In this blog post I am going to direct my focus into a slightly different artistic medium – music. I am going to look into the song ‘Shakermaker’ by Oasis and pick out the various references to advertising included within it. It will be interesting to see how song lyrics have been used to ridicule and satirize advertising in comparison to the visual language of the photography. From this study I hope to be able to better access the effectiveness of photographs in terms of being a mechanism to tackle an idea, and judge whether an idea is clearer if it is shown visually, or expressed through written language.

This study will also be useful in the sense that I am looking into the decade of the 1990s, when Parr’s ‘Common Sense’ was published. It will be interesting to compare Parr’s artistic intentions with that of Oasis, both now seen as legendary cult figuires in the world of British music and photography respectively.

‘Shakermaker’ is a 1994 single from British rock band Oasis from their debut album ‘Definately Maybe’. This song is directly references various commercials which existed in the 1970s, when Noel Gallagher (who wrote the song) was a child. The band have been very open about ripping off the names of these old brands.

The 1990s

The context of the time this song was written, the 1990s, was a time when advertising was going through major developments; commercials were becoming more frequent; photographs were becoming sharper and more vivid; the rise of the internet led to increased networks of advertising; and the general availability of advertising was really taking off. From a modern perspective, the 90s is seen as the benchmark for the expansion of technology and the effects this had on commercial ventures; the birth of ….

• digital photography (c.1998)
• the internet (c.1995)
• the SIM Card (1991)
• email (1993)
• DVD (1995)
• Apple iMac (1998)

Such technology changed the way advertising not only was, but how it was percieved. Some embraced it, whereas others fear such a rapid rise. Oasis formed in 1994, just at the point when advertising changed rapidly.

The song is in many ways a response to the madness and hysteria of advertising.

Examples

“I’d like to build myself a house out of plasticine”

The title ‘Shakermaker’ and this quote is a direct reference to the popular toy Shaker Maker made in the early 19700s by the ‘Ideal Toy Company’. It was a mouldable plasticine/clay used to make toy figures, which Gallagher recalls as being “a toy that I used to have in the 70s”.

“I’ve been driving in my car with my friend Mr. Soft”

Mr Soft is a reference to the the character of “Mr Soft” was taken from a Trebor Soft Mints commercial, which featured Cockney Rebel’s song “Mr. Soft”. This advert was critised for being extremely cheesy and annoying.

“Mr. Clean and Mr. Ben are living in my loft”

“Mr. Clean” is a 1978 song by The Jam, one of Gallagher’s favourite bands.

Mr Benn was a British children’s cartoon which was aired by the BBC between 1971-72

“Mister Sifter sold me songs when I was just sixteen”

“Sifters” is a record shop in Manchester, where Galllagher used to visit regulary to buy records when he was younger.

One theme that links all of these references together is the 1970s. This is because Gallagher (born in 1967), remembers these adverts clearly as a part of his childhood. Arguably, they are nostalgic reminders to a past when advertising was a bit simpler and there was less scrutiny over the fact that the quality was often shocking and terrible (at least from a modern perspective!). Oasis as a band stood for the expression off ideas simply and directly. Therefore it can be agued that the reference of these adverts is perhaps a celebration of how advertising in the past was much simpler, with its cheesy nature is almost accepting in a satirical way, the acknowledgement of its sole purpose, to manipulate and exploit. Gallagher never took this song very seriously and is not afraid to criticise its tacky and absurb nature. Furthermore, the melody of song in itself ripped off a verse of the Coca-Cola song  “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)”, something which Gallagher shamelessly admits to. The Band was later sued for its uncanny likeness. Interestingly, this was yet another reference to the 1970s.

How does the message of this song compare to the message in Parr’s ‘Common Sense’?

Similarities

• The purpose of this song is to show how tacky advertising really is. In many ways Parr’s images are similar in this sense because they too express advertising, through copying the visual language, in a way which makes the resulting images appear gimmicy, tacky and at times grotesque.

• Both are similar in the sense they are very raw – Parr through his Vernacular style and Oasis through a very blunt song, sung by Liam Gallagher with his discintive coarse vocals

• Both satirise popular advertising brands and produce comical pieces of work

• Both send out a bright and powerful message.  Gallagher brings his abstract daydreams to life whilst Parr shows products and items in their greatest detail. As a result it can be argued that both serve to represent a positive message.

• Both represent the surreal; ‘Shakermaker’ through Gallagher’s imagination of building a “house out of plasticine”, and Parr through highly saturated colours and use of flash photography to distort a sense of how the image really looks

• Both were made in the 1990s, a time when advertising was rapidly changing

Differences

• Parr’s photographs are a document of what he sees, whereas ‘Shakermaker’ represents more of a mindset. As an assesment, this makes Parr’s work in a sense  more credible because their is a direct and central theme. ‘Shakermaker’ on the other hand goes off on a tagent

• Parr’s photographs were taken of a course of many years and are extensively pieced together, whereas ‘Shakermaker’ is a 5 minute song which Noel Gallagher claims took a matter of minutes to put together

• ‘Shaker maker’ is more of a look into the past, whereas  ‘Common Sense’ is a look into the present and a hint into the future of advertising

• Whilst ‘Shakermaker’ celebrates advertising, ‘Common Sense’ hints at it vulgarity and deceptiveness. Gallagher celebrates flaws whereas Parr seeks to exploit them

Conclusion

It is clear therefore that despite expressing their ideas in different ways, Gallagher and Parr both mock and satirize the role of advertising. Both are entertaining in the same way that they paint a picture in the mind of the viewer, both of the viewpoint that advertising is cheesy and tacky, done through the act of re-construction to emphasize such an agenda.

However it is apparent that Parr’s images are stronger than the song in the sense they express an actual document the viewer can see with their own eyes. Furthermore Parr is allowed more to play with in the sense that he has the means to create a 100+ page photo-book and sell commercially. Gallagher on the other can only produce a short song which hints a just a handful of ideas. Photography as a medium therefore arguably allows the artistic to express more, along with the additional advantage of being already there for the viewer to appreciate, whilst in music the listener must carefully study the limits and extract an interpretation.

Overall both are incredibly successfully in what they achieve are are equally intriguing and unique in their take on 1990s society.

For my attempt at studio style images I am taking inspiration from the series ‘No Seconds’ by Henry Hargreaves. In this series Hargreaves photographs the last meals as requested by death row inmates. The images are all taken in the same composition: a flat, birds-eye perspective.

What does this project shows and highlight?

In this series the photographer Henry Hargreaves re-creates notable last meals of death row inmates; past and present. The meals shown in this series are visually gripping and powerful, showing the meal, a small description of what is included and a brief description of the subject and the crime they were convicted off.

The sense of repetition of the way the image have been framed makes for a common link within all of the images, the most obvious link is that they are all a representation of a person’s last meal. Regardless  of how obscure, mad or even simple the meal may be, the viewer is forced to recognize by this pattern that the meals are all ‘last meals’ and that all of the images therefore represent a certain sense of finality. The title ‘No Seconds’ serves to re-establish this idea in a very clear way. In many ways this breaks the complication and chaos of such a controversial topic, examining its key principles and raw details.

Suspense is a key aspect in what makes this series effective. Every one of the images leaves a sense of impending death, especially through the use of notes which clarify the context of the situation and an insight into the method of the execution. This small amount of contextual information, combined with the image is very effective in affirming a mini-narrative within the viewers’ mind.

I find this series to be extremely power because it captures a very serious and controversial subject, the death penalty. Many photographers and documentary makers in the past have touched upon this subject, whether pro and against the idea. Work in this field in often very similar, looking at the facilities of the place, perhaps the subject and few of the staff and the general theme of the impending execution. What Hargreaves has touched on however is a little bit different to what is expected. He has simplified this theme greatly by concentrating on one particular aspects alone – the last meal.

I believe that this simple focus is extremely powerful because it is open to many different interpretations….

