Cyberpunks Influence On Design Essay

How Cyberpunk As a Subculture Has Influenced Design. 2017

The ready made and elevated art

 In some cases pre-existing objects are brought together in such a way that their original identity is still apparent, yet transformed when seen in a new context. This type of sculpture is called assemblage.

This is a list of examples of assemblage and elevated contemporary art from older examples to new:

Marcel Duchamp - Fountain 1917 - Ironically named, this historical piece of 'ready made' modern art pushed the boundries on what could be considered worthy of being in a art gallery space. Giving a urinal a new context gives it an elevated sense of importance. As an arti piece it questions what is considered artwork if not context.

Piero Manzoni - The artists shit 1961 - "Manzoni sold one to Alberto Lùcia for 30 grams of 18-carat gold" -Tate. Putting a price on the artists physical and metaphorical being in a consumable way. It is packaged like a market item to emphasise the cycle of marketing and consumption. This fetishisation was one of Manzoni's many works using 'objects' relating to the exclusiveness of an artists being. This item proves a point of what people would consider valuable. The intimacy of the artist is what is being sold, using an ironic and contrivercial item elevates the meaning and intention behind it.

Tracey Emin - My Bed 1998 - This piece is a visual representation of a difficult time for the creator. Spending multiple days bedridden dealing with a nervous and depressive episode. This piece shows her vunerability and flaws at this point in her life. It was only through getting up and going to bathroom she looked back and reflected upon her self and state at that time. Through showing this piece publicly she is opening up her intimacy with her bed at that time and its importance.

Emma Sulkowicz - Carry that Weight 2014 - This piece is of endurance preformance art. The artist carried around a university mattress for everywhere by herself. She was not allowed to ask for help carrying this piece but was allowed to accept help. The preformance piece was made in retaliation to a claim of a fellow classmate raping her and getting away with it. Her mattress was to stay with her till legal action was made against him. This act caused a lot of debate and discussion around the drama between the two individuals leading to the conclusion that the artist lying about the rape.

Supreme - Brick 2016 - Supreme a Manhattan clothing brand that is heavily integrated into skate culture and hip hop. As the brand grew it maintained its quality and ethics throughout its products. While their clothing is well known to urban shoppers so is their less cohesive line of accessories. They also sell general items for sale with their logo slapped on. This is a both a parody and satire to the consumer culture and counter culture surounding streetware. Due to being a street brand they parody at the hint of crime having lots of their odd items be useful for criminal activity e.g. hammer,baseball bat.

Order and Chaos - postmodernism

Graphic Design, due to the modernism movement, had set philosophy and formations set to it. Modernism was created to reject the past and think to the future however the clean cut edges and order soon became stale with Helvetica conquering the graphic design community and becoming the marketing standard. This made people soon weary of the clean cut edges that were embraced due to circumstantial idealism of the previous generations. This mindset was soon becoming outdated and the postmodernism idea of change joined with political tension arose a new era of design. It was time to create new ideas. Throw the formulas and structure away and create a new era of postmodernism chaos.

Design isn't just about ideas as much as it is about cynical-isms and social and political statements. It's a delivery method for sending a message and without modernism there would be nothing to counter. Illegibility forces the viewer to look more closely at the work they are shown and less passively.

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juxtaposed images, remixing, appropriated and sampling images in media

In the age of internet connected media, new and original concepts for design are no longer the most prevalent. Old concepts are re-used and recycled in new ways. It is not about what we can make that is completely new, but more what can we make with what we already have.

More and more artists are using the techniques of re-appropriation. These forms of media and thinking shows how production and consumption in this era meld together, so no piece of art can be considered truly 'authentic' or 'original', as the idea of something being entirely 'new' is nearly always derived from other ideas, themes and images.

Pop Art - a 1950's screen printing art movement which heavily used remixing and re-appropriating themes. The works created often had the artistic concepts of celebrity worship and brand identity. Cultural icons and political figures often feature heavily in these Pop-Art works in the form of mass produced and glorified visuals.

