Social Media-Memes

The popularity of social media over the last decade has meant that users can reach an audience that would have seemed impossible only a few years ago. Users share information  online about almost every subject with a massively varying degree reach. Posts from users can travel around the world in a very short space of time, this has been highlighted a number of times by teachers and parents wanting to highlight the dangers of uploading pictures to children. A mother in Colorado uploaded a picture of her daughter holding a note that said “Mom is trying to show me how many people can see a picture once it’s on the Internet,”. The picture received over 1 million 'likes' within 48 hours. This demonstrates the global reach that social media gives to all of its users but there are also a number of troubling aspects to this. The picture was altered by a number of users and recirculated with insulting statements in place of her original note. She deleted the post but the image had already been made into a meme and continued to circulate with her powerless to stop it.

These same problems apply to satirical illustrations on social media. An image can be altered and recirculated by anyone and in some cases become more well known than the original. In the times of Gerald Scarfe and Thatcher a Newspaper or illustrator with apposing ideas could create a parody of Scarfe's work but would be bound by the publications policies and subject to editorial control. On social media there is no set of rules governing what can and can't be said. This makes social media a haven for free speech and a melting pot of ideas, opinions and information which is an amazing tool for advertising. The problem is that is it also a scary place to try and seek public approval,  reputations can change in minutes on a platform that allows no holds barred debate on a global scale.

The sheer mass of information on social media means that posts have to be streamlined down to their simplest form to hold users attention. Memes have become the preferred way to communicate quick chunks of information or opinion. They consist of an image to instantly grab attention (often a well known character from a TV show or film) and a small amount of text. The strength of the picture element is highlighted by the fact that the same images are often reused in a large number of memes. These image that are often screen grabs from famous TV shows have developed a new meaning that is instantly recognizable.

 

 

Memes only allow for a small amount of information to be communicated if any at all and seem to be more for entertainment and to act as a 'high five' for like minded individuals. Users are often openly mocked for trying to engage in political conversation. After any significant event that has political connotations a large number of users will voice their views on the subject without necessarily being informed on the subject.

If these memes are anything to go by there is a widely held belief that political discussion on social media has no effect on politics. People are openly mocked for trying to start political discussions, this could be due to the lack of knowledge or credibility of the users instigating the discussion or the unofficial sources of the information. Many users appear to prefer to be passive and be fed information rather than be involved in a conversation. a study by Daniel M. Romero called 'Influence and Passivity in Social Media' starts off by saying-

 

"The ever-increasing amount of information flowing through

Social Media forces the members of these networks to compete for attention and influence by relying on other people to spread their message. A large study of information propagation

 within Twitter reveals that the majority of users act as passive information consumers and do not forward the content to the network. Therefore, in order for individuals to become influential they must not only obtain attention and thus be popular, but also overcome user passivity"

 

 

Gestalt experimentation

After researching the theories of gestalt psychology I decided to experiment with Mulitistability. I wanted to make some images with contrasting or connected subjects. Multistability can be used to make connections between subjects that might otherwise seem completely unrelated, this could be a useful communication tool in illustration. I decided to use Margaret Thatcher as the subject of my first image as I had already researched her for my essay, I based the character of her on Gerald Scarfe's  illustrations of her. I wanted to make a connection between the Tory Party and The Empire from the film Star Wars so I chose to use Darth Vader to represent this. I chose this theme as it fits the subject of my essay.

I decided to try and make Margaret Thatchers famous handbag into Darth Vaders helmet, I think that the image of Darth Vader is stronger in this illustration and is instantly recognisable, I think this was always going to be the case as I made big adjustments to the Margaret Thatcher character to form this character. Once you notice the face on Darth Vaders chest the second meaning of the image starts the become clear. The handbag and helmet are both famously associated witht he characters but the helmet is a stronger visual signifier and overpowers the form of the handbag. I think the Mulitistability of this image works but could be simplified to make it more effective. I will need to find a way to simplify the elements I have used to illustrate this characters while maintaining the balance between the two.

