Critical Analysis: Final Essay

Critical Analysis: Study Task 2 - Establishing a Research Question

OUIL501 – STUDY TASK 1 – ESTABLISHING A RESEARCH QUESTION

Suggested Research Question. This can be a topic or theme, but please try to be as precise as possible.

Authorship Orionality Pastiche

Which Theorists Related to this question? You can find these on eStudio - Try to list at least three.

Walter Benjamin Mark Fisher Fredric Jameson

Which Academic Sources Are Available On The Topic? What examples of practice / practitioners / images have you discovered? Include a Harvard Referenced bibliography of at least 5 possible sources.

Benjamin, W, 2008, The Work of Art in the Age of Its Technological Reproducibility, and Other Writings on Media, 2nd ed, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press Collins, Jim, 2009, ‘Genericity in the nineties’, in Cultural theory and Popular Culture: A Reader, 4th ed, edited by John Storey, Harlow: Pearson Education Fisher, M, 2012, What is Hauntology?, California, University of California Press  Jameson, Fredric, 1984, ‘Postmodernism, or the cultural logic of late capitalism’, New Left Review, 146. Jameson, Fredric, 1985, ‘Postmodernism and consumer society’, in Postmodern Culture, edited by Hal Foster, London: Pluto

How Could The Research Question Be Investigated Through Practice? What types of illustrations would you make in response to this, and why? Think about processes too.

Illustrations drawing from and combing various pre-existing images most likely through collage. Naturally collage invokes questions of originality and authorship within a practitioners work and therefore seems the most appropriate process to my proposed line of investigation.

Establishing a research Question: Initial Thoughts

Having spent a long time struggling over what to focus my essay on I decided to base it primarily on the ideas of authorship and originality within the artistic world. This is because being a student at an art school I think that trying to define these two things and establish them within my own practice is is one of the main challenges I face. This often results in an interesting juxtaposition where by you are simultaneously trying to carve your own niece fro your practice whilst also looking at the works of others including both past and contemporary practitioners.

Therefore the main focus of my research will be exploring whether or not you can have a true sense of authorship and originality within your work in a post-modern 'post-everything' era. In particular I am interested in looking at how the exchange of information that has been vastly increased due technological developments, most notably the internet, has affected this.

Leeds College of Art BA (Hons) ILLUSTRATION	Level	04
OUIL401 Context of Practice	Credits	20
End of Module Self Evaluation

NAME	Christopher Cooper

1.  What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?
The main skill I have developed is my essay writing and extract information in an academic manner from a series of varying sources such as images and essays. Given that I haven't written an essay since sixth form I felt a little rusty in terms using the academic process therefore I found it highly useful if not stressful at times putting together a fully referenced essay with an underlying and coherent thesis.
2. What approaches to/methods of research have you developed and how have they informed your practical outcomes?
Given that there was no final outcome I have developed an approach whereby I let research and think take me down various different avenues, some unexpected and useful others of which are complete dead ends. This allows for a more over arching visual exploration of I given theme and for connections to be drawn between different areas that you otherwise would not have been able to make.
3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?
I think the relationship between my intent for studio brief 2 that and the work itself was probably my strongest point. This is because I feel it very clearly and effectively communicated my underlying theme of conformity that I had set out in my visual response proposal. This was partly due to the variety of different methods I used with a reductive process of repeat image making being the most successful. Furthermore the research I conducted into different forms of conformity and the scientific thinking behind it greatly informed the images which no doubt led to their effective communication of the given theme.
4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?
My main weakness was my lack of consistent blogging coupled with a lack of varied and in depth research for studio brief 2. For example, although I read and referenced a fair amount of material for studio brief 1 had a blogged all the different sources as I went along I think my final result would have been far better constructed and thoughtful in its argument. In a similar manner had I undergone a wider variety of research for studio brief 2 I think the successes that I did achieved would have been furthered and led to a much more interesting and varied visual response.
5. Identify five things that you feel will benefit you during next years Context of Practice module?
Blogging more consistently and in particular blogging any academic sources and any subsequent deconstruction of them on my part. Being more varied and ambitious in my forms of research which will lead to more interesting and excting results with stronger factual grounding. Better spread the work load over the year so that it isn't as stressful and in turn can allow me to better think through what it is I am trying to achieve with this module. The importance of choosing a subject you are interested in. Although I could have researched it more effectively I was genuinely interested in the underlying theme of conformity in studio brief 2 which resulted in me being able to immerse myself in the process of a visual response much more effectively. The academic process, particularly deconstructing and analysing texts effectively to support your argument through the use of triangulation, paraphrasing and close reading as these are the fundamental skills required to produce an effect and coherent academic thesis.
6.How would you grade yourself on the following areas: (please indicate using an ‘x’)  5= excellent, 4 = very good, 3 = good, 2 = average, 1 = poor
	1	2	3	4	5
Attendance				X
Punctuality				X
Motivation			X
Commitment		X
Quantity of work produced		X
Quality of work produced		X
Contribution to the group		X
The evaluation of your work is an important part of the assessment criteria and represents a percentage of the overall grade. It is essential that you give yourself enough time to complete your written evaluation fully and with appropriate depth and level of self-reflection. If you have any questions relating to the self-evaluation process speak to a member of staff as soon as possible.