Campbell's soup cans - Andy Warhol 1962

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Marilyn Monroe - Andy Warhol 1962-67

In this piece, the repeated and slightly altered canvases give new perspectives to the same image till the repetition creates a sensation of overexposure.

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Andy Warhol - Orange Disaster #5 1963

There was much controversy at the time of the creation of this piece over the use of the electric chair, as what would be the two final electric chair executions were held around this time. Questioning and challenging the viewer to think of the death penalty by using an unoccupied and empty space as a metaphor for death. The image features repetition to reinforce the themes of duality of life and death.

When a gruesome image such as this is viewed over and over, it loses much of its initial impact. The notions and concept becomes watered down and removes much of the intended meaning and feeling from it. This creates a death through repetition of the original subject.

http://darkroom.baltimoresun.com/2012/03/andy-warhol-on-international-display/afpgetty-508650555/#PhotoSwipe1492621599648

"Art is what you can get away with" - Andy Warhol

Richard Prince pushed the boundaries of what is can be considered art, theft and copyright infringement, when he created an art exhibition in which he would write a comment on a Instagram image, print screen it and then have it sent to be printed in a large format and put in a gallery. These stolen Instagram images from strangers sold for $90,000 in this perverted scenario of appropriation. None of the original models for these images received anything from this work and it gives an interesting perspective into privacy and copyright laws within social media.

"To create is to insert an object into a new context or scenario; to consider it an element of a bigger narrative" - Marcel Duchamp. The act of taking an image and re-appropriate it through placing it in an unnatural setting can often give the images a new meaning. However keeping the original source image unchanged, the same arises an issue of art theft rather than appropriation or is the new artistic interpretation and dialog enough to make it a new piece?

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“Lesser artists borrow; great artists steal.” Russian composer Igor Stravinsky.

This quote I found to be an interesting correlation to the above quote by Andy Warhol or even a similar quote by Salvador Dali. This shows the concept of re-appropriating goes across multiple forms of creative media.

Plunderphonics is a term coined by John Oswald which means audio piracy as composition. Any music created by taking one or more existing audio recordings and altering them in some way, such as resampling to make a new composition can be considered to be part of this genre. Some musical genres were born and developed through this method such as hip hop. The re-appropriation of sampling songs and looping them to create new content is something that has grown alongside other media forms through media exposure.

Pitbull - Feel This Moment ft. Christina Aguilera used a very obvious sample of the classic eighties hit  a-ha - Take On Me.

I think that the ability to borrow and appropriate is now a part of our modern culture. We take images and out of desire not necessity and most content we use is at our disposal to alter as we want. Design that already exists already has cultural connotations to them therefore it is easier to give meaning to a reproduction of the same image.

Convergence and Art Process

A convergence of ideas is when two different directions eventually meet. Convergence is the point where we translate information and give interpretation. As a designer it is important that everything we do is communicating an idea or concept efficiently. People communicate through, arts, talking music and body language. A good communicator often has a clear understanding of the message they wish to communicate. This often pairs with theory and a solid groundwork. 

Culture and social behaviour  is a convergence of opinions, viewpoints and morals people with similar views and morals often diverge into subcultures. Every person is the way that they are through a convergence of information and situation. Beliefs, lifestyle and viewpoints are a catalytic convergence.

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My inspirations for art is a convergence of materials coming together to create my own personal creation. To give an idea of process I have collected a few different materials which inspire my latest drawings. This work was inspired by historical and contemporary inspirations from western and eastern cultures. 

Mannerism art and baroque inspired poses often feature idealised features and often emphasise neck arches. These styles were romanticised to show power, control and idealised beauty.

As a fan of biblical imagery and saint paintings I like to take traits from these paintings and put them in my own work such as the use of hand arches and halos.

From a more contemporary perspective I am inspired by Japanese horror and folklore inspired artists.

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As these ideas converge together I am able to create my own work with a solid aesthetic grounding that I can correlate to pre-existing work with an understanding of its origins.