Gestalt Psychology

gestalt philosopher Kurt Koffka is often misquoted as saying "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts," this quote was translated wrong and should have been "The whole is other than the sum of the parts". Koffka did not like the translation and corrected students of his work saying "This is not a principle of addition". The idea being that the whole has an independent existence from the parts that make it.  

Max Wertheimer believed that thinking happens in two ways, productive and reproductive.productive thinking involved solving problems with the use of insight. This is a quick unplanned response to a situation or environment. Reproductive thinking involves solving problems using previous experiences and what we already know.

Charles J. Brainerd and Valerie F. Reyna proposed the cognitive theory called the Fuzzy-trace Theory. The theory has been used in a variety of areas including cognitive psychology and has been used to explain false memory and risk perception and estimation. the theory states that we store information in two separate traces. The first one is the verbatim and stores exact detail,for example each individual letter of a word and the shapes that make up each letter. the second is the gist. the gist stores is our perception, the semantic and conceptual properties. For example the gist would contain the meaning of the word and what we associate it with e.g colour, taste, location. gestalt psychology is associated with how we encode memory in the gist.

Visual Journal 10

I have really enjoyed using my visual journal to research how we use our previous experiences and knowledge to decipher the images we encounter throughout our lives. I think my research has become a bit confused and I need to focus more on theories to make sense of the subject. I have chosen to look more in Gestalt Theories and how and why they work. i will continue to use signs, logos and icons to explore these theories. 

I will look at companies that use Gestalt images for their logos and also make my own Images from logos and icons. Their are a variety of preexisting logos that apply these theories.

these are some nice examples of the application of gestalt theory. The two predominant key principles that are most often used are Reification where our perception creates more than is present in the image and Multistability where we perceive two different interpretations of the information in the image and can change back and forth between the two.

I think the best examples of  Multistability are well balanced without one of the interpretations overpowering the other. These images are often silhouettes or fairly simple compositions, this could be to avoid confusion. there are many examples of images purposely created to contain a hidden second interpretation but these would not be useful if you are trying to successfully convey a message that relies on both meanings to be understood.

This example of a frog and/or horses head is a cleverly designed image but does not work as well as the Hope for African children Initiative further up the page. in the latter the form of both Africa and the peoples faces are both easily recognizable. The way the images are put together is designed to trick your brain into recognizing two different things, the artist needs to work out how to combine the image in a way that suits their purpose.

Visual Journal 8

I tried combining well known icons from fashion and religion to see how they interact and which becomes the dominant element. I tried to work with very well known images that are associated with block shapes or colour combinations so I could apply variations in both shape and colour.

I started with a pixel image of Mario, made some alterations to the outline removing his hair and moustache. I then changed the colours to the ones associated with the Simpsons character Homer Simpson. I think this image has manages to perform as a representation of both characters. Mario's facial feature are still recognizable even with some minor alterations. I think it helps that the face is made up of simple pixelated blocks. the shape of the head and colour scheme seem to be enough to summarize homer. the yellow skin colour helps to make Simpsons characters stand out and make them recognizable even when Homer's outfit is about as generic as it could be in form and colour.

For this image I used the Nike Tick to make up a crucifix and crown of thorns. I really like this image and think it looks similar to a some of the more decorative catholic Cross'. The form of the Nike Tick is lost in the design, I think the composition id too complex to maintain the shape. This design could be used as a commentary on how we treat big name brands in modern culture. i think the form of the Nike Tick could be experimented with more using Gestalt principles. I will experiment more with this idea.

Visual journal 6

The bold block design and lettering of these stop signs makes the message easy to recognise even when the lettering is reversed.

I transferred the lettering to another logo that uses a simple red border. I chose the Nintendo logo which is instantly recognisable for anyone that grew up in the 80's and 90's.

This logo has the same layout and colour as street signs including lettering but even with all these elements the image instantly makes me think of Nintendo and not a authoritative sign. The shape of the border and 'R' symbol are enough to communicate the identity of the brand.

