#Conceptstatement

[clepsydraa]

Concept Statement

Our art installation aims to explore the mindlessness of online consumption in the modern paradigm by utilising superstitions as a satirical motif.

In our world, superstitions exist to warn of bad luck and danger – often being attached with pre-existing negative associations. However, in our reimagined world, these superstitions are depicted as positive after being commodified for their trendy aesthetic appeal. Through our installation, we seek to intrigue, spark curiosity (and humour!) and commentate broadly on the absurdity of social media culture – where mere objects and the meaning we ascribe to these objects can be radically shifted for exploitative means such as individual validation. We hope to bring awareness to the importance of preserving meaning/value in not just an object’s aesthetic appeal (that shifts overtime), but more so their functional or cultural value. Superstitions preserve parts of a culture or period in time – and hence, we should be more mindful in how we attribute meaning/value to objects throughout time. 

We intend to execute this idea by amalgamating common superstitious objects (e.g. salt, black cat, shattered mirror, wood, etc) with virtual technologies (e.g. projection, hologram, etc) to produce a multi-sensory experience that engages the human body in its entirety.

This idea was born from our initial and broader idea of communication, semiotics (attaching meaning to symbols and objects) and non-verbal human behaviour.

[ushiocha]

Concept Statement

Our art installation aims to explore the mindlessness of human consumption in the modern paradigm by utilising superstitions as a satirical motif. In our world, superstitions exist to warn of bad luck or danger – often being attached with preexisting negative associations. However, in our newly imagined society, these superstitions are viewed as highly positive as they are commodified for their aesthetics and trendy appeal.

Through our installation, we seek to intrigue, spark curiosity (and humour!) and commentate broadly on the absurdity of social media culture – where mere objects of cultural or functional value are superficially reduced for the public gaze. We intend to reimagine these superstitions as as broader commentary on social media culture by challenging what it means to consume media mindfully. We hope to incorporate a range of senses by encouraging the audience to interact with various superstitious symbols (e.g. a shattered mirror, black cat, salt, wood, etc) that are reimagined for public consumption.

This idea was born from our initial and broader idea of communication, semiotics (attachment of meaning to symbols and objects), human behaviour and non-verbal human interaction.

[jademessihadad1002-blog]

Concept Statement

Glacial Glitch, 2018

Oil on Canvas, video, projector. 

July 2018 I visited Alaska, visiting glaciers in Juneau, Skagway and along the Tracey Arm Fjord. Their sights weren’t only breathtaking but inspiring. Researching into the glaciers I found that they are facing massive retreats, losing meters and meters of ice a year all as a result of global warming. The negative repercussions of this loss of glacial ice means there will be detrimental to both society and the environment. Rises in sea levels will lead to flooding of coastal homes, the loss of glacial runoff will cut off clean water supplies for rural communities and the globe will be at a loss of a spectacular ruin of the ice age. 

The organic and synthetic are intrinsically connected to each other. We could not have the synthetic without the organic existing before it. When looking at the two binaries it is important to realise that they are not distinct from each other but correlate. The synthetic is an adaption of the organic often to enhance qualities of the organic. Through my work Glacial Glitch I aim to analyse and question the potential impact synthetic forces would have on organic structures such as glaciers. Could they potentially preserve the environmental ruins? Synthetic recreations of environments are seen all over the world, creating virtual spaces of both man-made and environmental structures. Las Vegas exhibit an indoor Venice and Disney Lands Epcot showcase a series of different cultured lands. Would it not be possible to recreate glacial landscapes in order to preserve their aesthetic qualities to promote tourism? Or is there the potential that synthetic devices could be put in place to preserve segments of glaciers?

My work encompasses an oil painting of Mead Glacier, adapted from a photograph I took when I hiked along the glacier. Additionally a video work of the same photo but glitched is projected onto the painting. I worked with both the mediums separately at first in my experiments, testing out ideas and different mediums, however, I felt that combining the two together would make for a cohesive, resolved work that would successfully convey my ideas. The two components together question the relationship the synthetic has over the organic, and how there are un-engaged possibilities that the synthetic could have over preserving the organic. It additionally looks at synthetic reproductions and in reverse organic reproductions related both to materiality and conceptuality. 