• On one hand the topic can be interpreted as a simply the crying personality of the inmates, usually crying out in eccentricity and tortured self-expression as they face their last ever meal on earth.
• On the other hand it perhaps serves as a debate of what rights a death -row inmate has – if they have commit horrific and barbaric crimes should they indeed even have the luxury of choosing, an at times simply absurd and totally chaotic meal.
• Another interpolation may even extend to a poetic look into a ethics of the death penalty, the flip side of the prior argument through which the finite and finality of a  last meal is simply an example of humanities cruelty to put to death an individual, regardless  of their crimes and what they have done.

In many cases, because of the simplicity of the project, the Hargreaves leaves ideas concerning to the intent behind the project open to the interpretation of the viewer. Regardless of the conclusions the viewer draws from studying this series, the important consideration is that the series invites the viewer to consider and perhaps re-examine their own views of the death penalty.

How might this series help my own work?

Studying this project has been useful because I have gained a greater understanding of the steps and methods to take in order to create a ‘controlled photograph’. Furthermore I have gained a sense of understanding about how simplicity is key to making such images appear powerful because they show the food its rawest detail, thus   representing a sens of vulnerability for whatever purpose this may serve, in my case stripping back the hype and glittering nature associated with classic ‘promotional images’ which so often appear in advertising.

Furthermore, this particular series has given me the inspiration to juxtapose my ‘raw’ images on uncooked and freshly sourced Jersey produce done in a Martin Parr style manner, which slightly more attractive an appealing images of cooked and well presented food on a plate, done in exactly the same way as Henry Hargreaves. In such images I will like Hargreaves, include basic background context of the product, supplier, amount and cost. In my photo-book I will include a section by which my Parr like images on the left directly contrast with the style of Hargreaves, thus showing a contrast of interpretation and furthermore highlighting my ability to experiment and alternate with different styles. I hope that this will add an extra dimension to my project and visually will be of interest to the viewer.

Martin Parr is a very successful and internationally renowned photographer. His work has sold in millions and he has been very commercially successful.

Parr has a very unique style of photographing and has produced images now considered classic in terms of British contemporary photographs. Parr achieves this style through his unique eye, opting to take the majority of images very close up, in addition the uses ring flash to make his images highly colourful. This style has brought Parr acclaim and has made him one of the most distinct photographers of his generation. But this same style has also made Parr one of the most controversial photographers.

Arguments that Parr’s images do not represent truth

Firstly some critics argue that Martin Parr’s work simply is too colourful and energetic to be taken seriously as a from of documentary photography. Parr’s satirical and playful approach  is potentially an argument for a lack of objectivity because he goes in which an idea to draw something from a situation, not just record what he sees. For example Parr’s distinctive style of photographing close up, such as the below image, highlights a sense  of deceit because the image is taken in this way is more of a representation of advertising language, than is it nessecary showing anything with a degree of truth.

Secondly it can be argued that Parr’s outcomes do not reflect reality as they are prone to sensationalize objects and reflect images very much in the same way to how they would be represented in advertising. This can be considered true in some of the images in his photo-book ‘Common Sense’ – and a general impression I would draw from this book is that Parr seems to evoke a deliberate ‘advertising language’, full of colour and rich in detail.  The main criticism that of this that can be drawn is that it makes Parr’s work deliberately deceptive as they are sensationalized,to show a representation of something in a way which isn’t entirely truthful, showing something for artistic  effect, not its value as a form of documentation.

For example the above image of a plate of bread is immediately made more interesting through the way Parr has staged the image; appearing on a colourful, bright table-cloth to draw intensity and emphasis to it. Furthermore the shadows draw more emphasis and presence to the image, making the subject matter appear more intense and exciting than perhaps would be expected.

A third criticism of Parr’s work is that it is exploitative of certain ideas and situations, and therefore is automatically biased and thus difficult to trust the integrity of. Perhaps one of his most successful photo-books, ‘The Last  Resort’ gave a raw depiction of life in the north of England in the mid-1980s. Many of the images featured in this series appear to show working class people in a very bad way, suffering due their improvised circumstances. There  is scope to argue that Parr’s intentions are genuine and sympathetic to the working classes, a protest against Thatcherite Britain. On the other hand this series can be considered largely exploitative because the nature of the images arguably reflect aspects of Northern life in a mocking way , implying the working classes are tasteless and have a lack of style. Parr’s role as a middle-class photographer going to the north and taking these raw and highly uncomplimentary images drew this suspicion in the press.This type of controversy has in many cases tarnished Parr’s credibility as a documentary photographer because it has questioned the integrity and general motives of his work – is he seeking to photograph truth, or is he creating a sort visual freak-show so that he is commercially successful?

Arguments that Parr’s work is truthful

One argument in favour of Martin Parr being truthful in what he presents in his photographs is the suggestion his photographs are just as honest as any other form of documentary work, it is just that this truth is not expressed in exactly the same way. This view is true if it is recognised that all documentary photography is a way of responding to an idea. Whilst a lot of photographers, nonetheless Henk Wildschut are drawn to photographing key ideas and features, Parr on the other hand is more concerned with photographing though out aspects of a place. For example in the below photograph taken at an English seaside resort, the most obvious things to photograph would be the masses of people enjoying being on the beach or playing in the sea. However Parr has completely reversed this idea, stead opting to photograph from the perspective of the  beach goer, with his foot the main aspect of focus and the other more usually associated aspects of the beach serving simply as a blur in the background. Therefore what Parr has done in this instance is to change the context – he is still truthfully documenting what goes on at a beach, but not what the viewer what traditionally expect to see nor associate with.

Another argument in favour of Martin Parr’s work which supports his integrity as a documentary photographer is his desire and obsession to literally document and photograph anything he sees. In the documentary ‘The World According to Martin Parr’, he admits that he is a somewhat obsessional individual who will go out of his way to photograph anything he sees, declaring that “nothing is not worth photographing”. This commitment to attempt to hold as little barrier to the degree of his photographic exploration highlights that Parr is not limited by what he perceives to be relevant. In many ways therefore it can in fact be argued that Parr is in fact more truthful than most photographers, because he does not limit himself to what he sees as truthful. Instead what the viewer sees is simply more unusual, but referring to the last paragraph, not in anyway less truthful.

A third argument to this is a direct challenge to the idea that Parr seeks to exploit people in is work, for example the controversy surrounding whether he sought to exploit the working class in ‘The Last Resort’. In his own defence, Parr refers to the fact that all photography effectively is exploitation. Furthermore, rather than actually denying he was exploitative in this series, Parr says how he “looks to exploit all classes”. If this attitude in recognised than it would bee very difficult to refer to Martin Parr as anything other than honest an truthful in what he seeks to represent in his work, because instead of using exploitation to create a fabricated picture, he is claiming than he is simply exploiting the truth and reality of an event in its fullest detail. For example the below image may be argued in two ways; either that it is exploitative because it shows working class children are rude and have no manners by getting ice-cream everywhere. Perhaps a more sympathetic argument instead would be that it shows children can make a mess of ice-cream, taking the political connotations completely out of the picture. This is a matter of interpretation.

Conclusion

Overall it is clear that Martin Parr’s work is simply too complex to define as simply truthful or untruthful, and there are arguments for both sides. I am of the position that although I recognise some of Parrr’s work is in many cases surrealist or partly illusional, I am nevertheless of the opinion that he seeks to show truth in a slightly different ways, using unconventional features such as advertising language. Therefore Parr very much balances truthful expression with his own ideas and satirical elements. Thus balancing these themes together creates work which may not appear truth but in many cases is, because of the simple fact it is a documentation of what Parr sees and experiences.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/farming-confessional-we-need-to-evolve-so-that-we-do-not-kill-to-eat-9152958.html

This was a very interesting documentary I found looking at the ethics of farming. Some of the views raised in this article are very conflicting as they are the views of a farmer, who makes I living out of something he is reluctant to do, kill animals. The writer talks of his moral dilemma, and how he attempts to find the balance by killing animals in the most humane way possible.

