Steampunk Analysis

Firstly, Hoch and Rosenquist select subject matters from mass-produced consumer goods that they might have been working with. Both Hoch and Rosenquist, as spectators of the mass media and consumer world, give us a “snapshot” into the consumer world. For Hoch, she tapped into industrialization and the fashion world. We see mechanical elements in The Beautiful Girl such as the tire, machine handle, BMW logos, industrial bench, and watch. And elements of the New Woman of German Weimar period--bobbed hair, makeup, and exposed legs. (Geneva 2008) For Rosenquist, The Light That Won’t Fail I contains depictions of common consumer objects such as the comb, socks and woman smoking, which would have shown in billboard advertisements.

The author of the book Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury, believed that “‘the automobile is the most dangerous weapon in our society’” (Conradt). Like his protagonist in Fahrenheit 451, he stuck up for what he believed in. In the book, the protagonist, Guy Montag, is a firefighter, however not in the same way as firefighters are today. In Fahrenheit 451, firefighters start fires to burn books because the government believes they show society’s flaws. When he meets a seventeen year old girl named Clarisse, she opens his eyes to see a corrupt society. He starts reading books until he hears that Clarisse died. Montag, with the help of his friend Faber, escapes the city in hopes to be able to read without being killed. He soon finds a group, lead by a man named Granger, that is trying to go against the government, and realizes there are more people like him. Clarisse, Guy Montag, and Granger’s group contribute to the theme of sticking up for what you believe is right, even if there are consequences.

Through the 20th century’s proliferation of popular art, a binary opposition was created with the dominant pre-existing European aesthetics. Artists using nontraditional tools challenged the canon’s notions of value and, in this way, fought against repressive desublimation, in which high culture and art become commodified and absorbed into a material capitalistic society. The purpose of this paper is to address the juxtaposed values of “high” and “pop” art to determine if their values should be equalized. This paper is divided into three sections. The first section examines intent. The second section examines the effects of the environment in which an artwork is created and viewed. The third section examines changes and continuities as they

This process, and the overall representation of cool in advertising, has significant broader ideological implications that I now turn to explore. Klein (1999) discussed how processes of commercial co-optation are speeding up at an ever increasing rate (p. 65). Inevitably, this will result in the commercialization of virtually every sub-culture and ultimately the loss of any truly authentic or independent counter cultural movement. There will simply be “marketing that thinks it is culture” (Klein, 1999, p. 66). It is arguably a very feasible possibility that the current of the mainstream will simply become too strong to swim against. Klein (1999) refers to this phenomenon as the “colonization [. . .] of mental space”, as the search for the self becomes grounded in all the “marketing hype” and the consumption of commodities (p.

This is an era of lifestyle where we are living right now there is no question about it. People are represented by their lifestyle preferences which relate to their personality and how do they want them to be seen by others. This report will go into detail about how and why individuals execute this. Bourdieu (1984) says lifestyle consumption is part of the late capitalism, in which goods are not valued for their use, but for the meaning of what they symbolize and what does it say about the person. This way consumer goods turned into signs which displays individuality through their tastes. “The modern individual within consumer culture is made conscious that he speaks not only with his clothes, but with his home, furnishings, decoration, car and other activities which are to be read and classified in terms of the presence and absence of taste. The preoccupation with customizing a lifestyle and a stylistic self-consciousness are not just to be found among the young and affluent; consumer culture publicity suggests that we all have room for self-improvement and self-expression whatever our age or class origins” (Winship 1983; Featherstone and Hepworth 1983).

Blasé Project explores representations of identities, behaviors & style in the 21st Century’s art and society, through a series of acts taking on the codes of fashion and media. Blasé means unimpressed with, or indifferent to something because one has experienced or seen it so often before. Blasé can also be interrupted as being bored from over indulgence. My exploration of the construct Blasé started as an intertextual response to G. Simmel’s essay “Metropolis & the Mental Life” (1903). Simmel examines the factors and manifestations of this psychic state of indifference, typical to the urban individual.

Throughout history, there has been a country that has been thought of as a romantic, tourist’s place to visit. Some people would say that this country has the ability to influence fashion. With that being said, some of the most famous designers, including Chanel, Dior, and Givenchy, are associated with this country. In the past, they have also been known for their art, wines, and cheeses. As for myself, being a hopeless romantic, I have had dreams of being swept off my feet at the foot of the Eifel Tower. Therefore, my country report is on France.