The process of my work involved with manipulating a photograph I took of Mead Glacier. I went into photoshop and edited the image to illustrate a painterly quality that I could translate into my oil painting. I primed my canvas, painted an underlayer in acrylic and then added multiple oil layers to resolve my painting. For my glitched video, I used the same photograph, editing different layers with distortion filters and playing it in a timeline setting on photoshop. It is then that I exported it to be displayed on the painting using a projector. I researched many different artists, first looking at artists who played with different mediums that deteriorated over time however moved on from this idea and looked at youtube artists who manipulated photographs and heavily looked into research of glaciers around the world to help inform my work. 

[adaxucofa]

Time-based Collaborative Project - Concept Statement

For this group task, we were inspired by Nam June Paik’s installation Random Access (1963/2000) and chose to address the idea of vagueness. For his installation, Nam June Paik invites the audience to interact with pieces of the tape recorder, creating random, directionless vectors. With the intention of emulating his techniques, we chose a different ordinary object—an umbrella—to portray the idea of vagueness, subverting the conventional purpose of an umbrella. To begin, we created a rough storyboard, which highlighted the main ideas we wanted to explore. The video itself, which went on to become our final artwork, showcases an engagement with the umbrella that is incredibly vague—from the very start, the umbrella is being used despite the lack of rain or sunshine. Throughout the video, this engagement becomes more and more erratic—the umbrella itself is taken apart and the different sections of it are used to create new meanings: the chaotic editing and harsh sounds combine to form an atmosphere of distress and disorder as the umbrella is deconstructed; a metal rod becomes an instrument by being dragged along a fence or along the ground; bending the umbrella wire, we replicated the shapes of the heart monitor waves; the spokes are used to stab repeatedly into the fabric so that the umbrella is effectively destroying itself, et cetera. As such, the umbrella gradually becomes a symbol for aggression and confusion—both contributing factors to the very vague emotion of sadness. This entire, complex process merges to embody the notion of vagueness, becoming a work of art in and of itself, as is the case with Random Access. 

Group members: @adaxucofa @jasminemunder @cofa-bonniekim @monikacofa

Bibliography

Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2001. ‘Installing “Random Access” - Nam June Paik: Global Visionary - Time-lapse’, Nam June Paik Estate. Accessed on 10/04/2018. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVGl6DoOIVc

Tan, E. 2013. ‘Hospital Sound’. Accessed on 26/04/2018. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXCyzPMEoXM&t=149s

[heal2018]

Assessment 1: Concept Statement

Question 1: Art and design often explore relationships between humans and non-humans, the environment and ecology. How can contemporary art and design propose new possibilities for imagining the ‘human’ and the environment?

Concept Statement

Humanity is a parasitic organism that defends it’s dominion over the environment. It ravages flora and fauna and takes with disregard of consequences. This artwork challenges this current reality and proposes new possibilities for how humanity can interact with the environment.

The artwork ‘1:26’ is created through the combination of needle-felted patches displaying images of animals attached to a leather coat accompanied by a price tag adorned with a biblical quote. The title displays the verse number of the same quote. In addition, it is the number of cows killed worldwide in the time it takes to read the verse aloud.

Viewers are encouraged to touch and wear the coat. This interactivity not only symbolises humanity’s ability to exercise control over animals, but also symbolises the burden of death and destruction weighing on their back, confronting them of the repercussions of humanity’s parasitic lifestyle. The interactive element presents a dichotomy of both dominion and responsibility.

The symbolism of the price tag conveys the cost of life for our luxuries. This message is further exemplified by the quote adorning the tag. This verse is often used as a defence for animal exploitation, stating that we have a god-given authority over them, but can also be interpreted as humanity bearing the responsibility of a care-taker in a symbiotic relationship. The individuality of the patches represents the new possibilities of humans interacting with the environment. It highlights the individuality of each creature and conveys that they’re worth more than their products.

This artwork was inspired by the work of Cao Hui, Nathan Meltz, and Dani Ives. Whose work displays the use of animals in everyday life, their industrialisation into units of production as well as their loveable individuality.

This artwork conveys that dominion is not self-serving privilege but a grave responsibility of mankind.

(300 words)

[jasminemunder]

FINAL WORK - CONCEPT STATEMENT

My final work showcases an organisation of the square shapes that form movement along a path outside the main frame. These shapes follow the concept of ‘thinking outside the box’ and how our imagination needs to be explored deeply in creative ways.

