After learning about appropriation and detournement in Art and Contemporary ideas, i decided it was a practice i was very interested in and found i could relate to it in some ways with my own work.
Based on Guy Debord’s definition, highlighting the use of imagery or text appropriated from the media, then used in other forms like poetry or art. Debord articulates how subversion of original images is used to change the meaning of an image to show a politicised or social message. Using two separate images, taken from differing contexts, bringing them together, means changes in meaning occur. It is possible to discover new relationships between the elements and establish new meaning. ‘When two objects are brought together, no matter how far apart their original contexts may be, a relationship is always formed’ (Debord,1956).
When bringing these elements together, the ability to understand the new meaning is in knowing what context the images have been taken from. ‘The main impact of Detournement is directly related to the conscious or semi conscious recollection of the original contexts of the element’ (Debord, 1956). The combined imagery often critiques the source or original message that was being portrayed, knowing the origin of the image is key to understanding the works. Artists using images from the media comment both on the media and societies perception of the message the media gives. In order for detourned images to be effectively received the artist has to know what audience they are aiming for and with this more accessible art world and a subject matter seen by millions, it was ‘ a powerful cultural weapon’ (Debord, 1956), accessible by any social class as recognizable imagery was available to anyone.
This image, taken from Vogue Magazine, May 2nd, 2002, is supposed to pay homage to the rescue workers saving lives after Hurricane Sandy. At the time the image was seen as disrespectful and received a lot of bad press.
This is one example of how fashion photoshoots can be utterly ridiculous, although the idea was to celebrate the first responders, it just ended up looking like the scenes of destruction and hopelessness were being used to increase the luxuriousness of the clothing and models by using lives that had been destroyed to promote designer clothing.
I like to deconstruct these images that either have a badly judged theme or give themselves far too much importance for what is basically a clothing advert.
Images like these taken from the
Little Girl And Little Boy Lost photoshoot, (2009) are fantasy based and although are slightly tongue in cheek, would have still been created with such seriousness, every bit of make up and back combed hair would be arranged and rearrange until perfect and the money spent on creating these images would be an incredible amount after every model, photographer, designer and person involved had been paid.
I take the eyes out of many of the images as so many eyes look at them I want to reflect that.
In many ways these images are a form of art in their own right and can take their source material from scenes of destruction, from fantasy, literacy, music or from historical backgrounds.
These images are from Vogue, December 2003,and influenced by Lewis Carroll’s
Alice in Wonderland. Although I look at the fashion world quite skeptically, I can still appreciate the work that goes into the design and execution of the shoots. I like how the same source material can be used for art, fashion, music, music videos and many other forms of entertainment.
Literature is a classic art form and it is interesting to see it interpreted by both the fashion world and by Fine Artist and photographer, Anna Gaskell. Gaskell uses Carroll’s story in her 1996 -97 series
Wonder, she creates photographs that leave the viewer with a feeling of unease and the idea that there is a feeling of sexual undertones in some of her imagery, mixed with the already slightly dark tones that Alice In Wonderland already has. She uses artificial lighting, unusual viewpoints and changes her image size to recreate the surreal world Alice visits and leaves the viewer with an uncomfortable feeling after viewing.
The fashion shoot doesn’t leave the viewer with the same feeling of discomfort, yet still carries on the surreal theme from the original literature. While Gaskell’s work has more depth to it, it is still interesting to see a lighter interpretation. To me, my way of interpreting it is that Gaskell’s work has a three dimensional quality to it, while the Vogue shoot is just two dimensional, no need for interpretation and although I like the imagery it is, after all just an advertisement for an article and clothing.
I don’t want to come across as a mega feminist because I’m not and as much as I can see all of this in the beauty industry at the same time I still want the flawless skin, would love a Prada handbag and envy the beautiful models too.
I don’t want my work to be a serious assault on the fashion world but more of a subversion of imagery to change the audiences perception of the original. Although I think some of my collages have a slightly more serious feel, I also think that some are a tongue in cheek look at the fashion industry.
I like to rearrange images, the fashion and celebrity world often takes itself very seriously and I want to make it a bit more lighthearted. Many of the ideas used in photoshoots are utterly ridiculous but taken extremely seriously by the industry and by appropriating the imagery to make a new scene and put a bit of that ridiculousness back.
During level 5 I started working mainly with collage and paint, moving on from music influenced work, I began focusing on the beauty and glamour side of the media.
I liked to take the majority of my imagery from glamour and fashion magazines. The photoshop perfect bodies and faces have always amazed me. As a teenager I was a tomboy and Vogue or the like would have been the last magazine I picked up and I had my head stuck in Q or NME most the time perving at the newest indie band.
Looking at the models and ideals in the fashion and celebrity magazines I could see how young girls could easily be influenced into thinking that this is how they should look and that if they didn’t, that there was something wrong with them.
Also the lack of any identity with the models, apart from the odd one, all their faces easily blended into indistinguishable clones. I use the eyes from the models and also the eyeless faces as to me, a lot of our soul and individuality is in the eyes. By removing and rearranging the eyes it gives a more sinister feel, which I feel is impacted by using the monoprint backgrounds I had made.
