “Benetton”. Benetton was a small Italian company, which had started in 1963, had produced hand-knitted wool sweaters in classic colours. To appeal to the youth market, the company had decided to produce the sweaters in bold, bright and fun colours. This led the company changing the name to “United Colours of Benetton”.

United Colours of Benetton had become famous more for their radical approach to the advertising rather than their clothing. Their past campaigns used very graphic Images and would focus on controversial issued such as the dearth penalty, AIDS, racism, cultural conflict, world hunger and child labour.

A black and a white child hugging each other. Here they pick on how black people had been viewed as being evil, hence the hair being shaped like devil horns.

This image here shows a family mourning over a family member, David Kirby, dying from AIDS.

Here three human hearts are shown. This addresses racism issues on how people judge each other based on their skin colour, if you had to strip away the skin, how do you tell each other apart when we are all the same inside.

 

Here a priest and nun shown sharing a romantic kiss. This advert had caused a great stir among religious communities that it had been taken down.

 

Here shows the use of child labour.

Here is a statement that people commit crime not matter what race they are.

Image links:

http://de.fishki.net/picsw/042008/11/Benetton/006_benetton.jpg

http://passouline.blog.lemonde.fr/files/2008/06/contro4.1214328447.jpg

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052970203611404577041843336351290

http://www.iconicphotos.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/2602.jpg

http://www.positivelite.com/component/zoo/item/do-scare-tactics-work-ny-s-psa-it-s-never-just-hiv

http://www.iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/fall01/braun/labor/html

http://www.photoguides.net/10-powerful-photographic-ads-from-benetton

Exercises 4 & 5

Exercise 4. First Things First Manifesto and the Incomplete Manifesto for Growth (Bruce Mau)

The First Things First Manifesto is a collaboration of graphic designers stating their opinions and views in a single article as to what graphic designers do. They talk about how a graphic designer’s job is considered to be one that only deals with creating adverts and promotional items to sell menial products.

These design talk about how they fear that these jobs are being considered to be the only thing a graphic designer does, when such were mainly done to help put food on the table. They state that a graphic designer’s job is more than just creating advertisements. Graphic designers serve a larger purpose be using their talents to problem-solve and communicate things visually to people and make them aware of other issues that have an effect on us in the world.

The incomplete manifesto for growth by Bruce Mau states the things that Mau has done or does that help him grow as a designer. It’s the incomplete manifesto as we never growing not just as designer, but also as people.

Exercise 5. South African Conceptual Design

Gun-Free South Africa Campaign

This campaign promotes of South Africa being gun-free, as many deaths occur in South Africa because of people using guns.

To bring about this awareness, posters and flyers were made to encourage people to join in the national firearms amnesty. The posters read:

• ·      “With thousands of stolen and illegal guns in our streets, there is a bullet out there with your name on it”

·      Join the unarmed majority! 98% of South Africans do not own guns and want to keep South Africa gun free”.

To gain the public’s attention even further, stickers were made in the shape of guns with these phrases as well and stuck onto large pieces on furniture (cupboards, chest of drawers, etc.) and the furniture were placed in different areas, like train stations, shopping malls, etc. They read as:

"You're not the only one who knows where you keep your gun".

This had surprised passers-by to find pieces of furniture in public that they would stop to read what was on the stickers.

Arrive Alive “Fine-to-Drive”

In this campaign is to make people aware not to drive and drive. To get people’s attention they made use of life size stickers of people in several positions that help represent what people look like when they are intoxicated and disorientated, and placed them in toilet cubicles, next to urinals, and parking lots.

These stickers have phrases written on them such as:

 

•  "I just need to get it out of my system."
• “I’ll sober up when I’m behind the wheel.”
•  “Just give me 5 min and I’ll be fine to drive.”
• “I’ve driven home like this hundreds of times.”
• “I’m cool to drive. I just live up the road.”
• " Don’t worry. I know my limits”

These are common things that are said by people and by having the on the character’s t-shirts and the viewer taking into account the character’s appearance it is plain to see that they are no okay. Plus with how big the stickers are and the placement of them it forces people to face the reality of what they could like when they are drunk and could happen if they drink and drive, without using any major scare tactics.

 

Exclusive Books Noseweek

This is a humorous campaign that Exclusive Books held to build awareness to the political exposé magazine, Noseweek. Each Exclusive Books store has a Seattle coffee shop adjoining it, which a magazine stand, that contains the Noseweek, is placed between the stores.

To encourage participation with the brand and to increase sales, coffee stirrers with major political figures on them were made. These stirrers are used along with coffee mugs with tags on them saying, “Who’s in hot water?” These stirrers were given to anyone who had ordered coffee from Seattle Coffee Co in Exclusive Books stores countrywide.

 

Image links:

http://www.iansa.org/resource/2011/05/week-of-action-campaign-ideas-gun-free-south-africa-%E2%80%93-firearms-amnesty-campaign-201

http://www.stephencater.com/2007/12/south-african-drink-drive-campaign.html

http://www.ibelieveinadv.com/commons2/Exclusive-Books-Noseweek.jpg