blogwanderingjournal-blog

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From Paris to Calais

My final exhibition piece was titled ‘Imprint’ and was in reference to the 2015 Paris attacks carried out by Isil militants. I was interested in how one night would affect the lives of thousands if not millions. My piece was a single bed with a duvet and cushions adorned with text and numbers referencing an aspect of the attack. The bed and bedding represented the nature of terrorist attacks, they’re repercussions affecting everyone. Whether that be the young boy who wakes up to find his father crying downstairs, a muslim woman who wakes up to the increased islamophobia and racism when she goes to the shops or the empty unused bed waiting for its rightful owner to never come home. I used silk screen printing to create these texts and numbers, however the final effect was not desired, the colours were to simplistic and the lines to sharp.

I want my work to encourage thought-provoking critical responses that question media representations and encourage social change. The aim is not a reaction of desire, thoughts of beauty or enjoyment.

Through the use of silk screen printing I propose to use found images that have been represented in the media of ‘the jungle’ juxtaposed with text that encourages thought. I have experimented in this style in the autumn term using a photograph of a young male refugee standing watching his home burn down in Calais paired with the statement ‘Welcome to the jungle’. I created several prints using the hand drawn outline of this male and the outline of his home. In this stage of experimentation I used various methods of paint placement and repetition of stencils to create varied effects. My first attempt using the house outline and the male outline was not effective, the green and blue background brought reminders of comfort and privilege to my mind which was not my desired response.

One of the most effective prints accidently mimicked the original photograph to quite a high level due to the colours of the flames in the photo and the placement of the male on the fabric. This was an accidental but effective outcome and I decided to continue working with this particular print.

I then decided to experiment with the use of stitch, argurably a highly ‘comfort’ inducing, universal craft to create further opposition between my choice of image and text. I wanted the stitch work, which I decided to intertwine my text with, to bring thoughts of unease and a notion of it not ‘fitting’ as per say. My needle work is extremely poor and I think a more precise stitch would be more effective. I also used needle work to outline my now several males printed on the fabric and through the use of stitching across the outline print, created a ‘trapped’ ‘barbed-wire’ effect. I really liked this effect as it reminded me of how the refugees are in a sense free to leave but with no where to go, he is trapped in himself.

Using silkscreen printing, as it is a form of print in relation to the media aspect of my research, I plan to use aspects of layering, freehand stencilling and experimentation with colours to explore my focus in more depth with the overall aim of my final exhibition. Aswell as silk screen printing I will continue the use of stitch, hopefully with improved technique aswell, to create this sense of comfort in opposition to the text and image.

If a social issue arises in the near future that I feel interested in I may change focus to a more current issue, whilst keeping my focus on media portrayals, representation and power.

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“We don’t disagree with the message…”

Photo and text from one of our volunteers in Calais

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How does the media enable social fear?

My interest is in art that enables social change and responds to a current social issue, through evoking a critical response of the audience. I have a particular interest in how the British media utilises their vast platforms to enable social fear and force hegemonic ideology. Building on sociological theory such as Cohens (1972) ‘Moral Panics’ and Foucault’s Theory of ‘Governmentality and Power’(1991).  I will propose my final exhibition piece will challenge these notions using the recent media coverage of the demolition of ‘the jungle’ in Calais.

‘The Jungle’ was an unofficial migrant camp in Calais France, which at its peak held up to ten thousand migrants hoping to seek asylum in Britain due to the conflict and unrest in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq that swelled in 2015. These “bunch of migrants” or “swarm of people” as David Cameron, our then prime minister stated, are fleeing violence, persecution, poverty and war. The United Kingdom’s prime minister used phrases that dehumanised the refugees whilst evoking a sense of danger and nuisance. Whilst Cameron was heavily criticised for his choice of words, the UK media uses dehumanising derogatory coverage of the refugee crisis like its accepted and normal. Recently the UK media has created a ‘moral panic’ over the age of refugee children that have been granted asylym, bringing fears and questions of age to the masses.

 ‘The Jungle’ was officially demolished in October 2016, with refugees being dispersed to various other regions of France. They were free to leave but with no where to go.

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This is audio footage of a phonecall by Ryan a scotsman who decided to move to the ‘jungle’ in Autumn 2015 and never left. In this audio clip you can hear Ryan discuss his fear of entering the camp for the first time and how all of those fears were completely dismissed. 

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Research

Ai Wei Wei is one of the many artists who’s art is in response to a current social issue. His installation which consisted of the names, date of births, gender and class of over five thousand students who died in the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake, with what he states is the fault of the Chinese Government poor building regulations. This particular piece adorned the walls of the Royal Academy in London 2016 and was arguably an attempt to humanise these students who tragically lost their lives, this installation required Ai Wei Wei and his team to personally research those lost as the government refused to release any names or the death toll. This is of particular interest as arguably the British press often dehumanise ‘migrants’ and refugees in their coverage.

More recently Ai Wei Wei has been documenting the current refugee crisis through his various social media accounts, in particular his Instagram. Ai Wei Wei visually recorded aspects of the refugee’s route to Calais, including capturing the thousands of bright orange life jackets piled high by the sea, ‘jungle’ life and the demolition of the ‘the jungle’ in Calais. Ai Wei Wei through a picture that he took on his phone, maybe with a filter and an intentional use of ‘tilt shift’ humanises the refugees and migrants.

 Jenny Holzer’s (1977-79) ‘Truisms’ was a collection of deliberately challenging slogans commonly said and pushed in contemporary society. At the centre of her work was the mass media and Holzer challenged this often displaying her ‘truisms’ in public spaces. Holzer’s deliberate challenge of the mass medias is of particular influence as it questions the notion of truth, power and representation.