Study Task 4: Triangulating and Harvard Referencing


1: Triangulation:

All three texts highlight how modern society and its its culture is primarily consumer based due to the fact that creative minds are being used to further  and reinforce consumerism due to the fact they '...have been brought up in a world in which the techniques and apparatus of advertising have persistently been presented to us as the most lucrative, effective and desirable means of using our talents.'(Garland, K, 1964). Furthermore all three agree that this is misdirected energy on the part of creative and that it should be used for more '...useful and more lasting forms of communication.'(Garland, K, 1964). However both Fuck Committees(Kalman, T, 1998) and First Things First 2000(Adbusters, 2000) are much more condemning in their view of popular culture and militant in their proposed reversal of creative priorities. For example, arguably due to the almost 40 year gap between First Things First(Garland, K, 1964), the other two sources both agree that the public has been warped and dulled by branding and marketing arguing that it has led to a '...reductive and immeasurably harmful code of public discourse.' (Adbusters, 2000) and that Corporations have ',,.become the sole arbiters of cultural ideas and taste...'(Kalman, T, 1998). Furthermore they claim that this reversal is urgently needed as 'Consumerism is running uncontested...'(Adbusters, 2000) and that the '...cracks in the wall.'(Kalman, T, 1998) need to be found in order to achieve this where as in contrast to this the original First Things First (Garland, K, 1964) does not  '...advocate the abolition of high pressure consumer advertising...'(Garland, K , 1964).

2 : Image Analysis:

The above image can be seen as an example of how creative culture has been appropriated in order to create effective market campaigns through which consumerisms is enforced. The images, styles and cultural significance of the figures, all creatives operating within the field of music, have been used in order to give Adidas products these same cultural associations in order to make them more appealing to the consumer, Therefore this can be seen as an example of the priorities that need to be reversed, as set out in the three texts, given that the artists in question have chosen to miss use their own image through product endorsement in order to further them selves, as well as Adidas, financially rather than focus on more creative or productive endeavours. 

3: Evaluation:

The underlying argument of The First Thins First Manifesto(Garland, K, 1964) is that creative such as designers, photographers illustrators etc. have their priories wrong in that they use their skills primarily for marketing purposes as opposed to more '...useful and more lasting forms of communication.'(Garland, K, 1964) which further the creative arts, culture and society as a whole. Furthermore it argues that it isn't simply creative that feel this way but also members of the public and that the reason this has occurred is that creatives are persistently told that marketing is the '...most lucrative, effective and desirable means of using our talents.'(Garland, K, 1964). However despite this it doesn't completely condemn consumerism or mass marketing stating that it doesn't '...advocate the abolition of high pressure consumer advertising...'(Garland, K , 1964) partly due to the fact it doesn't see it as feasible but also due to the suggestion that to do so would take '...the fun out of life' (Garland, K, 1964).