Pastiche Parody and Satire

'Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing' - Salvador Dali

Parody pastiche and satire in design are often used as a way to achieve a message with humour, political commentary, critique and nostalgia. It gives a layered opportunity of engagement in a topic or idea without feeling the need to be as on guard.

Satire - A critique or attack, driven by a desire to make a social commentary or challenge the status quo. It often uses humour to do this. Often seen in political magazines the jokes are intentionally humorous while having unnerving qualities that force the viewer to think more deeply about the subject. This method was used heavily in war propaganda.

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Parody - Seen as a visual satire or pun where a style or appearance copies the conventions or style of a work or author. Sometimes used for recognition or to make joke at the work. For this style of art to work there has to be a cultural awareness to the original source of the image.

Marcel Duchanp, LHOOQ, 1919

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This image is clearly a parody of the famous painting 'The Mona Lisa' by Leonardo Da Vinci 1503. By changing the image Marcel Duchanp successfully gives the image a new concept. It makes fun of the original painting in a cheeky manner by using an eccentric and iconic moustache combined with the letters L.H.O.O.Q. The lettering is a pun as when pronounced in french it translates to "she has a hot ass". The fact that this painting is as timeless and iconic gives the parody more impact and a similar timeless effect correlating directly to the original.

Mooner Lisa, Banksy, c.2006

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Banksy created a further appropriation of this piece with a parody of a parody. This piece makes direct reference to the "she has a hot ass" phrase prevalent in the original parody piece. On the surface this image can be enjoyed but it is only hightened with the knowledge of the original parody by Duchanp.

Pastiche - A form of 'homage'. Similar to a parody as it mimics elements of another works style but more as an affectionate nod to the original idea with no strict comment on the work.

This short segment is a clear homage to Miyazaki's famous Ghibli animations.

A meme - is an idea that spreads among society in an unplanned and effortless way, according to Richard Dawkins. Memes initially would re-use images often with a funny quote either relating to the mood of the image and giving it an alternative context.  

The content is often simple and easy to consume. It is only through the continuous propagation of memes and the advent of social media that they quickly evolved into a cultural outlet. Most memes start in the same way, appropriation of someone else's art or imagery and altering the image to suit a certain joke or stereotype. These memes can even be created off the back of an image that is in itself a parody/joke already. Memes soon became the standard form of post-modernist art. The jokes are often inorganic and mass produced with minor alterations. The idea soon being lost within amalgamation of  alternatives to the same concept.

Memes are now a mass-marketing force comparable to traditional advertising techniques. The message board internet social group '4-Chan', grouped together in a protest act of anti-establishment  and rebellion. The counter-culture was identified by wearing the Guy Fawkes mask featured in novel 'V for Vendetta', which became a meme within its community. This somewhat backfired as an in-group identifier however, as the masks soon popularity became mass produced and Warner Brothers sold $600,000 in merchandise sales to many people who are well outside of this counter-culture group.

As memes are created often using misappropriated pictures and material, it was only a matter of time before lawsuits and copyright laws started to befall the creators from corporate entities and mainstream media outlets. 

The masses now control memes and the content that becomes popular. More recently there are more political and social commentary memes. 

Often as a trend becomes more popular with political or social figures, the sooner the trend will die out and a new meme will come along. Corporations, companies and established political figures have attempted to use and create memes as a method of marketing, which can potentially be ridiculed, which in itself is capable of becoming its own meme, running counter to the interests and intent of the creator of its forebearer.

My lecture task was to create a meme based on Donald Trump. He is an easy subject to use as there is there is a lot of stigma around him at the moment due to his recent promotion to presidency. The task was to use the image provided and alter it to give it a new message. This is what i created:

The style is based on a well known preexisting art style of an 80's manga comic 'Jojo's Bizarre Adventure'. The characters are often dramatically chiselled and have effeminate features. Each character within the series has a power up character ( Stand ) one of the most popular ones being called The World (pronounced Za Warudo in it's original context in Japanese). Creating a pun from this I shortened 'za warudo' to 'za waru' as it would be pronounced "the wall."

