Modernism

Well the definition of modernism is a modern thought, practice, or character. The modernist movement in the world of art hit the western society in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Some people in this day and age have defined modernism to be a progressive trend within society that provokes the power of humans to create, improve and reshape the environment they live in with the help of science, practical experiments and technology. Here is a link of Jackson Pollock’s tribute website: http://www.jacksonpollock.com/ (©2003–present JacksonPollock.com, 2003). He's work was seen as modernist art because of his abstract work, which challenged conventions.

Post modernism is rather difficult to define as it doesn’t really have an established meaning as a whole. A person can believe in their own way of what post modernism is for example in this video I got the impression of this person believing in this about post modernism: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ehh1b6kNWA this video is called modernism/postmodernism? (jacktheripper29, 2011). Not a means of doing philosophy, but rather a way of approaching traditional ideas and practices, (modernist ideas and practices) in non-traditional ways that derives from already established modes.

References:

·         ©2003–present JacksonPollock.com (2003) Available at: http://www.jacksonpollock.com/ (accessed: 13^th April 2012).

·        jacktheripper29 (2011) what is modernism/postmodernism? Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ehh1b6kNWA (accessed: 13^th April 2012).

Identity

We all have an identity it is built up from religion, race, class, culture, sexuality and gender. In order to define the meaning of identity you have identify yourself as a person, what makes me, me? It is those factors that I have said above is what makes us unique. Well I know I am as I do what I want to do never following anyone, but it is very easy to be cast into a stereotype; this is not good as it says that these amounts of people who have been stereotyped all have the same identity. For example some people stereotype black people as criminals because of what media shows them. Enter the 2011 London riots.

This leads me to believing that these people as individuals have no identity but as a stereotype they have a grouped identity, which in this example are criminals. This is known as racial discrimination. As you stereotype people on their Identity of their skin colour. I am completely against this kind of thinking as it provokes hate between one another for ignorant reasons.

This is a very interesting video I have found which talks about and describes identity from various different perspectives.

References:

•                (2011) [Online] Available at:

http://fiveminuteeconomist.wordpress.com/2011/08/14/does-online-shopping-make-you-happy/ (Accessed: 13^th April 2012).

LOVEAGEEoX (2008) Identity- Who We Are Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_oI4aZn47E&feature=related (accessed: 13^th April 2012).      

Semiotics

Semiotics is the study of signs. It is similar to connoted and denoted meanings because of the way it is possible to describe a sign in different ways. Some signs we use to communicate with others are arbitrary. Some signs are embedded into a language requiring you to learn language conventions to understand them, once understood these signs can appear natural. Some natural signs can hide prejudices and cultural habits which are engraved into that specific sign. Overall a sign is made up of a signifier being signified which turns it into a sign. For example a car is the signifier, and a possible signified meaning for me is passion, this makes up a sign because for me cars is a sign for passion.

There are three different types of sign:

•                Icon - This resembles itself, for example a map.

       

•                Index - caused by something, for example it being corporate.

·        Symbol – arbitrary (learnt) relationship. For example a handshake means greeting.

This is a video I found, it is from Martha Rosler’s semiotics of the kitchen which was made in 1975. In this video she names the kitchen instruments from a-z. It replicates the lives led by women in the 60’s that is why the video seems boring and tedious. Huge difference from this to now on how women live.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zSA9Rm2PZA Semiotics of the Kitchen (TakeMeldina, 2007).

References:

·         (2011) [Online] Available at: http://www.bornrich.com/steve-jobs.html (accessed: 13th April 2012).

·         (2011) [Online] Available at: http://juliewassom.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/what-your-handshake-communicates-before-you-say-a-word/ (accessed: 13^th April 2012).

·         (2011) [Online] Available at: http://www.map-of-uk.com/ (accessed: 13^th April 2012).

·         TakeMeldina (2007) Semiotics of the Kitchen Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zSA9Rm2PZA (accessed: 13^th April 2012).

Jackson Pollock

Jackson Pollock was born on January the 28^th 1912, in Cody Wyoming in the USA. He died in a car accident in 1956. He was a very influential American painter and an important figure within abstract expressionist. He was very well known for his unique style of drip painting, which defined his work. Pollock was first introduced to using liquid paints in 1936 at a workshop, which was experimenting with liquid paints. This workshop was situated in New York City and was being operated by the Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros. 

Once he had moved to Springs, he started to paint on canvases that were laid out on the studio floor, and from that he had later developed his infamous "drip" technique, turning to synthetic resin-based paints called alkyd enamels, which, at that time, was the novel medium. Here is an example of his work called; No.5, which he produced in the year of 1948. You can clearly observe the effects of using the drip technique.