4: Paraphrase, Summarise

Fuck Committees(Kalman, T, 1998) theorises that modern creative culture is a 'struggle between individuals with jagged passion in their work and today's faceless corporate committees...'(Kalman, T , 1998). Furthermore it states that today's creatives, such as designers, writers, directors photographers etc. have '...been relegated to a role of corporate servitude..'(Kalman T, 1998) by corporations that '...claim to understand the needs of the mass audience...'(Kalman, T, 1998). What it means by this is that profession creatives are no longer putting their talents to furthering culture or expressing them selves but that the idiosyncrasies have been removed by corporate committees who instead want to produce '...thought-free, passion-free, cultural mush that will not be hated nor loved by anyone.'(Kalman, T, 1998). Instead all creative independence on part of the creator has been lost and that now corporations are now the sole pushers of culture and taste with an aim of appealing to the lowest common denominator.

Study Task 3: Planning and structuring an essay

For my my essay I have chosen the question 'What is the relationship between branding and the consumer self?'. More specifically I my essay will be confirmed with how various marketing techniques and ideas of brand image to play upon the ego in order to establish a strong relationship between the brand and consumer self. 

Initially I had wanted to also explore how this leads to conformity within society and whether or not this creates tension due to the opposing notions of the individual self and group dynamics. Furthermore I had wanted to explore whether this tension is unique to or simply a cause of consumer based society or whether or not it is something much more pervasive and ever within human society no matter its particular philosophical or theological form. 

However after the group tutorials I have decided to focus on only the first aspect of my question. This is because the general consensus that I got from moth peer and tutor feedback was that if I included the latter two parts it would be too overarching in its themes and, given the word count would leads to a incoherent and sloppy essay. 

With all this in mind I have devised an initial plan and structure to my essay.

Thesis: Do marketing techniques and brand identities subvert and manipulate 

Intro: Explain briefly how ego drives marketing and brand image and touch upon the ways in which it does this. Define key words such as brand and ego that are of fundamental importance to my essay.

Paragraph One: Focus on the nature of branding and marketing particularly how it appeals to an emotional rather than rational level. Suggest that this is due to brands playing into certain aspects of the ego rather than simply subverting them.

Paragraph Two:  In contrast to the first paragraph explore the argument that branding and consumer society actively creates these traits within the ego in order to successfully sell products.

Paragraph Three: Explore in depth the various techniques, such as those highlighted by Vance Pakard in The Hidden Persuaders, used to market products and create strong brand identity through various inherent traits of the individual within consumer society. 

Paragraph Four: Close reading of Naomi Klein's No Logo exploring how brands seek to target younger age groups due to their lack of, and subsequent need to define self identity. Like with the first two paragraphs explore whether or not this something created by marketing and branding or something inherent to that age group.

The various sources I will use include:

Benson, A.L (ed), I Shop therefore I am, Compulsive buying and the search for self, Oxford, Rowman & Little field Publishers

Freud, S, Society and Its Discontents, London, Penguin Books Ltd

Heath, J, Potter, A, Nation of Rebels: Why counter culture became consumer culture, New York, Harper Collins

Lasn, K, Culture Jam, New York, Harper Collins

Lee,  M,J (ed), The consumer society reader, 2 ed, Blackwell Publishing Ltd : Marx, K, Estranged labour, Marx, K, The Fetish of Commodity and its Secret

Klein, N, No logo, London, Flamingo

As well as the images: 

http://www.hiphopmovie.com/2013/08/26/run-dmc-adidas-commercial/

http://about.virginmedia.com/press-release/9380/bolt-takes-on-blot-in-new-virgin-media-ad-campaign

http://www.vintag.es/2013/04/bizarre-tobacco-advertising-from-1920s.html