The imagery is lightly mocking and playful from a general public standpoint, but it is only if you are a fan or familiar with the original work where the reference gains a even deeper meaning. The joke is therefore appreciable on multiple levels.

What makes something authentic?

In a time where it has become increasingly difficult to distinguish what is real from imitations, it is important to often question what we consider to be true or false about what we are shown. It is important to keep everything open to suspicion and scrutiny.

Art forgery is considered a crime. The idea of a 'real painting' and a 'fake painting' is questionable as a pair of identical paintings, one copied from the other, could on the surface be the totally the same, but one would would be considered "authentic" while the other would not. I find this concept interesting that an artist who forges replica paintings requires the same level of skill, if not higher, than the skill set required to create the original (i.e. creating artificial ageing and other marks of provenance). In the video above the artist is proud of his work knowing it isn't the original work. The ability to being able to fool someone, to this creator, is its own art. He sees his work as a craft, something he has perfected through time and practice. The skills that he uses are authentic, just not the imagery held within the paintings he sells.

The fact that he has created a replica of a pre-existing painting can dilute the experience of the original. The social and cultural context of the painting is what gives the art its richness, If there was no original painting to compare it to, then would it gain the same level of appreciation as a stand-alone piece? 

With this concept then thrown into a technological, consumer driven society, there is a sense of irony in knowing that the experience of seeing the original paintings can be diluted further as the vast majority of famous and well regarded artworks may be mostly seen digitally as a representation on a computer screen. 

As these artworks can be viewed online, it therefore follows that this digital media will follow the trend of being re-appropriated or post-produced, thus resulting in a situation whereby a £100,000 painting can be put on a £10 t-shirt and cheap hat.

The overwhelming majority of media and consumption in our current society promotes a rise in a philistine mindset. As materialism becomes more common and popular, people become detached from the original context and meaning of works. Luxury logos and role models inspire and propel the creation of counterfeit goods because of this. Consumers are often aware that the item they are buying is not "authentic", but the desire to own these inaccessible or expensive items fuels and creates a market of its own. The items are cheap and have the much of the same visual impact, but it begs the question, does the meaning and 'specialness' of the item become lesser? This is open to questioning on a case-by-case basis, as it also questions if the satisfaction we gain from an item is more important than the legitimacy of the art/product origin.

There is a counter to this consumer culture and the rise in popularity in "quality" and "authentic" goods which is now becoming much more popular. Craft beers and traditional barbers are now being promoted, and the proliferation of independent business over corporate entities is increasing. Alongside this movement there is a correlation of nostalgia and the idea of "things used to be better". Born from this mindset, there is now a new generation of consumers such as Vinyl collectors and lovers of shabby chic, who find satisfaction and personal pride in the workmanship and quality of products from a less consumerist age. 

"In an age of impersonal digital media, building social connectedness through nostalgia is an easy way for companies to leverage the optimistic feelings that often accompany walks down memory lane. Associating brand messaging with positive references from the 90s, 80s — and even the 70s — humanizes brands, forging meaningful connections between the past and present." - Friedman, L. (2016). Why Nostalgia Marketing Works So Well With Millennials, And How Your Brand Can Benefit. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com.

Is the reason we are drawn to these "quality and "authentic" outlooks just good marketing strategies based on boosting self worth and emotional bonds with the past, or are people sick of the abundance of "fake" imagery and counterfeit goods in the consumer world?

Leaving this open to interpretation and questioning would you consider authenticity to be a feeling? A style of production or an experience? Perhaps its none or all of these. I personally feel there is no strict definition as it all comes down to cultural and social development.

The Importance of Sketches

Our sketchbooks are personal and can often hold our subcontious inside. Doodling is a freeflowing practice that allows creativity without the need to think too seriously of what we put inside. When in lectures it can be worth jotting notes down in doodle form as the information can often feel more engrained. These were my doodles related to this lecture:

Doodling taps into an uncontious of being aware you are drawing while not having a knowledge of what or how you do it. The outcome isn't always important so you enter a dream like state some could consider to be hinterland an area lying beyond what is visible or known. 