One morning, I woke up absolutely certain that killing animals to eat their meat was wrong. So it might seem as though I’ve sided with animal-rights advocates, but the long view that I’m taking on this makes my position more complicated than that. My feelings about the ethics of livestock farming ebb and flow. I have no plans to stop eating meat or raising animals for slaughter. But I believe that we as a species need to evolve into the sorts of beings that do not kill to eat. For now, I justify non-industrial farming as a necessary compromise that will gradually shift how we think about using animals as food.

What is ‘Common Sense’ all about?

‘Common Sense’ is a photo-book by Martin Parr, published in 1999. It is a collection of images he has took from the period 1995-99, looking at trends in British consumerism.

The images in this photo-book are extremely bright and colourful, and use the typical language of advertising, something which Parr has openly admitted to doing. The images are both attractive through their colour and vibrancy but at the same time are in many cases vulgar and grotesque.

The core principle of this book in my opinion is to explore through the language of advertising what a product looks like – in a more vulgar and perhaps realistic way then a company trying to advertise their product would dare intend to do – showing more how a product actually looks, then how it is manipulated to appear. Subsequently, it can be argued that Parr turns the theme of advertising on its head, by using the techniques of advertisers to show exactly what they don’t want to viewer to see.

What is it about Parr’s images which are so powerful?

Parr’s images in this book are so effective because of the fact that they poetic and make the viewer think and consider what they have seen – they are a form of visual poetry; Parr’s own unique way of looking at the world. One example of this can be seen through the way Parr has photographed a teapot. He uses his imagination to envision the connection between the shape of the teapot as being the same shape as an elephant tusk. Parr has subsequently created an image with these two similar shapes together, photographing a teapot in the foreground, and blurred out in the background, the inclusion of a blow-up elephant statue. He is therefore made a clever connection which is visually interesting to the viewer.

Furthermore, Parr achieves a sense of distinctness about his work through his style of  photographing close-up. In doing so, he subverts the traditional concept used in marketing that something is better when viewed from further back. Instead he shows objects in their fullest detail, which is often uncomplimentary and unattractive as a result. This style in many cases creates abstract images, and the viewer must use visual clues to determine what the object is that has been photographed. In this sense, Parr often confuses the viewer and forces them to read into the image to subtract the meaning behind it, adding a sense of uncertainty to the viewers visual journey.

Simplicity is key to Parr’s work in ‘Common Sense’. What he photographs is often very ordinary and basic, such as a close-up of an apple or many cigarette butts. Parr gets away with this highly simplistic style because of the way he photographs the object. Through the use of flash photography and other techniques such as manipulating natural lighting and photographing at an obscured abstract angle, Parr is able to ensure what he photographs is as visually interesting as possible, even if the context of what is photographed is simply not that exciting.

How important is colour in ‘Common Sense’?

Colour is a fundamental part of the images in ‘Common Sense’ because it enables Parr to make his images as vivid  as possible. Parr’s use of a ring flash means that his images are highly saturated, and therefore bright and colourful.  As this series of images shows, the more colourful the image, the more vulgar and visually aggressive it will appear. In many cases, the overly bright images go beyond reality, and are slightly surreal in appearance.

The effect colour creates visually is extremely powerful. Colour has he ability to alter the viewers emotional response to an image; for example red is known to resonate feelings of aggressiveness and anger. Parr’s subsequent use of sharp, luminous colours such as red, pink, orange and blue makes the viewer interpret images with a sense of urgency, as if the colours on the page are racing to the attention of the the viewer. These bright colours can be in many cases unwelcoming to a viewer, and when taken to the extreme, can be simply grotesque and repulsive, more example the of the extremely sunburned man’s chest.

The use of ring flash in this instance serves to enhance the redness of the chest, to the extent that it is simply vulgar and in many ways, unrealistic. This is contradictory to the expected intent of advertising images, which is to excitedly invite the consumer in. Whilst retaining a sense of energy, Parr goes essentially over the top  with colour saturation to the extent that the viewer is not attracted, but instead made to be repulsed.

What is your favourite bit about ‘Common Sense’? 

I think one of the most memorable and effective qualities about this body of work is Parr’s ability to link images together. Page by page, it is apparent that his images are inherently connected by certain patterns and themes, for example one page links a picture of Jesus with fish and another links birds and bread together – links between contrasting themes are also noticeable, for example a banana with a sugary doughnut; a contrast between healthy/unhealthy eating. Parr’s linking of images add a sense of interaction and fun to the images, as the viewer is invited to find and search for their own creative links.

Martin Parr is a British photographer best known for his unique style of documentary photographs. As well as being one of the most successful and widely acclaim photographers of his generation, he is also one of the most controversial. I have recently watch a documentary of his life entitled: ‘The World According to Martin Parrr’. I found this documentary useful because I gave a in-depth insight into Parr’s experiences an influences, explaining how this has affected his unique and distinctive photographic style, based on “finding the extraordinary within the ordinary”.

Introduction

“this man is stalking me; he is waiting for my phone to ring, he’s obsessed ….. so far he has taken over 10,000 images of them, all over the world”

This is the opening quote of the documentary ‘The World According to Martin Parr”. Martin Parr is considered one of the most unique photographers of his generation. His style is very unique and interesting. Unlike many photographs to seek to photograph something exciting which has never been done before, Parr will photograph things which have already been photographed millions of times – ordinary, everyday objects, such as mobile phones, everyday foods and other consumer items.

 This opening of this documentary implies that Martin Parr thrives of the normal, a view which is epitomised through the quote: “the more mundane the image, the more it excites him” and later through Parr’s exertion himself that “we are surrounded by things which are surreal, we just don’t see it”. Throuh such statements it is clear even to a viewer who ha sno prior knowledgeable of Martin Parr, that he is someone who has been able to capture the essence of the mundane, a photographer who has been greatly succesful for interpreting the ordinary in a way which is interesting, exciting and most importantly, thought provoking.

Parr’s Early Life

Parr was born 23 May 1952 in Aston, Surrey. Parr has described his upbringing as “completely bland …..content but at the  same time momentous and boring” where “nothing really happened”. He claims that this upbringing fuelled his desire to take photographs, because it allowed him the opportunity to get out into his community and meet with all sorts of people, as Val Williams explains:  “Martin would have reason to be there, because he was the photographer”. It also allowed him the chance to use his imagination and express himself creatively. Although he had a very conventional and essentially unexciting upbringing, Parr does not criticise or hold his upbringing in bitterness: “blandness of suburbia was an essential part of my upbringing – it made me the person and photographer that I am today”.

One early experience which has greatly impacted the style of Parr’s work is his experiences of bird-watching. As  a child he would accompanying his fanatical bird-watching father on a weekly basis. Rather than developing an interest with bird watching himself, he focused his interests on the followers of this hobby, studying with a keen eye, the absurd nature and behavioural patterns of those involved in bird watching. Parr found their behaviour and enthusiasm for what many would consider to be monotonous, un-fulfilling and boring to be fascinating in itself. It made him realise that even the most ordinary of things, could be perceived and therefore expressed in an interesting way. Parr himself, later became a train spotter, a hobby he cites as an experience which has fuelled to a great level, his “fascination with obsession”. 

Hebdum Bridge Project, Yorkshire – 1974-78

In the 1970s Martin Parr, along with 3 other fellow photographers, moved to a small village community, Hebdum Bridge, in Yorskshire. As a child Parr had always been interested in the north of England, often visiting his Grandparents in Yorkshire. Parr was drawn to the north because he admired the their sense of community, where everyone knew and depended on each other, in stark contrast to his experiences of separatism and hostility growing up  in suburban Surrey.