In my first experiment, the ‘motion’ of the 2D box and particular geometric shapes it created, really inspired the way the boxes in my final work are arranged. A box shape was first cut out from a cardboard box, 14x14cm. Each shape was reduced by 1cm to maintain consistency and uniformity. From there, the idea of ‘vagueness’ in experiment three, further conveys how my final work looks minimal and simple. I avoided overdoing my work as I feel it would have moved away from my concept and main purpose. Finally, experiment four and five had many overlapping 2D square shapes, forming optical illusions. This inspired the overlapping and see-through effect in my final work. This ‘see-through’ effect, emphasises ideas of ‘thinking deeper’ or ‘seeing beyond the surface’.

From this assessment, I have been able to understand the benefits of experimentation and reflection, which allow one to gain better insight into what they are creating.

[ellie-kallmier-blog]

FINAL WORK - STATEMENT

This work evolved slowly through a process of layering, transforming, projecting and editing. It started with a mundane stack of plastic food containers and some perceptions of what a ‘box’ can be; as the physical aspects of those boxes were stripped away and redefined, so were the ideas that contained them. Working with an inquiry-led practice separate from any effort to conceptualise or define an artwork felt unfamiliar, so this process began with some hesitation. However, as each new layer was created and manipulated into something unrecognisable, that caution faded and became excitement to just play, experience and reflect. After playing with some of the ways through which line and colour found in the everyday (plastic food containers) could be manipulated digitally, printing the altered images onto acetate sheets forced them back into physical ‘reality’. Natural light projected the transparent prints onto a crumpled bed-sheet, finally creating these ethereal dreamscapes. This process has generated a new, practice-based approach to art making that pushed me into a world of technology in art that feels uncomfortable and unfamiliar. Only through the continued experimentation with this tension was I able to produce these surreal, abstracted scenes of colour, built from boxes.

[shichao-luo]

Concept statement V2

The structure is a private space fulfilled with my whims and biases. I am the queen of my kingdom, I am the one who sets the system and rules, everyone within the space should obey them unconditionally - sounds self-centred but feels tempting to me.

There is a big NO if my target audiences are only jewellers. They have already done a very good job by using 3D modelling toolkit (Stouhi, 2018). It will be a pure exploration towards my interpretation of imagination and sub-consciousness and everyone who wants to enter the world is welcome. I will still stick on orthodox literature and classical art to quote in my creation.

[jakkary]

Assessment Three:

Final Works & Concept Statement 

For my final work, I wanted to combine aspects from previous works whilst further developing the concepts which I had explored earlier in the semester, continuing on with the topic from Assessment Two, Week two - Experimentation and Contemplation. I chose to focus in on the specific themes addressed in Assessment Two, inspired by Nikki de Saint Phalle - political protest directed towards specific modern issues. Furthermore, adding aspects from other artists explored in Week Two into my last piece, for example, the playfulness and protest found in Jonothan Messe’s works.

I wanted to challenge my skills with digital media for this work, utilizing Adobe Photoshop, Picasa, and Lucidpress. My first experiment involved creating cut outs of each politician, stuck on to a backdrop of text from speeches relating to their controversial forthcomings - the text turned upside down represents ’upside down views’ and bold is utilized to highlight areas of the transcript. Another experiment involved creating three sound files using Garageband and Soundcloud, again using audio from relevant speeches, then overlapped with the sound of crying. Then, combining what I had learned through my investigation, I wanted to create one final piece that would complete this series of works.

After further research, I found images of relevant and modern political protests that were targeted at each specific figure, then, using Adobe Photoshop I edited, layered and merged these images into three separate final pieces. In the first image, you see Trump’s headshot, juxtaposed with an image of a Muslim protest. After this, you see Hanson’s headshot contrasting with a rally directed personally towards the figure and her policies. Lastly, Turnbull is portrayed juxtaposed with a colorful gay pride rally. The relationships between these groups were explored in depth throughout Assessment Two and here I have attempted to recreate that same sense of meaning which was originally conveyed through video and sound, but rather through a powerful still image.