Visual Journal 5

I started to combine street signs with branding and other well known logos that we encounter on a regular basis. I looked a lot at religious iconography that has a powerful meaning. these icons are often seen as representing certain values and can serve as a reminder to adhere to these beliefs.

I have replaced the halo in this commonly used image of The Virgin Mary with a street sign to draw a comparison with the authority they represent. They are both representations of a set of rules to live life by whether applied by a government or religious belief.

I looked at imagery from stained glass windows once again adding in a street sign crossing out the sun. the sun is one of the universal symbols that all cultures around the world and often appears in religious or cultural imagery. I want to find out if there are any symbols or images that are common to all religions. I would like to experiment with other symbols that we encounter in everyday life.

Visual Journal 4

I started to look at the forms that street signs a comprised of and wanted to see how they could be manipulated and still be easy recognisable and perform as a sign

the red border that is a feature of a large number of street signs in the UK is a power signal that what is contained within it is very important and must be adhered to. Even altering the thickness of the sign has an effect as this sign shape is still recognisable as a sign but would most likely not be reacted to in the same way as an official street sign.

I made a series of posters experimenting with the shapes that make up street signs. I think a red circular border is not enough to make use believe we are looking at a sign, It is a certain thickness of line and size of the sign that effect our judgement.

This poster shows the differences in association with colour in street signs. I would say the bright red and the black sign are the most authoritative.

Visual Journal 3

I started to look at signs and how we react to them. They have a level of authority that we abide to all or most of the time. The colours and shapes associated with street signs become signifiers for important messages throughout our lives. The colour red is used in street signs and warning labels and so informs us that the information that it is communicating is important and that we should pay attention to it. This is useful in our day to day lives as we can sort the visual information we receive into varying categories of importance. The problem with this is that if advertisers know this then they can employ the same colours and shapes to make you think their advert has a similar level of importance.

I changed the colours of a common street sign to see what effect it had. I would immediately recognise the blue and white shapes as a sign, an official street sign that represents the law or rules of a institution. By changing the colours the authority of the sign is immediately removed, I would not feel that this same shape in different colours was a sign that I need to adhere to. It is almost like an unwritten contract that we will abide by the direction of certain combinations of colour and shape.

Visual Journal 2

I wanted to explore further the ways in which we make sense of the things we see on a daily basis. We read everyday in a variety of contexts and are able to speed up this process by recognising words by form rather than having to interpret each separate letter.

I wrote out a number of words with the first and last letter left in the correct place but the letters in the middle have been rearranged. Some of the words are easier to interpret than others. I think this may be due to the way I have changed the order of the letters. it is possible we see certain combinations of letters as a whole. Letter combinations that are common in the English language. For example 'er' , 'ie' and 'on'.

The could help me to break down how we recognise characters even when abstracted or simplified. I need to research theories relating to recognition and signification. We are able to recognise certain heavily ingrained symbols regardless of context, colour or overall form. We see faces in a wide range of objects that can be made up of nothing more than a couple of marks or objects in a certain pattern.

Faces seen in objects and in the world around us are often made up of 3 marks, 2 for eyes and one for a nose or mouth. Faces are often seen in houses and household objects.

Visual Journal 1

I started my visual journal researching symbols and gestures and how they are interpreted in different cultures. There are many examples of gestures and actions having different and in some cases almost polar opposite meanings from culture to culture. For example pausing between words while talking is seen as comfortable in japan whereas in Europe and north America it is often a sign of insecurity and can cause embarrassment.

I made some street signs to represent these cultural differences. the top sign is to show that in many Asian countries it is polite to leave straight after eating dinner at someone else's house, staying afterwards implies you have not been fed enough. In Europe and North America this would be seen as rude, suggesting all you wanted was the food and not the company of the people that made it.

The bottom sign represents the conflicting meanings of shaking your head from side to side. In most countries shaking your head means no but in India means yes.