Over the course of 4 years, Parr totally “immersed himself in every aspect of life”, getting to know the people who lived there very well and photographing them lots. As Parr became more deeply involved in the Hebdum community, so did his understanding and appreciation of the traditions of northern life. Rather than exploiting the community as outdated or plain, Parr instead set himself the challenge of celebrating and creating an essentially positive view of the quirky traits of Yorkshire life, documenting how traditional attitudes and values of the community gave it a sense of charm. His work during this period was also meant to be somewhat sad and reflective, a documentation of disappearing working class life.

This project, with its quaint and quirky images full of energy and life, very much extended Parr’s fascination with celebrating the beauty in simple things – the excitement in the ordinary. 

Work in the 1980s

In the 1980s, Parr documented how Thatcher’s policies were changing Britain. Parr sought to challenge the impression Thatcher had presented herself, that she was changing Britain for the better, sacrifices for the good of communities. In protest to this view Parr went into small seaside communities of the north of England. The images he produced during this time were in many cases shocking and grotesque, showing people in the north to be in horrible conditions and suffering greatly. Rather than photographing the closing down of factories and the effects of northern cities, Parr work during this period was more subtle and poetic, photographing how one of the most romanticised British cultural areas, the seaside, had changed in this period, a metaphorical look into the degradation of Britain in this period.

His series ‘The Last Resort’, made up exclusively of these sea-side images, is a classic example of Parr being able to challenge and poke fun at ideas and preconceptions. Parr himself is not afraid to admit he exploits people in his work, claiming that “all photography is exploitation”. This series is a good example of Parr’s take on documentary photography, because his images both realistic, but at the same time somewhat surreal and animated, highlighting his ability to both be objective in what he produces whilst also adding his own colourful and imaginative twist on his images. This style makes his work descent, because he documents what he sees in his own way – he controls how the audience sees something, but not what they see; therefore manipulated but truthful at the same time.

1990s – Present: Consumerism and Advertising

This aspect of Parr’s work and style is what has attracted me most, because it is extremely revevant to the focus of my work, looking at the language of advertising. Referring to ‘Common Sense’ in the documentary, Parr mentions how his intention of photographing was to challenge advertising techniques by the very act of copying and embracing them: “I am using the language of advertising; I am using these bright, saturated colours to slightly subvert it”. It is a direct statement which highlights what Parr sets out to do in his style of photographing close-up with flash, to show detail to the event where it goes beyond the benefit of being well detailed. This style is clever because he is exploited what he wants to expose, in many ways hypocritical and a contradiction of his intent. Parr in ‘Small-World’: 1987-1994 , extends upon his study of British lifestyle and consumerism, exploring how these issues affect other cultures – a challenge in all of mass tourism and global advertising, looking at the broader picture in terms of how consumerism has affected all cultures around the world.

From ‘Common Sense’

From ‘Small-World’

Conclusion

This was a very interesting and fascinating documentary. I learned that Martin Parr is a photographer who seizes the opportunity to exploit the way something is perceived in an ironic manner, through the language and style of advertising. Parr was someone who had a very plain and bland upbringing and so used these personal experiences, emphasis blandness as a key part of his identity and thus affecting what he photographs, in the case of ordinary everyday products. Parr is a clever photographer who has benefited from the way society expanded and changed in the 1980s Britain, he look at the decline and society and the effects this had on the working class, to produce work which had both elements of truth, as well as elements of fantasy.

The images in Martin Parr’s ‘Common Sense’ are very energetic and colourful. Parr uses the same language of advertising through the bright vibrancy of the images which makes them stand out and entice the viewer in. Parr however produces his own satirical twist on this, through evoking this style not to depict beauty but instead a more vulgar aspect of advertised imaging. In doing so Parr forces the viewer to question the manipulative effect of advertised images

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ADVERTISING

William Bernbach   – “Advertising is fundamentally persuasion and persuasion happens to be not a science, but an art”                

As establish in the previous blog-post, the nature of advertisement changed forever as a result of “mass-production”, it was now easier than then ever for companies to advertise their products. Whilst creating obvious advantages this also created a significant barrier to companies trying to sell their products to consumers, a rise in competition due to this increased practicality and availability.

As people now had a much greater market in terms of available products, it was now more important then ever for companies to ensure that consumers were most likely to be drawn into and attracted to that particular companies product alone. For example, if a consumer has a choice of 10 available cigarette brands, than they will be bound to go for the one which appeals to them the most.

From the 1920s onward, companies began to tap into consumer psychology, realizing the link between how presentation of an advertisement may effect the connections/associations the viewer has with such a product. As psychology slowly began to grow in influence and the impact it had on the consumer, this was met with criticism from various writers and philosophers at the time, seeing the artistic methods used by companies as exploitative – a form of opportunism playing on sub-conscious urges, thus manipulating consumers into purchasing products. On the other hand many avant-garde artists were prepare to dismiss any moral restrictions, in celebration of the opportunity this allowed artists for creative expression.

GROWING LINK BETWEEN ART AND ADVERTISING

Modern advertising began to emerge and develop soon after the First World War. In the U.S. Various advertising groups and agencies can be largely credited for this growth, groups such as N. W. Ayer, J. Walter Thompson and McCann Erikson, who formed part of the ‘American Association of Advertising Agencies’.

Additionally 1920 led to the creation of the Art Directors’ Club, which helped to create the bridge between art and the commercial work, creating an organisation whereby artists could be commissioned to produce work for these newly developed advertising agencies – an incentive for better and more insightful artistic work to be produced for advertising purposes . Also in Germany, designers and photographers were brought together through the establishment of the Deutscher Gebrauchgraphiker, another example of the link between art and design.

Specialized magazines encouraged the use of photography and colourful graphic design, to create more realistic and visually exciting formats of work – moving away from less accurate and tedious methods of design and artistic presentation, such as sketching and line-drawings.

RISING INFLUENCE OF PHOTOGRAPHY 

By the mid 1920s, advertising found a new and powerful way which photography could have an influence on advertising – using photography to show with clarity, the usefulness, comfort , luxury, (along with other benefits) of a particular product. A growing number of photographers including Edward Steichen and Andre Vigneau, began to specialize in ‘publicity photographs’. Steichen for example, was commissioned to photograph Camel cigarettes, in which he experimented with chiaroscuro lighting to create dark, gripping and enticing images of cigarettes, showing them in a charming and exciting way.

Although the health effects of smoking were perhaps less known or considered in 1920s, it is still interesting to consider that photography could be used to promote a product such as cigarettes, in such an attractive manner. From a modern perspective at least, it is easy to question the morality of such forms of advertising – the use of lighting and other photographic techniques to manipulate a ‘realistic’ interpretation of a product which is extremely unhealthy and highly addictive (to the extent that it is banned as a form of advertising in the UK nowadays).

However, soon many photographers working in the advertising industry soon sought to distance themselves from the restrictive and controlling task of ‘promotional advertising’, and instead venture into more experimental, avart-garde work. Many previous publicity photographers began to concentrate on creating a mood associated with an object, rather than just objectively recording the object alone. In order to achieve this, photographers started to follow the ideology and principles of the ‘Bauhaus Art School’ and the surrealists, evoking techniques such as tilted camera angles, lining up rows of objects, photograms, superimposition, solarization altering images and X-Ray techniques.

As a result of this change in attitudes – photographers began to diverge into advertising for things other than basic consumer products, such as manufacturer brochures and seasonal catalogs of big department stores, expensive jewelry and designer products. Subsequently the type of work photographers were required to do altered dramatically. At first, photographers had a degree of control over their equipment and photo-shoots,  free to delve into different and varied means. However, soon a much greater degree of control was imposed on photographers concerning what they can and could not do, as photographic agents, copy-writers and editors became increasingly involved in the production of images, commissioning and the organisation of photo-sessions.