 References:

•                (2011) [Online] Available at: http://worldsluxurious.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/jackson-pollock-no-5-worlds-most.html (accessed 15th April 2012).

•                Avidd (2011) Jackson Pollock Documentary Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G5hQWPP74s (accessed: 15^th April 2012).

Barbara Kruger

Barbara Kruger was born in Newark, New Jersey on January 26, 1945. She is an American conceptual artist. Most of her work consists of black-and-white photographs, which were overlaid with declarative captions in white-on-red. In her work Most of her text used to question the viewers of her work about feminism, consumerism, and individual autonomy and desire, although the black-and-white images Barbara Kruger created are culled from the mainstream magazines that sell the ideas she is disputing. 

This I find is very contradicting as in a sense she says not to do one thing but she does it herself like a hypo crypt but I guess she has to make a living, which is understandable. I liker her work on consumerism the most because it is an issue all of us can relate to, as we all area part of this consumerist cycle. We buy things we don’t need because we believe it will bring us happiness, which ultimately it doesn’t. Here is a picture from the infamous Selfridges advertising campaign.

The Guardian quoted: “This year the department store is using anti-consumerist slogans to advertise its sale. How very clever...” it was a very clever strategy. (Mark hopper. 2007).

References:

·         Olagill (2010) [Online] Available at: http://pickadolla.wordpress.com/tag/barbara-kruger/ (accessed 17^th April 2012).

·         Dave [Online] (2008) Available at: http://madamepickwickartblog.com/2010/07/repressive-tolerance-disarming-those-pious-frauds/ (accessed 17^th April 2012).

Anish Kapoor

Anish Kapoor was born on 12^th march 1954 in Mumbai. An Indian born British sculptor, lived and worked in London since the early 1970s when he moved to study art, first at the Hornsey College of Art and later at the Chelsea School of Art and Design. Through out his carrier as a sculptor he has received various prestigious awards in all area’s one common one was represented Britain at the Venice Biennale, Example of his work is exhibited in various countries such as the Cloud Gate in Chicago, and many more. One of Anish Kapoor sculptures which has got my attention is the Arcelor Mittal Orbit, which is 115-meter tall observation tower, which is situated in the Olympic park in Stratford london. 

The Olympic Games is near to start, and it will be great to have different cultures and background coming to see the Olympic games and at the same time have a look at the amazing sculptures that London has and praise its designers. Anish Kapoor became known in the 1980s for his geometric or biomorphic sculptures made using simple elemental materials such as granite, limestone, marble, pigment and plaster. That’s is what Kapoor is Famous for.

References:

•                [Online] (2006) Available at: http://www.newyorkology.com/archives/2006/09/sky_mirror_at_r.php (accessed: 18th April 2012).

•                [Online] (2012) Available at: http://garydenness.co.uk/2012/03/15/arcelormittal-orbit/ (accessed: 18th April 2012).

Guy Stuart Ritchie

Guy Stuart Ritchie was born on 10^th September 1968. He is an English filmmaker and screenwriter and he is best known for his crime and thriller films such as; Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, Revolver, RocknRolla, and Sherlock Holmes and its sequel. Guy Ritchie is an renowned director for making british crime films, some set in the 80,s, others in the present, interestingly his style of making a movie doesn’t change, using unique camera techniques to create suspense and showing an incident after it takes place. 

He uses british actors with their cockney accent, which takes the audience right back to the time where London where full of gangsters such as the Kray Twins, he is also known for his commercial adverts for BMW. Heres a an example of some of his work

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyyZqCl8kXQ(whitedeath9, 2008).

This inspires me to experiment in various ways when I go to produce films in the future.

References:

•                Niki, Stephens [Online] (2011) Available at: http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/could-guy-ritchie-be-the-new-director-for-the-man-from-uncle (accessed: 18th April 2012).

•                whitedeath9 (2008) ‘Snatch – 3. big brave balls’ Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRV3xA9Zcds (accessed: 18^th April 2012).

Paul Rand

Paul Rand (born Peretz Rosenbaum, August 15, 1914 – November 26, 1996) was a well-known American graphic designer, best known for his corporate logo designs. Rand was educated at the Pratt Institute (1929-1932), the Parsons School of Design (1932-1933), and the Art Students League (1933-1934). He was one of the originators of the Swiss Style of graphic design. From 1956 to 1969, and beginning again in 1974, Rand taught design at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. 