I have been always fascinated by how a public environment with artistic architecture can play a major role in a societies’ attitude.The way it could alternate individual’s mood and give them

Consumerist culture is something that humans are constantly surrounded by, from the ornate gifts and toys displayed in stores and window fronts to common household items thoroughly advertised. It has become so normal that flashy ads and fancy billboard signs are something that has become expected to see in the daily activities of life. Consumerist art is built around the familiar imagery of product advertisements and everyday consumption practices, while also being deeply rooted in current social context. Above all, consumerist art mirrors values of the dominant culture and makes comments and address issues with the world (1). This type of art is unique in that it so profoundly relies on current social activities to define itself. Additionally, this allows for extreme variety in how artists address them and what issues they chose to represent.

The steam engine has had major impacts on society, and not just during the industrial revolution. It’s creation still affects us even today. Back then, the invention of the steam locomotive spread fast and

Post-World War 2 the world was steadily resetting itself from the aftermath of war. This was a time where a new generation was coming through, determined to change the world and bring radical transformation, avoiding the mistakes of the previous generation. With this we saw historical movements namely the African-American Civil Rights Movement, the Second-Wave of Feminism and the boom in Consumerism that have shaped the world we live in today. This new way of thinking brought the 1960s design era, also known as the POP! Movement, with the aim to challenge what makes good design and blurring quality art with low culture sources. I will focus on the ideas of Feminism and Consumerism during the POP movement and how the Poster Dresses by Harry Gordon and BG66 by Bonnie MacLean reflect the two concepts through their design.

Using semiotics, fashion is sign system of great cultural significance because fashionable clothing, accessories, and body adornments are not only obvious visual signifiers, but fashion has the ability to ‘speak’ for individual, subcultures, and, in some cases, even entire societies. Incidental items, particularly branded objects such as handbags, footwear, jewellery, and accessories act as significant symbols of status and class within the Western world and are perpetuated through the media, specifically in shows such as ‘Sex and the City.

As Cole Porter once sang “Only in Paris one discovers the urge to merge with the splurge of the spring” (LyricsFreak), the French have always had a “je ne sais quoi” about them, an unforgettable charm and an unrepentant tendency for overindulgence that makes their footprint in the fields of architecture, cuisine, art, fashion and even war, ever so lasting. From Coco Chanel’s simple designs to Victor Hugo’s enchanting prose to Claude Monet’s detailed paintings, it is clear that the French have an unmeasured value for artists, innovators and people who appreciate the intrinsic value of beauty.

Before opening Colette in 1997, Sarah would often take solitary trips to big cities like London, Tokyo and New York, expanding her cultural knowledge and view on fashion, art and design. Acutely influenced by what was going on elsewhere in the world, the industry of fashion and art was in many ways being dominated by these three metropolises back then, leaving Paris behind. Having just graduated from the famous Parisian university École du Louvre with a degree in history of art, Sarah was in deep needs of a job, however, still unsure what she actually wanted to become. Starting out as an intern for the French fashion magazine, Purple – an experience that helped her to create a network and meet other young designers within the industry of fashion and art. Throughout these very same years, Sarah and her mother had kept a close eye on a particular space on Rue Saint-Honoré. After having discussed the idea of opening a store for several years, they eventually decided to go see the big, empty retail space in the 1st arrondissement, clinging just a block from the Louvre. Spanning over three floors, it had always been Sarah and her mother’s vision not just to have a fashion store, a gallery or a restaurant, but mix all three into one unique experience. With no hesitation they decided to buy the space, setting the first stepping-stone in creating the Colette store. As a contradiction of these other, easily homogenized retail concepts, Sarah and her mother envisioned a new store

Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451 covers a fireman named Guy Montag who, after realizing he is not happy in the dystopian society he is living in, begins questioning what the government wants him to believe. Montag exists in a world where firefighters are actually firestarters. Books are also extremely illegal, and if found inside one’s home, it and everything inside will be burned to the ground. Bradbury starts his story with Montag meeting a young girl named Clarisse, who gives Montag an entirely new perspective as to what kind of society he is living in. Montag continues to develop his relationship with Clarisse and he becomes progressively confused, until Clarisse mysteriously disappears.