 Rene Magritte’s work, in particular ‘The treachery of images’ (1929) questions definitions and representations.  His work was often a challenge to societial norms and beliefs, making the audience question representations.

Barbara Kruger’s use of found images paired with provocative texts are highly influential as they question the media, consumerism, power, identity and sexuality. Her piece titled ‘Untilted (Your body is a battleground)’ (1989) arguably shows the effectiveness of strong bold text paired with a found image. Kruger’s distinctive style only printed in black and white often over-laid with red text making a bold strong statement.

[blogwanderingjournal-blog]

From Paris to Calais

My final exhibition piece was titled ‘Imprint’ and was in reference to the 2015 Paris attacks carried out by Isil militants. I was interested in how one night would affect the lives of thousands if not millions. My piece was a single bed with a duvet and cushions adorned with text and numbers referencing an aspect of the attack. The bed and bedding represented the nature of terrorist attacks, they’re repercussions affecting everyone. Whether that be the young boy who wakes up to find his father crying downstairs, a muslim woman who wakes up to the increased islamophobia and racism when she goes to the shops or the empty unused bed waiting for its rightful owner to never come home. I used silk screen printing to create these texts and numbers, however the final effect was not desired, the colours were to simplistic and the lines to sharp.

I want my work to encourage thought-provoking critical responses that question media representations and encourage social change. The aim is not a reaction of desire, thoughts of beauty or enjoyment.

Through the use of silk screen printing I propose to use found images that have been represented in the media of ‘the jungle’ juxtaposed with text that encourages thought. I have experimented in this style in the autumn term using a photograph of a young male refugee standing watching his home burn down in Calais paired with the statement ‘Welcome to the jungle’. I created several prints using the hand drawn outline of this male and the outline of his home. In this stage of experimentation I used various methods of paint placement and repetition of stencils to create varied effects. My first attempt using the house outline and the male outline was not effective, the green and blue background brought reminders of comfort and privilege to my mind which was not my desired response.

One of the most effective prints accidently mimicked the original photograph to quite a high level due to the colours of the flames in the photo and the placement of the male on the fabric. This was an accidental but effective outcome and I decided to continue working with this particular print.

I then decided to experiment with the use of stitch, argurably a highly ‘comfort’ inducing, universal craft to create further opposition between my choice of image and text. I wanted the stitch work, which I decided to intertwine my text with, to bring thoughts of unease and a notion of it not ‘fitting’ as per say. My needle work is extremely poor and I think a more precise stitch would be more effective. I also used needle work to outline my now several males printed on the fabric and through the use of stitching across the outline print, created a ‘trapped’ ‘barbed-wire’ effect. I really liked this effect as it reminded me of how the refugees are in a sense free to leave but with no where to go, he is trapped in himself.

  Using silkscreen printing, as it is a form of print in relation to the media aspect of my research, I plan to use aspects of layering, freehand stencilling and experimentation with colours to explore my focus in more depth with the overall aim of my final exhibition. Aswell as silk screen printing I will continue the use of stitch, hopefully with improved technique aswell, to create this sense of comfort in opposition to the text and image.

 If a social issue arises in the near future that I feel interested in I may change focus to a more current issue, whilst keeping my focus on media portrayals, representation and power.

[blogwanderingjournal-blog]

References

Cohen, S. (1972) Folk devils and moral panics: The creation of the Mods and rockers. London: Taylor and Francis (Routledge)

Foucault, M. (1991) ‘Governmentality’, in Burchell, G., Gordon, C., and Miller, P. (eds.) The Foucault effect: studies in governmental rationality. Hemel Hempstead: Harvester Wheatsheaf, pp. 87–104.

 Kruger, B. (1989) Untitled (Your body is a battleground) [photographic silkscreen on vinyl]. Available at: http://www.thebroad.org/art/barbara-kruger/untitled-your-body-battleground (Accessed: 2 January 2017).

 Magritte, R. (1929) The Treachery of Images Available at: http://www.renemagritte.org/the-treachery-of-images.jsp (Accessed: 4 January 2017).

 Mason, R. and Perraudin, F. (2016) Cameron’s ‘bunch of migrants’ jibe is callous and dehumanising, say MPs. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jan/27/david-cameron-bunch-of-migrants-jibe-pmqs-callous-dehumanising (Accessed: 5 January 2017).

 Powell, T. (2016) Pressure builds for more rigorous age tests of ‘child’ Calais migrants. Available at: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/calais-migrant-children-pressure-mounts-on-home-office-to-carry-out-more-rigorous-age-tests-a3372746.html (Accessed: 1 January 2017).

 BBC (2016) Calais ‘jungle’: Demolition crews pull down migrant camp. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-37759032 (Accessed: 6 January 2017).

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Before and after photos of what was an unaccompanied minor’s home

Photos from a volunteer in Calais

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Photo from Calais

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FRANCE, Calais : A migrant looks at shacks burning during the dismantling of half of the “Jungle” migrant camp in the French northern port city of Calais, on February 29, 2016. Clashes broke out between French riot police and migrants on February 29 as bulldozers moved into the grim shantytown on the edge of Calais known as the “Jungle” to start destroying hundreds of makeshift shelters. AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE HUGUEN / AFP / PHILIPPE HUGUEN                        

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british newspapers

the sun: IMMIGRANT NAZI JIHADI OBESE SINGLE MUMS ARE STEALING YOUR BENEFITS, also soft porn in the newspaper is every british man's right god save the queen

the daily mail: EVIL COMMUNIST CORBYN LINKED TO CANCER RISK. Plus: Is Gay Marriage Desecrating Margaret Thatcher's Corpse And Irradiating Your Home?

the daily express: Britain set for ARTIC BLAST in WORST WINTER IN 3 MILLION YEARS (we really mean it this time)

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The Daily Mail, racist and as subtle as a brick.