Rand was inducted into the New York Art Directors Club Hall of Fame in 1972. He designed many posters and corporate identities, including the logos for IBM, UPS and ABC. Rand died of cancer in 1996. Paul Rand made this statement in one of his articles which I found online: “It is no secret that the real world in which the designer functions is not the world of art, but the world of buying and selling.” (Paul 1972). This is true because as designers we are all creating these pieces of art not just to observe in the world of art but to sell it and generate a steady income; I believe that is what Paul Rand was getting at.

References:

•                Daniel Lewandowski (2007) Available at: http://www.paul-rand.com/ (accessed: 17^th April 2012).

•                Paul, R. (1972) ‘The politics of design’, ‘A Designers Art’ (1972), available at: http://www.paul-rand.com/foundation/thoughts_politics/#.T42Q7rPY92B (accessed: 17^th April 2012) 

David Airey

David Airey is a well-known graphic designer and a design author. He was born on 1979 in Northern Ireland.

His work is specific with creating brand identities which shows in his online portfolio, this can be found on his website and he has worked with big names as the famous Yellow pages, Berthier associates and many more. The good think about his is that he offers advice for design students, which is a pleasure to go and see someone with such a high standards and a success in his life, he also answers to students questions that he gets asked.

He also has been interviewed by his friend, which was posted on his blog. When I was reading his interview it straight away showed me that it’s a fun and exciting working environment to be in, the way he does his work shows that he loves it and you can do anything in life. David Airey quoted in this interview Offline; ' I find inspiration in the great Scottish out doors'. This tells me that inspiration can be found anywhere. Hopefully I can reach the same level of success he has over the years.

References:

http://freelancefolder.com/interview-with-david-airey-graphic-designer-and-blogger/ (Jon, 2008).

http://www.davidairey.com/ (David Airey, 2005).

•                David Airey (2005) Available at:

•                http://www.davidairey.com/ (accessed:17^th April 2012)

•                David Airey [Online] (2005) Available at:

•                http://www.davidairey.com/about/ (accessed:17^th April 2012)

•                David Airey (2005) Available at:

•                http://www.davidairey.com/advice-for-design-students/ (accessed:17^th April 2012)

David Andrew Leo Fincher

David Andrew Leo Fincher was born on 28^th august 1962. He is an American film and music video director. David Andrew is best known for his unique style of making films/videos dark and very stylish, which can be found in such films as; The Game, Seven, Zodiac and many more. The film I most like that he has produced is fight club; it is a well-created film which revolves around consumerism. He always wanted to show something new to the audience and because of his style he achieved it.

Here is a tiny extract to showcase his work in fight club. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykdmnS-MtXI&feature=related (ScubaStevenus, 2010). Notice the unusual angles and use of lights and overall Dark tone of the Mise en Scene. That for me made me more connected with the film as it something that most of us can relate too.

References:

•                IMDb.com, Inc [Online] (1999) Available at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0137523/ (assessed: 18^th April 2012).

•                ScubaStevenus (2010) ‘Fight Club – Insomnia’ Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykdmnS-MtXI&feature=related (accessed: 18^th April 2012).

Neville Brody

Born on 23^rd April 1957 in London. Neville Brody is an English graphic designer. Alumnus of the London College of Printing and Hornsey College of Art, and is known for his work on The Face magazine (1981–1986) and Arena magazine (1987–1990), He is an art director and typographer. He is most commonly known for his work on The Face magazine and Arena magazine.

He had also designed record covers for artists such as Cabaret Voltaire and Depeche Mode. Brody’s work is visually very strong and would take the interests of any individual wether their graphic designers or not, in other words it consists of vibrant colours, creating unique typeface he creates a work that takes it audience to another level, at the same time using strong visual photography.

An article said this about Neville Brody style of work; “In his first couple of years there he started to feel the influence of punk - itself then emerging from a sort of fusion between the art colleges and the street.” (E.M. Farrelly, 2011) So his influenced by punk, street and art collages which is why he’s work is visually strong as infuses the things that inspire him.

References:

•                Antonio, Carusone [Online] (2009) Available at: http://www.aisleone.net/2009/typography/new-deal-typeface-by-neville-brody/ (accessed: 19^th April 2012).

•                Dan, Redding [Online] (2009) Available at: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/11/06/the-beauty-of-london-in-design/ (accessed: 19^th April 2012).

•                E.M., Farrelly (2011) ‘1986 AUGUST AN INTERVIEW NEVILLE BRODY, ART DIRECTOR OF THE FACE’ 11^th March, Available at: http://www.architectural-review.com/archive/ar-1986-august-an-interview-with-neville-brody-art-director-of-the-face/8611931.article (accessed: 19th April 2012).