Joseph Akkary

z3441795

[annaengesser-blog]

Concept Statement - Bye bye Handmade

In much of contemporary life and culture, there is a definite yearning for the now, a desire to know and understand without inhibition or consequence. Immersed in an all-consuming digital, largely capitalist sphere, the artist or craftsman is forced to legitimise the originality of their work, to carve a place for these to transcend time and place, in the same way as the peddle vouches for wellbeing of the consumer. This means the artist is in a constant collaboration with the landscapes around them, whether we define these as cultural and political, or natural, whether it entail the passing down of knowledge or challenging what we may already know and attest to understanding. Yet, my final work attempts to invite insight into a narrative where traditional methods of craft are replaced in favour of the ‘fast’ and the easily ‘familiar.’

Traditionally, the depiction of hands in the creative domains has come to symbolise knowledge, richness and longevity of life, and work or labour. Yet again in collaboration with my mother, I experimented with photography, a medium I am relatively unfamiliar with; unconventionally executed using a photocopier. Recruiting both her hands and mine as the subjects of my works, I captured the limbs in different poses with reference to the anatomical etchings of the Italian Renaissance. In combination with our hands, either showcased alone or together, we also experimented with photocopying different types of fabric, from silk to chiffon, both which produced somewhat haunting results when captured on their own, or, when intertwined with the hands, works as a definite reference to skilled, textile-focused labour.  My mother’s hands, to me, represent love and labour as cliche as it may seem - as it is. Her hands are always working, possess the blueprint for every skill at machine or needlepoint - are hands fit crafting. With reference Man Ray’s surrealist Rayographs of hands, my work here replaces tradition with convenience, as I made close to 100 copies and scans of the same subject with little thought to the number of resources employed. In this same way, I printed close to 300 copies of these photocopies, choosing a ‘select’ 15, I best thought showcased the hands as a commodity, the possessor of skills, as cheapy and as efficiently as possible within the time constraints. By repeating each image 30 times, and branding each with a unique Serial Number generated using an online source, the unique skills of man and machine here quite legitimately merge. The results were eerie, acting as a memorial rather than a celebration skills offered by the hands. I chose to present the prints in a stack, reminiscent of postcards or advertisements showcased in stands at galleries or cafes. They offer, or rather advertise, the hands as a mere commodity, memorialised rather cheaply, in ink. To reinforce the idea of the handmade, I rested the prints on old pattern paper, and tie one bundle with thread taken from my mother's collection. Essentially, my work explores a narrative within an inch of reality, where the handmade, those traditional skills and tasks, are made redundant no longer crafting to our humanity, our genealogy seeped into culture.

[yuliadad-blog]

Assessment 2 - Concept Statement

As a result of the feedback given from Assessment 1, I decided to continue exploring and further developing the concept of recycling and reusing materials, focusing on the impact of “human intervention” on the environment and the life cycle of paper materials.  

I wanted to highlight the importance of sustainability and recycling waste, to show that re-purposed materials can create new and interesting materials. Avoiding waste should be encouraged, especially in contemporary art and design practice, where we are constantly creating and discarding. Many contemporary artists choose to use recycled or reused objects to making art, “turning everyday trash into creative treasures”. When artists adopt this innovative approach, they create “environmental awareness” and help find a good use for unwanted materials.

The act of repurposing trash and materials which would have otherwise ended up in a landfill at best, means we are giving a second lease of life to objects that others have given up for dead. Recycling paper or making paper out of used paper can be shown as an “intervention” in the life cycle of paper, to further its lifespan, even as a result of human activity inflicted on the natural process of tree growth to mass-manufacture paper.

I tried to focus on paper items that I use, or waste materials around the home – a notebook that was filled, unread catalogues that are thrown in my mailbox weekly, daily newspapers that my parents read and discard, local takeaway menus and paper bags from shopping. I experimented with different textured materials, as well as making slight changes to the blending/pulping process to create a varied visual outcome in thickness, texture and aesthetic.

The texture and colours of the final outcome present remnants of the previous material while also metamorphosed into something completely new and usable.  