During the Second World War, advertising  was inspired mainly by the exploration of patriotic themes. Whilst going about the selling of ordinary products, they sought to incorporate slogans, posters and news articles in support of the Government and War, some for financial gain other simply due to feelings of patriotism and loyalty for their country. During this period, Photography was used by all nations as a means of reassuring civilians, boosting the morale of soldiers, and preserving national security. Increased censorship on photo-journalist was introduced to ensure that the images they created did not undermine and disrupt the war effort, which the Government wanted to convey to the general public as successful.

In the post-war years, U.S. industry expanded at a rapid rate, whilst Europe also experienced a period of relative return to growth and prosperity. During this period, as commercial industries sought to recover, and so quickly needed to find a way of encouraging people to resume spending and consuming after a drop in such activities due to the disruption of war. To achieve this, companies recognized the need for new and refreshing advertising campaigns and slogans, to encourage and motivate consumers to buy in a period of uncertainty, Luckily, this was made easier by improvements in printing techniques and the improved quality of colour film – greatly increasing the attractiveness of images.

The commercial opportunities for professional photographers to sell their images also enhanced dramatically during this period, with the rise of colour photographic magazines such as, Time and Life, giving photography as a visual art more status. The powerful documentary photographs which were produced during the periods of the Great Depression and later the war were very powerful and effective,  to the extent that text soon began to be compromised and reduced to meet the needs of photographs.

One of the most prominent ways in which photography influenced the masses was through the various ‘general interest’ photo-journalist magazines such as Time, Life and Weekly Illustrated which looking at ordinary lives and changing trends expressed largely through photographs, in the process reporting on, changing and influences cultural trends and patterns in consumerism, television, fashion etc. As a result many companies sough to associate themselves which these extremely popular magazines through selecting advertising slots and paying for special commissions for editors to include the companies own ‘promotional images’. This even caught on to the point that  large companies created their own general interest magazines, targeted at selling their specific products.

Now photography was not just influential in advertising but equally, it played a substantial part in reflecting and challenging commercial trends. It grew in commercial value and large corporations started to respect the powerful and influential nature of photographs; whereby the photographer has a greater degree of freedom to express and explore creative ideas.

OVERVIEW

Post World War One led to the emergence of modern marketing techniques; television, newspaper advertising, magazines and artistic posters, among others. This meant that advertising was now more powerful and viable than it had ever previously been, and impacted people to an extent that had never previously been achieved.

As the technology of printing progressed and became a more viable option, photography as a form of advertising soon began to greatly expand and develop. This led very much to a new genre of photography known as ‘commercial photography’. Through this genre many photographers saw  a viable market in working for cooperate companies, selling their images to companies looking for attractive and striking images to appear in various advertising formats.

CHANGING IDEAS AND ITS IMPACT ON ART

Post WWI Europe was very much based on people trying to progress and move on from the trauma of war.

President Woodrow Wilson spoke highly of ‘self-determination’ for all nations, the right of small ethic groups and cultures to establish and form their own nations, after the break-up of the Empire who ruled over these territories. In the 1920s, whilst some nations had already fallen under the vail of totalitarian rule, such as Russia and Italy, the majority of people Europe seeked to enjoy new and attractive principles of democracy and individual freedom, a prime example being Germany.

These new ideals greatly effected the progression and development of art, with artists embracing this time of enlightenment to celebrate new artistic ideas and challenge the old. This was subsequently a turbulent period of history, with tradition and modernity coming face to face. During such a time, photography through the development of the film camera  which started to emerge in the late-1920s, proved to be an effective and affordable means of photographers across Europe spread a variety of ideas and lifestyles. This was very much made possible because of the role the media played in advertising and publishing.

THE RISE OF ADVERTISING IN THE “MACHINE AGE”

One of most powerful and effective art forms in the last 100 years is arguably, the art of marketing/advertising. The general basis of an advertisement is to put forward an argument to a consumer in a manner which is persuasive enough to attract the consumer into investing in the product being sold.

In the early 20th Century, sales techniques relied on powerful writings distributed in posters, leaflets and newspapers, accompanied maybe by the occasional drawing. The main drawback to this method is that it takes an extremely power and sustained argument to captivate the readers attention, and the reader is not necessarily attracted straight-away to what is presented to them.

However the 1920s saw the development of more visual methods of advertisement being introduced; such as, canvas paintings, photo-prints and the enhancement of posters – larger and more visually inclusive in their design. This style of advertising can be considered more attractive to viewers because it is more striking and attractive to the viewer as it creates a quicker and more immediate impression. This enhancement, development and sophistication of presentation coincided with the arrival of the “machine- age”, which revolutionized production and sales methods, going from small batches of production to suddenly a wave of mass-marketing and publications through the invention of printers and machine presses.

This new commercial trend, ‘mass-production’ would bring about a huge increase in consumption. This led greatly to the enchancement of corporate adveritising, nowqdays a multi-billion pound business. It is very true to say that photograpphy played a significant part in this rise, both through its rich and attractive visual quality combined with its ease for mass production.

EXAMPLES OF PHOTOGRAPHY IN 1920s ADVERTISING

by Edward Steichen, 1927

by Florence Henri, 1929

Bright visual poster from the 1920s

Background 

After WWI, artists in Germany and the USSR began to experiment with an avant-garde technique known as the ‘photo-montage’.

‘Photo-montage’ is the making of a composite photograph by cutting, gluing, rearranging and overlapping two or more photographs into a new image. These images are then merged together in a way that make it appear like a single image. It is a very general term which allows for a degree of interpretation.

Traditionally a photo-montage often formed part of a larger collage, through the inclusion of other photographs, text, words and even newspaper clippings.

The 1917 Russian Revolution led to the formation of a young Communist state that was celebrated by many artists and intellects, who saw this revolution as an opportunity to end the corruption and poverty that existed in Russia.

Propaganda in the press, literature, radio and visual art was part of the post-revolution process, allowing the government to control and manipulate the public into supporting and tolerating the regime, using creative expression to insight and enlighten. The state increased its control of artists, using fear and threats to ensure the artists used their talents to the benefit of the new regime.

This is certainly the case in the various photo-montage posters which were commissioned by the government in the 1920s, work by artisits including El Lissisky, Alexandder Rodchenko and Vavara Steponavo. In this blog post I will look at how photo-montages at the time, served both as measures of creative expression, as well as regulation and suppression. I will use the work of ‘constructionist’ Vavrara Steponavo to support my findings.

PHOTO-MONTAGE: THE MANIPULATION OF REALITY 

Photo-montages are essentially images which are combined and constructed in a manner which express whatever message the artist wants to convey.  In the USSR, the photo-montage was considered to be the artists interpretation of events, but under strict supervision.

The ‘Five Year Plans’ was a period of extremely radical and supressive measures, which led to extreme poverty and widespread famine. Therefore, what started off as a positive propaganda programme soon became a cover-up of disastrous economic policy.

VAVARA STEPONAVO – PIOONER OF CONSTRUCTIVISM

Vavara Steponavo was a Russian ‘constructivist’ who produced a vast collection of photo-montage posters  throughout her lifetime. The term ‘constructivist’ refers to a trend of art that saw art as a practice for social purposes, instead of just a form of expression. Stepanova, among other such as her husband Alexander Rodchenko, used constructivism to serve the political ideals of the Soviet Union, linking the policies implemented by the regime to the supposed benefit of the people.

By the end of the first ‘Five Year Plan’, the USSR was a leading industrial power. The ‘photo-montage’ was designed by the state to be an ‘ideological image’ which established through visual ‘evidence’, the great success of the plan. This was done by the photographer cutting out newspaper a series of newspaper clippings and sticking them on a large canvas. This can seen as one of the many examples of heavy experimentation during the 1920s in terms of art and what its meaning was.

STEPONAVO …. ‘USSR IN CONSTRUCTION’

‘USSR in Construction’ is a propaganda publication by Stepanavo looking at the various ‘successes’ of industrialisation during the ‘Five Year Plans’. This poster was a foreign publication, designed to show countries such as France and Great Britain of the success of Communist Russia, a nation who were a ‘leading force in the global market and economy’

In this photo-montage, it is apparent that everything is carefully constructed. There are only three types of colour and tone: (different ranges of) black-and-white, and sepia, and the integration of geometrical planes of red to structure the composition. This balance of colour tones ensures that there is a measured range to how the image is viewed.