This lecture we were introduced to Jay Paynes work and process. First an foremost an illustrator Jay wishes to be a man of many traits and stated the first thing he would do when thinking of an idea would be to look through his previous sketch books. His most recent work revolves around exploring the edges of reality and a hypnogogic state. The conscious and the subcontious visually represented.

To continue this work I wished to elaborate on the idea of Hinterland and did a sketch series based on things that we see that are not necessarily there. I initially upon hearing the world felt unsettled by the idea of a fairytale-esque setting. This drew me towards the feeling of being alone in a forest and feeling watched. The thought of birch trees and how their wood has the likeness to having eyes showed emphasise to the feeling of being watched. The feeling itself is a psychological reaction of fear that can relate to facial recognition in others or fear of danger with fight or flight.

I played around with shadows and reflections aswell as they are both things i associate with feelings of fear. Jumping at my own reflections in the dark before I turn on a light or the idea that i can always see a shadowy figure in the doorway of a coat cupboard.

As these are just drawings relating to my work i would like to expand and refine these even more in the future. perhaps into a digital illustrative piece or a short story.

Ikea Tactics

  


and How It Became a UK HouseHold Name

Ikea is a multinational Company  and the worlds largest furniture retailer dealing in Timeless, well priced furniture to the world. Changing peoples opinion through clever marketing and branding techniques. Ikeas marketing strategy of tailoring to the correct demographic soon got them top of the leaderboard for mass marketing starting in european countries then the rest of the world.

When Ikea hit america it used marketing more suiting to the american market and demographic mentioning "football season" and the phrase " it's a big country. Someone's got to furnish it." This same product marketing wouldn't work in the Uk as successfully due to social and cultural differences between America and the Uk consumer market however this method can soon be altered to most demographics. They altered bedding sizes, cutlery and plates and almost everything needed upscaling to fit the bigger is better lifestyle that is adopted there. The same method can be applied to most mass markets.

The main demographic for Ikea furniture before it reached the uk in the 1990's was the european market. The UK at this time was a period of Frilly curtains and kitsch wallpaper. The idea of a swedish simplistic furniture set from ikea seemed all too distant. With this in mind Ikea used clever branding techniques to change the uks consumer pallet from frills to fresh. They did this over the course of numeral years and clever marketing.

A good example of this would be the Chuck out your chintz" jingle advert. This long running propaganda was catchy and had some underlying messages. The jingle suggests to go against tradition and bring a new attitude and idea ( in the form of new 'clean' furniture. It also makes a gesture to women being more independent and how the 'flowery trimmage is spoiling our image' of the modern day woman. Suggesting a new start was relevent politically in a time of new elections and the idea of political change aswell.

This can all be taken from one advert designed not only to sell a few minimalist DIY tables but to change a nations opinion. It also shows the consumer attitude and how marketing can provoke people to feel in different ways.

Photographer Liam Wong and the neon appeal

Whiles looking into my chosen essay subject of cyberpunk I happened across a set of images by Liam Wong. His work crosses the boundarys of real and surreal in his late night Japanese street photography. The colour schemes remind me of cyberpunk through its dark mysterious settings lit by overwhelming amounts of neon advertising and sign.

http://www.liamwong.com/

This style of work I feel fits into the current trend of Vaporwave aesthetic - a genre of music and visuals that are a fusion of nostalgia and satire of the 80's and 90's entertainment, tech and advertising. The music genre itself is a collection of muzak 'mood' music a style of music often heard in large retail stores and elevators etc. Common themes of this include neon aesthetic, low poly imagery, glitch art, vhs and early computer OS and other loose early cyberpunk themes. This genre is also a parody reflection on our current consumer culture attitudes. The term vaporwave is a derivative of the word vaporware - a product that is advertised but never released.

It is a genre which rose to popularity through parody, but through the nature of it's spread through internet memes it became a self perpetuating genre and subsequently a style of it's own. Perhaps its the exposure of our numbness to consumption and our glamorisation of nostalgia which is a underlying concern in younger generations shrugged off as a flash in a pan meme.