In Assessment 1, I focused on the visual aesthetics of the recycled paper, i.e. how to present it on a poster-form, how it should be trimmed or mounted, etc. I was able to present the pieces in way that showed the beautiful nature of recycled materials and the unpredictable elements in producing them, as well as showing trash doesn’t always have to be “ugly”. As a further developed project, in Assessment 2, I focused more on the actual usability of recycled materials – not just for art and design purposes, but for everyday use. Using all the different recycled sheets of paper I experimented with, I wanted to showcase all the different colours and textures in a unified way. I decided to bind them together in a book form, which would make it a usable product! I found it quite interesting that the idea of humans vs. the environment heavily influences the process of manufacturing paper, and through my “human intervention” of paper materials that are ready to be discarded, I was able to make it usable again, extending its life cycle and allowing for future re-use.

It is also interesting to note the amount of work and continued effort it took to create such a small “notebook” with limited pages – further highlighting how damaging mass-produced products are to the environment. Obviously, we can’t undo the paper that is made but we can do our part in preventing further unnecessary damage to the environment. Producing paper has a high environmental cost – “producing 1 ton of virgin fibre paper requires 24 trees, 32 million BTUs (British thermal unit, traditional unit of heat) of energy and produces 22,219 gallons of wastewater and 1,922 pounds of solid waste”. Recycling paper requires 0 trees!

In producing my final work, I took all of this into consideration, and worked within the restraints of only using recyclable materials. The end product is a fully functional, 100% recycled, environment-respecting, tree-hugging notebook created with love and purposefulness!

Al-Banna, Fatima (2017) “Recycling and Artwork”, EcoMENA, 4 June, 2017, https://www.ecomena.org/recycling-art/, accessed 18 September, 2018

Pirelli & C. S.p.A (2016) “Creative Recycling”, Pirelli, 27 April, 2016,  https://www.pirelli.com/global/en-ww/life/creative-recycling-the-art-of-recycling-for-the-environment-and-your-pocket, accessed 18 September, 2018

Temsamani, Ayate (2017) “Ways to Reduce and Reuse Paper Before You Recycle it”, Resource Center powered by Busch Systems, 9 June, 2017, https://www.buschsystems.com/resource-center/page/ways-to-reduce-and-reuse-paper-before-you-recycle-it, accessed 18 September, 2018

[kyl-zhg2]

Final Poster and Concept Statement

My poster is in response to question one. It depicts a phantasmagorical relationship between humans and the natural environment. More specifically, it explores an inherent metaphysical connection between the human identity and nature, a notion that is progressively challenged by the development of contemporary technology. 

Modern lifestyles have created a dissociation from nature as we mostly spend our time in doors engaged with digital technology, ultimately leading to a lower appreciation and understanding of the natural surroundings we live in. I reconceptualised this relationship as an enlightening experience to accentuate the enriching spiritual and emotional benefits humans can attain from a renewed interest in the natural landscape. 

The poster was drawn using Procreate on the iPad. Aesthetically, I drew influences from James Jean and Marijke Koger for their detailed psychedelic illustrations. I attempted to imitate their styles to emphasise the overwhelming sublimity of nature as a mode to attain spiritual enlightenment.

In retrospect, I could have significantly improved my poster by spending more time developing the concept and learning how to efficiently use the drawing software. I struggled with procrastination despite starting the assessment early due to a lack of a clear direction. I have noted that I should immediately pick topics that I am most confident and comfortable in finishing for my next assessments. Ultimately, I have realised that getting feedback from the tutor and other students early on is critical to gauge my progress.

References:

Schmuck, P, Psychology of Sustainable Development. in , Boston, MA, Springer US, 2002.

[just-jessica-adad1001-blog]

MAJOR PROJECT CONCEPT STATEMENT

. Contemporary art and design often looks at the idea of constructed binaries, such as man/woman, soft/hard, straight/gay, dirty/clean, organic/synthetic. Considering the history of these ‘pairs’, how can art and design interrogate these binaries and offers new insights?

The beauty/ugly paradigm reveals the power structures that influence certain idealisms and standards for an individual, especially as it intertwines with the West/East binary. Within East Asian countries, particularly Korea,cosmetic surgery is the most popular type of medical surgery, the most acclaimed being the “double eyelid surgery”. Many Asian people undergo multiple surgeries to achieve their idealised somewhat Western look. However the notion that plastic surgery in the East is primarily due to Westernization is often denied by doctors and patients themselves, saying that they just want to “fit in” with the contemporary idealistic features. Paradoxically the mass media advertises beauty with East Asian models that do not possess the traditional characteristics of their nationality, instead possessing features such as blue eyes, blonde hair and large oval eyes. This contradictory state questions what becomes of beauty/ugly when it is not clearly defined as West or East? Furthermore interrogating what becomes of the individual that undergoes these procedures to achieve the idealistic features whilst simultaneously not wanting to become “western”?