In this poster the artist has used symbolism to link the visual and written elements of the poster together. Such is apparent through the artists insertion of public address speakers, on a platform with the number 5, symbolising the ‘Five Year Plans’, along with the CCCR (USSR).

The most recognisable aspect of this poster is the large image of Vladimir Lenin, which has been cropped and oversized. The intention of this is to draw emphasis to Lenin in a striking way, to draw the idea to the viewer of his cult like status in contrast to the smaller representation of a crowd of people, indicating ‘mass appreciation’ for this ‘large figure’.

CONCLUSION

I find photo-montages to be very interesting because they are a clever way of photographers working with multiple images to create a response. Photo-montages allow a degree of creativity and are fun and interactive, thus appealing to the audience.

It is clear that during the early period of the Soviet Union, photo-montages, along with the many other experimental forms of art were an exciting and innovative way of the Party and Government drawing public attention towards their ideology. The early photo-montage of Lenin and Stalin speak of hope and prosperity for the future, whilst using clever techniques such as extending the size of the face of the two leaders to represent them in a cult-like, demi god form.

I find that a lot of the Soviet photo-montages look almost a bit like drawings and sketches. They go beyond ‘straight’ or ‘pure’ photography and instead are more abstract and experimental, thus creating this obscured appearance.

A photo-montage is something I could definitely look into creating for my own final outcome, and it is something which would be very fun and experimental to construct.

Background

Since 879, Russia was ruled by the Romanov family, a long lasting dynasty. For hundreds of years Russia was a agricultural feudal system and power lied with the landowners and the masses, who were suppresses, peasants who were tied to the land.

Over the course of the 19th and early 20th Century, Europe underwent an Industrial Revolution – a dramatic period of political and social change whereby the old agricultural systems which existed for thousands of years were replaced by the creation and expansion of industrial societies, with large numbers of peasants moving to the cities and becoming ‘workers’ in factories.

These social changes put pressure on the old autocratic systems of monarchy which existed throughout Europe. Many Governments – Russia included – were extremely reluctant to introduce reform to meet these growing demands. Growing dissent among the workers led to a rise of a political ideology known as Marxism, which advocated the ‘workers rise up against the proletariat’ and establish a new system of Governing known as Socialism (Communism), through which means of production was distributed evenly across all members of society.

In  October 1917, Vladmir Lenin and the Bolshevik Party organised an armed uprising against the newly formed Russian Provisional Government (after the Tsar’s abdication in Feb. 1917), leading to the creation of the world’s first Communist state.

Lenin turned Russia into a totalitarian state, which meant that the government had complete control of every aspect of life – and individual rights and freedoms suppressed brutality by the Bolshevik Secret Police. One of the key characteristics of a totalitarian state is the belief that the masses should embrace the ideology and actively love the regime.

An effective way Lenin, and later Stalin, ensured this was through the introduction of State Propaganda.

State Propaganda in Russia was intended to brainwash and manipulate the masses into supporting the regime. Both Lenin and Stalin used propaganda to make themselves appear in to be brave, honourable, loving and courageous. As a result the masses were subdued into total and absolute admiration for their dictator. In Stalin’s case in particular, propaganda was used to make the masses both love him whilst simultaneously fear his enormous power.

PROPAGANDA  POSTERS 

STALIN – PROPAGANDA AND THE CULT OF PERSONALITY 

BACKGROUND

RUSSIAN ART AND CULTURE BEFORE STALIN

In the early days of Communism, the Soviet authorities were prepared to tolerate a great deal of diversity in revolutionary art and culture. Art during this period (1920-30s) was revolution in many senses, deliberately experimental and different from traditional art forms

• Kasimir Malevich = abstract paintings such as ‘Black Square’

• Leon Theremin invented world’s first electronic musical instrument – the theremin

• Filmaker Dziga Vertov, Kino Pravda; slow-motion, freeze frames and playbacks – films with no sets actors or plot

Thiis period also Celebrated modern industrial technology – abstract geometrical          shapes that resembled shapes in factory buildings

• Composer Alexander Mosolov – ‘The Iron Factory’ and ‘Steel’

… and promoted revolutionary heroics

• Sergei Einstein = trilogy of films celebrating the struggle of the workers against the Tsar

RECONSTRUCTING THE ARTS

1930 – Stalin expresses his discontent with Soviet Art. In ‘The Bolshevik’, he argues that revolutionary art should ‘express government opinion’ rather than ‘individual creativity’

Art meant nothing to the average peasant or worker – abstract shapes, surrealist films and experimental music were incompatible with the Soviet masses

REORGANISING SOVIET LITERATURE – SOCIALIST REALISM: ‘ART FOR THE WORKERS’

Art was re-organised in April 1932, following the ‘Decree of the Reformation of Literary-Artistic Organisations’. This decree established ‘Union of Soviet Writers’ which defined the style appropriate for Russian authors

Ivan Kulik of ‘Ukrainian Writers’ Union’ argued all Soviets writers who supported the revolution should adopt ‘Socialist Realism’. In 1934 – ‘All-Union Congress of Soviet Writers’ officially adopted ‘Socialist Realism’

‘SOCIALIST REALISM’

Refers to art which provides a ‘true reflection of reality’ whilst ‘participating in the building of socialism’

Based into three concepts …. Partynost (party spirit), Narodnost (national spirt) and Ideinost (new thinking)

Primary aim of Government = ‘educating the workers in the spirit of communism’ to deliver ‘art for the workers’….. using art to sell Communist ideology

Return to traditionalism was part of Stalin’s ‘Great Retreat’, a return to traditional values based on modesty and morality

ART FOR THE WORKERS

1929 – ‘ALL-Union Co-operative of Workers in Representational Arts’ established – worked in very similar way to the ‘Five Year Plans’ …. Members were set targets to complete a certain amount of pieces of work on a subject matter they were told to complete

1930 …. 200 artists were sent to collective farms and construction sites with the task of recording the ‘heroic work’ they witnessed

1936 …. ‘Committee for Art Affairs (KPDI) …. KPDI, under Yezhov, began to purge Soviet artists

Soviet Government and supports saw this period of a ‘creative atmosphere of enthusiasm’, however in reality artists were controlled, suppressed, and like industrial workers/managers, force to reach unrealistic ‘targets’

INSPIRATIONAL ART

‘Socialist Realism’ = designed to inspire the workers

Artistic required to ‘reflect in art the spirit and experiences of life out in the major sites of socialist industry’

Sculptures celebrating achievements of ‘Five Year Plans’ such as Dnieper Power Station and 70 metre long model of Dnieper Damn

Propaganda posters …. Gustavs Klucis commissioned to produce poster – ‘In the Storm of the Third Year of the Five-Year Plan’, portraying heroic workers mining

Novels …. Valentine Kataev = ‘Forward, Oh Time!’

