06 / 10 / 15
Our first introductory session to COP was with our new tutor Richard Miles. He stressed how Context of Practise will encourage my practise based research and will help me to think more philosophically about design in general, but also my own justifications to my work. I feel my thought processes are already quite philosophical, however I'm excited to be able to discuss these justifications more openly with my peers and enhance my own processes.
Our first task involved the comparison and analysis of two styled images, with the consideration of social values/ structures at the time, cultural values, the purpose and meaning of the image, the potential audience, and the political context and history.
- Empire Marketing Board - 'East African Transport Old Style' & 'East African Transport New Style'
by Adrian Allinson 1931
v.s
- The Uncle Sam Range (1876) Advertising Image by Schumacher & Ettlinger, NYC.
The first set of images are propaganda by the British Empire, promoting how we were moving the transport techniques in East Africa forward, by controlling and organising the tribes. Initially when viewing the image nowadays it immediately juxtaposes against this original meaning and highlights the early stages of slavery. The picture attempts to depict how superior, useful and forward we are with our trucks and boats (advanced technology), in comparison with the very primitive tribal people. Thus promoting ourselves and encouraging people to invest idiologically and financially into the growing Empire. Emphasis is on this 'New Style', but clearly shows how the tribes people appear more submissive by all looking down and serving the orders given to them.
In the last image, it shows an advert trying to sell 'Uncle Sam' Cooker Range'. It successfully carries this out by promising the 'American Dream' through the purchase of this product, through the OTT patriotic colouring and symbolism. For example, upon closer inspection each of the children are named after the three initial states of the US and also the markings on the clock highlight the 100 year anniversary of American Independence. I feel like the advert would appeal to more middle-class people as they are trying to chase that lifestyle linked with the 'American Dream'. Items such as cookers and television, etc are seen as these status symbols. Not to mention, similar to the first images, a negro slave is depicted doing the cooking for the wealthy family, reflecting problems within slavery again. All of these points link in with the Americans being very humour-arrogant with their propaganda.
Gender roles can be discussed in both images, the first shows how in the 'New Style' no women are used as workers; and in the last the only female is shown serving food to the business-man; both centering the role of males in the world. Culturally, both images provoke ideas of dominance through empirealism. Through the British Empire controlling the East-Africans and Uncle Sam using the world for his prosper.
Both images highlight technological determinism through the idea of products automatically helping and developing the world.
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