To explore the underlying state between the western/eastern influences on beauty and ugliness I looked into both aesthetic philosophy and the process of plastic surgery within Asia. I found that Aesthetic philosophy discusses the individual’s experience of beauty alongside what constitutes beauty, the subjective or objective. Soujangen critiques the notions of objective aesthetics and heavily discusses ideas that relate to subjective experience formulating persepectives on beauty. Comparatively Parret asks “ Is there a formless beauty? Does formlessness lead to ugliness? Can we aesthetically experience ugliness? “ which offers a perspective into ugliness being not the opposite of beauty but a beauty within itself. From Parret and Soujangen’s perspectives there is the notion of beauty through experience and ugliness through experience, which I believe is perfectly encapsulated within the culture of plastic surgery.

My exploration into plastic surgery was first looking at the physical process of it, seeing the medical knowledge and the physical changes occurring on the individual. After looking into the physical aspects of the plastic surgery I then wanted to see the social influences and ideas that invoke the need or desire to have surgery. Looking at several articles, many of the overarching themes was to look better, but in conjunction with that it was also due to popularity of surgery increasing. The ability to change and manipulate appearances allowed more people to alter the asianess of their features. Such as changing a very typical Asian monolid into a double eyelid or raising the bridge of the nose to get rid of the flat Asian nose. Whilst the plastic surgery industry denies that the beauty industry is westernised there is no denying that the industry does not promote Eastern features to begin with.

To interrogate beauty/ugly and west/East within the structures of plastic surgery in Asia I experimented with conducting my own types of body modification and cosmetic surgery. I used Ana Mendieta’s hair transplant work as well as Laura McRae’s and Bart Hess’ “low tech plastic surgery” as inspiration for my experiments. This was because the concepts were similar to what I wanted to explore and also because of the very refined but simple methods of body modification. The experiments were framed after what was deemed as the most popular surgeries in Asia. So there were double eyelid surgeries, lip reduction/englargement, chin, nose, cheekbone and jawline surgeries.

The final work is an accumulation of these different surgeries, organised into cosmetic kits. Three compact kits, all containing different tools for the surgeries that can all be performed within the comfort of home. The work is accompanied with a video of myself going through the process of the kits, altering my appearance through surgery. The kits are displayed along side the video to reveal the end results of each kit as something that is foreign from what was intended, like how Western features are surgically implanted into Asian faces. The idea is to express that the Asian culture is being sold Western ideals to make the East feel inadequate and alien-like within their own country. As put by Soujanen “ To judge aesthetically is “to reflect” one’s aesthetic values onto the objectified human”, thus the West reflecting “beauty” on to the East’s “ugly”.

[adaxucofa]

Curated Experiments - Final Artwork (Concept Statement)

One of the most obvious examples (ironically) of vagueness that we encounter in our day-to-day life would be the vagueness of dreams. This vagueness is further accentuated by the contrast between one’s memories of the dream - which are often crystal clear - and the vagueness of the dream itself - which becomes more vague as one attempts to recall it. Throughout my curated experiments, I attempted to recreate this vagueness through methods that are vague in and of themselves. I also sought to investigate the vague relationship between realism and surrealism, juxtaposing representations of physical objects from my bedroom (my pillow that forms different crinkles every morning I wake up, and focal points of my room which are the first things I see as soon as I wake up each morning) with the more abstract and surreal representations of the dreams themselves.

I chose bright, fluorescent colours to depict the vague shapes formed by my pillow in order to marry the psychedelic imagery of my dreams with the aspect of realism provided by the pillow. I experimented with multiple forms to create my final artwork: audio recording my sleep-talk then visually representing the sound-waves, journalling my dreams and creating a fragmented word collage, and the final ink drawing. And the final artwork itself serves as an embodiment of ‘vagueness’ not only through its content but also through its form as a vague mixture between a collage and a loosely bound booklet.