ACHIEVEMENTS OF COLLECTIVISATION

Russian Artists attempted to glorify the achievements of collectivisation

Anti-Kulak Propaganda …. Samuil Adlivankin’s painting ‘Voting to Expel the Kulak from the Collective Farm’

Joy of Collectivisation … Aleksei Vasilev’s painting ‘They are Writing About Us in Pravda’ – depicting happy peasants eating a plentiful meal

Dziga Vertov’s film ‘Three Songs about Lenin’ described the way in which new technology had created farms in the desert

‘Socialist Realism’ continuously expressed they people enjoyed and benefitted greatly from collective farms despite the suffering and hardship and famine the policy resulted in

CITIES FIT FOR HEROES

Urban workers = heroes of Socialist Russia

Stalin commissioned the ‘Union of Soviet Architects’ to redesign Russia’s cities …. Cities designed to ‘demonstrate that there is no country in the world as blessed as the Soviet Union’

Stalin wanted to reconstruct the architectural design of Moscow to create ‘a truly socialist city’

Plan followed Five Year Plans by trying to transform the city in an extremely short period of time

Moscow Metro Station – underground station designed like a palace, decorated with grand columns …

Landmark that Russia could show off to the rest of the world

Achievement the workers could be proud of – triumph for Socialism

Distraction from poverty and suffering in the city

Connecting architectural advancement to convey the successes of Stalin’s policies

ART FOR THE LEADERS  

Part of totalitarian system = demands complete and absolute respect for dictator

Various forms of art designed to establish the ‘Cult of Stalin’ – making up myths, exaggerations and re-writing history to present to view of Stalin as a revolutionary and ideological genius and the father of the nation

THE ‘MYTH OF TWO LEADERS’

By the late 1930s, Soviet history = extensively re-written

Stalin created the ‘Myth of Two Leaders’ – myth putting himself alongside Lenin as a hero of the revolution

Greatly emphasised Stalin’s role in the early days of Communist rule, at the expense of many important figures of the revolution, including Trotsky

Propaganda created, history re-written and photos manipulated to fuel the idea that Stalin was Lenin’s closest friend and ally and thus his natural successor – evidence in Lenin’s Testament very much counters this idea

REMAKING THE PAST

1938, two ‘historical’ novels = central to creating and developing the ‘Myth of two Leaders’ – Erasing Trotsky completely from history and emphasised/fabricated Stalin as the most vital and significant contributor to the Communist Party …..

1. ‘The Short of the History of the All-Union Communist Party’
2. ‘The Short Biography of Stalin’

History was written and made up to fit around ‘The Cult of Stalin’

Novel’s supported newly formulated history …. Maria Krickova’s ‘The Tale of Lenin’, telling the story of Lenin’s death … Lenin is the ‘sun’ and Stalin is the ‘light’ that overcomes the ‘darkness’ which is Trotsky

Various paintings constructed fictional historical situations from 1917-24 to show Stalin always by Lenin’s side

Photographs altered, replacing Stalin’s rival and ‘old Bolsheviks’ with Stalin and his supporters

Nature of the Purges meant art had to be constantly changed – after former NKDV leader Yogada’s arrest for example, Dmitiri’s painting of ‘Stalin, Kirov and Yogada at the White Sea Canal’ had to be re-printed

‘THE CULT OF PERSONALITY’

1930s and 40s there were two ‘Cults of Personality’ – Lenin and Stalin; Lenin = teacher + Stalin = Lenin’s star and favourite pupil

1930s, Lenin Cult had a god-like hysteria; Dziga Vertov’s ‘Three Songs about Lenin’ – Lenin literally seen as a ‘ray of truth’ who ‘brought life to the deserts’

Building of Lenin’s mausoleum – Lenin wish was to be buried next to his mother but Stalin had his body embalmed and put on public display – immortalised in a god-like way ….. Mausoleum = effectively a Communist shrine met by masses of Lenin’s ‘followers’

‘Lenin Cult’ = crucial to totalitarian regime – powerful new symbols and rituals which replaced Christianity and allowed Russian citizens to form an emotional bod with the regime

Mid-1930s – Soviet artists and journalists generated a ‘Cult of Stalin’

Implied Stalin was Lenin’s naturally, divine successor and in many ways the embodiment of Lenin’s immortal revolutionary spirit

Some artists even implied that Stalin was the ghost of Lenin: ‘Long Live the Stalinist Order of Heroes and Stakanovites’ in which Stalin stands in front of a ghostly apparition of Lenin

‘Pravda’ praised Stalin’s ‘divine’ wisdom on a daily basis

Birth of a new ideology – ‘Marxism-Leninism-Stalin’: linking/connecting Stalin to Marx and Lenin, the legendary figures of the revolution

Stalin’s birthday becomes a national celebration – organised parades of marching troops, happy children and workers

Purpose of Cult = allow ordinary citizens to identify with the regime – discontentment with local conditions and economic hardship blamed on regional leaders and general ‘sabateurs’ whilst good things in life were associated directly with Stalin

1940s ….. ‘Cult of Stalin’ had progressed significantly

1941-45 = stressed his role of war leader …. Proganda posters, news reports and propaganda films showing Stalin and the ‘Red Army’ as a fierce force who resited the evil force of Nazi

Post WWIII – Stalin presented as a world leader

Soviet media presented Stalin as the hero who ‘liberated’ Eastern Europe from Nazi Control…. Eastern European nations taught to respect Stalin and encouraged to embrace Communist ideology + a union with the USSR

1950s – Stalin the intellectual: Wanted to be viewed as a master theorist and genius of communism …published ‘Marxism and Problems of Linguistics’ …article appeared in 1950 and was praised in the Soviet Press, described as an intellectual breakthrough

THE ‘CULT OF IMPERSONALITY’

Stalin’s biographer, Robert Service, has suggested that the Stalin cult is best understood as a ‘cult of impersonality’

In spite of the Russian people being taught to worship and respect Stalin in an obsessional, ‘god-like’ manner …… very little in fact was revealed about his history and character

Kept his personal life extremely private …..

Pre-1936 = no mention in the official press of Stalin’s children or family life

Stalin actively discouraged the publication of his early speeches and any attempts to write officials biographies

Rather than focusing on Stalin’s personality, the cult concentrated on the glamorous/appealing side of the Soviet regime ….

General view of Stalin as a mysterious, brilliant embodiment of socialism rather than any insight into Stalin’s life – focused of Stalin’s professional life and achievements rather than Stalin as an individual – he was in many ways a symbol of the regime rather than a person himself

Stalin was a complex and unstable character driven by hatred and paranoia …. This had to be disguised and kept from the public

CONCLUSION

Stalin’s regime = built on fear but not fear alone

During the famine, terror + hardships of Five Year Plan, Soviet Art/Propaganda offered the people a vision of a new society designed to inspire them and to continue the struggle to build socialism

Leadership cult gave the impersonal nature of the Soviet bureaucracy a human face, and created a point of emotional contact between the regime and the people

Art = allowed the people to escape the fustrations of everyday life …. Escapism which tied them to the ideals of the regime

‘Socialist Realism’ = very much a form of Social control.

In order to break-down the theme of propaganda into its core aspects, I have researched the six main aspects through which propaganda ca be branched into

1. BANDWAGON

Definition – Pressuring a person to join a organisation/buy a product by implying they will be/feel left out if the don’t.

This concept plays on the natural human desire to feel included and ‘fit in’ because it is safe and secure to do so. By implying someone will feel left out if they do not comply to a certain ideal is a very powerful ad effective means of putting pressure on someone to adhere to the demands of what is being offered

2. TESTIMONIALS

Definition: endorsement of a product/ideology by a well known person, usually a celebratory 

The power, influence or credibility of this endorser will sub-consciously have an effect on the viewer and thus may improve the image of the product. This is seen as one of the most popular forms of Propaganda and large cooperate companies will pay celebrities substantial amounts of money to appear in their commercials.

3. TRANSFER

Definition: the attempt to have people view a product in the same manner that they already view a more familiar subject 

4. GLITTERING GENERALITIES

Definition: links a product to general concepts and ideas that can be seen in a positive way.

This is based on the concept of positive reinforcement.

Presenting something in a positive light makes it more attractive and viable. Therefore a consumer will be more convinced to buy something which is presented in an optimistic light. Advertising usually embeds such themes within the consumer’s sub-conscious.

5. PLAIN FOLKS

Definition: use of common ideals which makes a product look as if it is for everyone 

This method will often be adopted when the product available is for a general target market, such as an advertisement for bread or milk. The person included in the commercial will appear like an ‘average Joe’.

This is done to make the product appear more customer friendly and less intimating. It is welcoming and inclusive!

