Digital Collage: Propaganda Posters

I came across both of these images recently - a film poster for The Interview (2014) starring Seth Rogen and James Franco and questioned myself, "How can I instil irony and parody into propaganda posters like David Shrigley in his 'Fight the Nothingness' painting? I wanted to synthesise both of these together to show I have an understanding of the Postmodern elements underpinning the above work and David Shrigley's and incorporate that into my own visual research ,marrying with the Propaganda work I was reading by Bernays. Here are the results:

I made slight alterations to these North Korean propaganda pieces to add humour and create a parody; an imitation with added exaggeration for comic effect. I used symbols of today's modern age to juxtapose the vintage aesthetic of the illustrations with emoji, a meme and iPhones. As a digital generation we are obsessed with documenting everything through selfies, using emojis to quickly communicate with a universal language that can be understood by anyone and the DIY / art for the everyman of memes. I'm quite pleased with how these turned out!

Study Task 5: Development

10 Slide Presentation
For this study task I need to create a 10 slide presentation to present to my peers after the Christmas break. I need to plan how best to use each slide to its fullest potential to properly communicate my project and the research I have carried out so much. I need to consider including:

• The quote itself - a good starting point for Slide 1!
• Highlighting key words and the research I did on their definitions
• Who the author of the quote is and what his position is in the illustrative landscape to make such sweeping statements
• The context of the quote, which includes the work he is criticising (David Shrigley's Fight the Nothingness and the Pick Me Up graphic arts festival)
• The texts I have read to triangulate my quote
• The images I will be using in my essay to analyse
• The work I have started in my visual journal

Visual Journal
I had originally put off any start to my visual journal as I was still very unclear as to what was required, but during my final CoP session before the Christmas break I had a quick chat with my tutors to clear up any misunderstanding I had. I'd noticed peers have started doing some rather detailed illustrations - much to my shock! - but didn't even know how to get to that point in my own work as my quote is rather vague. I started with the very basics; exploring line, texture, shape, colour and collage and how those elements could relate to my quote through design doing, design thinking, comment and content.

[scans]

Reflection
I'm glad to have made a start in my journal as it's something I have wanted to do for a while but was unsure of... any start has to be better than no start! I was very inspired by the research presentation from Fred who mentioned that just starting anywhere, no matter how simple or vague, can lead to new information and new ideas and seeing where it can take you. The process of the journey is what is important, not necessarily the end result. Inspiration is all around and research will help to uncover that!

Study Task 4: Initial Ideas and Definitions

LINE | TEXTURE | SHAPE | COLOUR | COLLAGE

• How can themes be communicated through the 5 elements within the brief?
Looking at basic elements allows me to look at the basic components within my quote and the research I have collected so far. It allows me to be diagnostic in my approach, taking things apart to the core fundamentals, and enquire and investigate at a deeper level rather than just drawing political illustrations.

• What do these elements communicate visually and linguistically (our understanding of them as concepts)?
Components, collections, mark, path, continuous form,
outline, external boundary, pigment, light interpretation,
media, pattern, accidental, sensation, process, tone, surface.

• What do they mean as definitions?

• Line: A long, narrow mark or band.
• Shape: The external form, contours, or outline of someone or something.
• Colour: Pigmentation. The property possessed by an object of producing different sensations on the eye as a result of the way it reflects or emits light.
• Texture: The feel, appearance, or consistency of a surface or substance.
• Collage: A piece of art made by sticking various different materials such as photographs and pieces of paper or fabric on to a backing.

• What can they mean in relation to my overarching theme of Politics?

• Line: A divide, a scale of political parties (left-wing or right-wing, extremist or not).
• Shape: Political logos, scales of power play, hammer of justice, hammer and sickle, rose of labour and the working classes, circle to show unity, angles to show discord.
• Colour: Political colours of red and blue to show opposing sides, green for the Green Party, yellow for the Lib Dems, a blur of colour to show overlapping, uncertainty.
• Texture: Blurry textures to show the overlap in political agendas and manifestos, parties not really standing for what they used to. Bricks / a brick wall - has illustration hit a brick wall? Has politics hit a brick wall? How can texture convey design doing and design thinking?
• Collage: Collaging these elements together. Perhaps to create a tongue-in-cheek political poster like Shrigley's? What are the core elements of a political poster / propaganda? Re-appropriate those themes and subvert them to give a new meaning and a make a comment on Zeegen's quote and Shrigley's piece.

Research: Image Analysis Development

Through my research into historical political posters, particularly previous UK election posters, I have found something extremely interesting... David Shrigley's "Fight the Nothingness" seems to be a lot more complex than Zeegen first thought! Here, it makes reference to and subverts a Conservative poster from the late 2000's. I cannot find who they were created by, but I believe Euro RSCG / Havas were behind the concepts (as mentioned by Benedict Pringle of Political Advertising).

The Tories have always been really savvy and clever with their election posters, slightly ahead of the curve, and these are some of their best in my opinion. The simple motifs, symbols, visual concepts marry with the messages clearly - media and message. They play on a nostalgic aesthetic, alluding to glory days or a more easier time in the past, evoking a sense of sentimentality, reminiscence, good old Britain. Themes of unity, togetherness, people power, hope, a brighter future, family values, hard work are all referenced and pushed.

These visuals interest me a lot and may be something to explore in my visual journal.

Sources:
https://politicaladvertising.co.uk/2010/10/07/conservative-big-society-posters/
http://conservativehome.blogs.com/torydiary/2008/09/big-government.html
http://www.slideshare.net/kirstyodair/as-government-politics-uk-political-parties

First Written Piece: Essay Plan

• Title: "Where is the comment? Where is the content?" quote.

• Introduction: "This text is going to be looking at..."Why have I chosen this quote? What do I want to explore / understand / make sense of?

• Triangulation 1: What is illustration by Lawrence Zeegen. Choose quotes from the book to identify what he perceives illustration to be.

• Triangulation 2: Varoom Style Issue. Key quotes about style within illustration.

• Triangulation 3: First Things First manifesto. Agrees with Zeegen - we have to be challenging as designers.

• Bibliography: Harvard Referenced books, websites, journals.

This really simplifies the process for me and makes it easier to understand. I will be working over the Christmas period to refine my first draft for the upcoming interim submission. My writing is still very much in the early stages and at its bare bones - I need to start adding meaty chunks of information to make it a more interesting read!