Bibliography

Blouin Artinfo International, Peter Golfinopoulos. Accessed on 22/05/2018. Available from: http://www.blouinartinfo.com/artists/6486-peter-golfinopoulos

Artsy, Adrian Ghenie’s Vincent van Gogh as Old (2014). Accessed on 22/05/2018. Available from: https://www.artsy.net/artwork/adrian-ghenie-vincent-van-gogh-as-old

TateShots, 2015. Tracey Emin – My Bed, 1999. Accessed on 22/05/2018. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv04ewpiqSc

[kaykay-design]

Assignment 2 700 word statement

Throughout history many designers/artists have explored the topic of constructed binaries and how art and design question them and bring new light to the meanings behind these “pairs”. In assignment one, I have decided to focus on man/woman, poor/rich, ugly/beautiful, and colors, showed the idea of “same right, same opportunities”. I really like about the concepts of my assignment, yes in this world, we need same right and equally everyone.

In this assignment two, I want to scope and focus only on Ugly/beautiful binary in mainly Korea and around the world.

In South Korea, as in much of the world, the beauty myth is still a reality for women. The pursuit of beauty is often an expectation, especially for those who seek social and professional success. The reason why I doing this binary of ugly/beautiful is , some job vacancies ads put the specific area that they want for example, applicants must be neat, beautiful ect. And also from point of applicants, some applicants are put their photos in resume to get a faster response from employees because they think they are beautiful. I think this kind of situation is unfair for some applicants. Yes, Of course, being good-looking or beautiful is great, but in relation to work, it should be their professionalism and skill that should be judged.

Physical appearance is too closely tied to protected categories, like sex and age that can generally be easily discerned from looking at a photo. In South Korea, though, photography studios catering to job applicants are common. Based on the response rate in the study, an attractive man needs to send an average of five resume  with a photo to get one interview. An ordinary-looking man needs to send 11 résumés with a photo to get a single interview. For this reason, South Korean President is looking into getting rid of requirements for photos on résumés; they should have done those decades ago. Requiring that is probably one of the biggest drivers of plastic surgery and low self-esteem.

I asked couple of question to myself: why is this happening? how to change it ? In this case, I did some experiments . Another research i’ve concerned is about “Job CV resume “. i see most of people put their photos in CV. Why ? Does is require for the job?. Attaching photos to resumes instigates looks-ism and leads to burdening expenses for job applicants. Because of this, i want to use grime art photo and put on example Resume and want to know the employees responses. Will they look the appearance or skill? In my opinion, depending on their appearances, the opportunities should not be created.  In the experiment, I used “Grime art” for plastic surgery ad. The reason i used about grime art is most people see this grime art first time, they said it gross or weird art. On the other hand, ‘Ugly’. For this ads,  Korean government announced it would phase out plastic surgery ads in subway stations by 2020, Media reports cited public outcry, with over a thousand complains, and requests asking the stations to take down such advertising. I agree with this situation because every people have his or her own kind of beauty of inside and outside in this world, there is no need to be flawless beauty. So i made some ugly advertisement poster related to this. The question is “Will people still want to do the plastic surgery after what they saw this kind of advertisement?”

I always see the products ads, in ads, they always used beautiful person who is related with the product or not. I really do not want that kind of ads if possible, i can understand the business, the money, product , more into customers. but can entertain with another way like above examples.

Overall , none of us should judge what they have been through. My decision was a result of being exposed to Korean women who were smart, young, attractive, successful — but innately unhappy. All the people are important and treat must be treat equally.

Bibliography

Npr.org. (2018). NPR Choice page. [online] Available at: https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2018/02/05/581765974/in-seoul-a-plastic-surgery-capital-residents-frown-on-ads-for-cosmetic-procedure [Accessed 10 Sep. 2018].

South China Morning Post. (2018). The Korean beauty industry: ugly face of a national obsession. [online] Available at: https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-luxury/article/2125286/k-beauty-ugly-face-south-koreas-obsession-women-looking [Accessed 10 Sep. 2018].

South China Morning Post. (2018). The Korean beauty industry: ugly face of a national obsession. [online] Available at: https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-luxury/article/2125286/k-beauty-ugly-face-south-koreas-obsession-women-looking [Accessed 10 Sep. 2018].