Appearing simple and easy for everyone to use is an attractive quality which draws the consumer in.

 

DEFINITION

Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.

CORE ASPECTS OF PROPAGANDA

In my view propaganda is essentially a form of information, usually expressed in a creative, artistic manner, which is created with the intent to shape the behaviour and ideas of the person and group of people who view it.

HISTORY OF PROPAGANDA

The concept of propaganda has existed since the beginning of human civilization. Propaganda is effectively a simplistic concept, a way of an authority figure/leader being able to maintain and keep control of the civilian population. Tribal traditions and rituals that have developed throughout history are some of the earliest examples of behavior patterns which would later be developed into deliberate propaganda techniques. The Maori people dating back to the 13th Century for example, have used the  ‘Haka’ war-dance as a way of showing tribal dominance and to defend themselves from tribal threats imposed on them – many of them still practice this for the process of preserving a sense of cultural identity. Such a dance was seen as a way of creating solidarity between those in the tribe. Being part of such a tradition would subsequently boost feelings of  identity needed to secure the stability of the group.

More deliberate and calculated examples of propaganda being used can date back to the Greek period. Greeks had games, the theater, the assembly, the law courts, and religious festivals – all of which organised structures which gave leaders to opportunity for propagandizing ideas and beliefs. Greek playwrights made use of the drama for their political, social, and moral teachings. Another effective way of the Greeks expressing propaganda was oratory – the delivery of speeches.

Through the development of technology – social structures in society and in general the attitudes of the masses – so has the methods of propaganda. The 20th Century has seen the most significant of these changes – politically, socially and technologically. The way propaganda has changed, developed and improved as a result is substantial. The production of distribution of propaganda has gone from small-scale groups in the early 20th Century promoting various political ideals, to mainstream mass cooperation and Governments controlling millions through diligent and extensive techniques.

STATE PROPAGANDA

Propaganda is a broad term and can be used for a variety of purposes. The strongest association usually with propaganda is State Propaganda. This refers to the information that nations and governments send out to the public, with the intention of manipulating support from the masses  – promoting their ideology, or spreading fear amongst the masses to discourage activities which threaten and oppose the core values of the government. State propaganda is usually carefully planned and organised, and is usually associated with the many infamous dictatorships of the 20th century. This is far from the truth however, as many nations during this period deemed as democratic, such as Great Britain and the USA have also been known to conduct vigorous and highly manipulative propaganda campaigns.

ADVERTISING

Commercial Advertising can also be seen as propaganda because the techniques used are very similar to what is usually seen within State/Government propaganda. The concept is the same, as the particular company/organisation will try to endorse a product to the consumer – the equivalent of a Government trying to endorse their ideology.

Commercial advertising is largely a product of the technological changes of the latter 20th Century and 21st Century to date. The rise in digital advertising and endless possibilities of social media has advanced and improved the ways in which products are advertised.

Advertising uses multimedia techniques to promote products, services and ideas. Although usually factually correct, advertising is usually exaggerated and embellished to make the product look appealing and attractive to an audience. Advertising is very much based on creating hype and sensationalism – persuading individuals it is in their interests to invest in that certain products, thus persuading the consumer to change their spending habits to fit such an trend.

SUMMARY

Propaganda is used to control and manipulate people in buying into an ideology or product either through positive reinforcement (encouragement) or negative re-reinforcement (creating and playing on people’s fears).

Propaganda is incredibility powerful to the extent it can brainwash people to accept and embrace even the most extreme and hateful philosophies.

The concept of Propaganda has existed for thousands of years  – however the development of technology along with developments of societal structures has dramatically advanced and sophisticated the methods and techniques of Propaganda.

Propaganda can be a force for both good and bad.

After receiving the title for this exam project I decided it would be best to break down all three of these concepts into their basic definitions

These three can be defined as the following …….

TRUTH = something which can be considered true/in accordance with fact or reality

FANTASY = something which is described, but is made up and never happened, usually seen as something impossible or improbable

FICTION = something which is described, but is made up and never happened

My Initial Thoughts ….

The Exam Project Handout gives a few paragraphs outlining different ways these topics can be interpreted. Straight away I was drawn to the final paragraph ……

“Written propaganda has been used to influence and steer public opinion with many political and religious movements claiming to possess the only true path or philosophy. Each movement has commissioned artists to embellish texts and illustrate their beliefs for public consumption and maximum impact. The communist and fascist posters of the early 20th century exemplify the power of this form of communication”

I find the theme of propaganda to be very interesting because I enjoy history a lot and have studied a bit about the role propaganda has had in shaping the course of the 20th and 21st Century. For instance political Propaganda throughout the 20th Century has proven to be an extremely powerful and manipulative tool that various Governments, ranging from the brutal autocratic regimes of Soviet Russia + Nazi Germany to supposedly free democratic nations such as U.S.A (particularly during the cold war) have used to their advantage to incite feelings of patriotism, loyalty, hatred and fear, among many other powerful emotions.

In is not an exaggeration to claim that effective Propaganda programmes have been effective to the extent of brainwashing masses of people in buying into the ideology of evil and hateful regimes which oppose standard moral standards of morality.

Propaganda has not  just been used to aid political ideology. Companies large and small, have used manipulative propaganda techniques within advertisement – drawing consumers into buying/subscribing to a certain product through repetitive commercials, subliminal messages within advertising  and celebrity endorsement, among many other ploys to draw masses of consumers in.

I find the role of propaganda therefore to be extremely interesting. Exploring this theme will enable me to explore how ‘truth’ and ‘fiction’ overlap. I will investigate whether propaganda really is just a really effective way of emphasising the truth? or in itself a mechanism for twisting the truth? or both?

Because propaganda is so hard to define and pinpoint I believe it will be a really effective theme to explore in this exam theme. The excess of propaganda which exists everywhere – both historically as well as present day will allow for an extensive exploration into its important and often overlooked role in society.

To emphasise the importance of propaganda I will ask the following questions . Some of these questions are largely open for debate, but make one think quite how scary the concept of propaganda actually is ……..

• Is it really a coincidence MacDonalds is the largest restaurant chain in the world and has some of the most sophisticated methods of advertising within the last 50 years?
• Is advertising in any way moral, especially advertising aimed at children?
• Would the Cold War even have existed without propaganda to support the masses?
• To what extent did the likes of Moa, Mussolini, Hitler and Stalin use propaganda as a way of continuing their suppressive, murderous and terrifying regimes?
• Did millions of people who volunteered and then died in various wars of the last century go into war through their own free choice/or were they lied to and deceived by Government Propaganda?
• Should major religious organisation be held accountable for their use of propaganda to influence the minds of billions of people throughout the course of history ?
• How may the 20th Century have been different without advances in propaganda/advertisement?
• Is propaganda/advertising really that bad at all and in fact exaggerated by statistics + can it even be a force for good?
• How has propaganda changed overtime and how will it be different in the future?

Summary

I have decided to go along the lines of this paragraph because I believe propaganda is an incredibly important theme to look into. It has undoubtedly shaped the course of the last 100 years because of its ability to ‘steer public opinion’. I want to use this exam time to challenge and break down the fundamentals of propaganda, looking in particular at how photography has been used as part of this trend, and particular how captions and slogans alongside images have influenced how the image is views and thus the audience impression of the intended information.

I believe that marketing of propaganda is in itself was of the most significant and important art forms of the last 100 years. Propaganda MUST be credited as a legitimate form of art because it is a creative way of expressing an ideal and leaves a powerful impact on the viewer. It is also evidence of the power art has not just as a form of expression but as a ploy for commercial manipulation.

My aim is to both embrace the techniques of propaganda but at the same time challenge its ethical and moral standing.

Over the course of my research I will begin to gather ideas of how I can respond, photographically to this theme. I don’t want to commit to an idea straight-away but instead develop a few clear concepts before deciding for sure.

Malcom X talking about the power Governments have in using media to “propagandise the nation”