I wanted to research how we interpret visual information. This image to me is clearly Homer Simpson even though some of the key information is missing. I recognise this collection of shapes and colours because I am familiar with it and have been almost all of my life. Although I see this as a universally recognisable image and would be surprised if anyone didn't recognise it, this is not necessarily the case if different parts of the world. For something to be universally recognisable it must be common to everyone on the planet.

I made some minor changes to the image that is made up of the same shapes with a couple of additions. the image now looks like a chicken and to me does not signify Homer Simpson at all.

Images can be abstracted in certain ways and remain easily recognisable but these abstractions need to be considered to work well. I would like to know if there are rules to this abstraction or simplification to maintain the identity of the original image.

proposal

This is my proposal for Studio Brief 2:Visual Response.

I want to investigate a wide range of ideas and see where my research takes me. I think this starting point gives me a solid starting point while allowing me to investigate the theory and practical application of a range of signifiers. I wanted to make sure my proposal allowed me the freedom to let my research guide my work and provide me with a varied and interesting starting point.

Essay research 6

I watched an interview by Sheppi Khorsandi with John O'Farrell who was one of the writers behind 'Spitting Image' and also worked on 'Have I Got News For You'. This is a link to the transcript of the interview-

http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/bam/live/content/z2wr4wx/transcript

this was an very useful interview as he talks about how and why satire has changed in the time scale I have been researching. He said-

"The boundaries have been pushed back and back and back. So I remember studying That Was the Week That Was, trying to get my head round the notion that it was shocking to say that politicians were a bit bad or to criticise them at all. This was why this was must see viewing in 1963."

Satire must have been worrying to politicians who were used to a climate where their policies were rarely criticized let alone their personal lives. This shock value made satirical programmes must see viewing and made them a powerful tool. he went on to say-

"But gradually over the 60s and 70s we sort of came to understand that our politicians were not perfect. Spitting Image did it with the Royal family in the 80s and I think now political satirists are struggling ‘cause it’s sort of a presumption among the electorate that our politicians are no good… "

Over time all the shortcomings of politicians became common knowledge and were openly scrutinised in the public eye. Politicians went from being revered and above reproach pre 1960 to being seen as swindlers and crooks. It has got to the point where anything said about a politician, however bad is accepted and almost expected. this huge shift in public perception could have had an impact on the effectiveness of satire.

O'Farrell concluded that-

"…when I worked on Have I Got News For You we’d have politicians coming on and quite often it would increase their profile and help their status… There’s no great satirical programme on TV and I really think we are doing the cruellest thing that we could do to our politicians which is just ignore them completely. "

Because it is so common for politicians to be made fun of it makes sense that they would embrace these types on satirical environments to keep them in the public eye. politicians have changed the way they present themselves to the public, they now try to portray themselves as a flawed character that is trying their best. they seem to be trying to make a connection with the public by appearing to be one of the people even though most politicians lives have no connection to the lives of the majority of people in the country.

Essay Research 5

Gerald Scarfe is a very successful satirical illustrator who is best known for his illustrations of Margaret thatcher. Scarfe worked for The Sunday times and through this platform was able to reach a large audience on a regular basis. Working in this way Scarfe was able to build up a relationship with his audience and alter peoples perception of Margaret Thatcher. I think that his work being part of a large audiences daily routine on a regular basis allowed him to slowly alter perceptions bit by bit.

Scarfe portrayed Thatcher as a range of objects and animals but kept a common theme, he depicted her as sharp and aggressive. These qualities were commonly agreed on by both her supporters and opposition. I think maintaining these commonly held views meant his work maintained a universally agreed credibility. It was clear from his illustrations that he was no fan of Thatcher but even in his harshest illustrations he maintained a level of respect for her through his choice of character trait.

Her strength of character helped scarfe produce his illustrations, he said "she had a very definite personality and that really does help a cartoonist or caricaturist to make something of". he also said "she had a character that came through – I could always draw her as aggressive or cutting or biting."

The satirist relies on the subject of their work for material as it is a reaction to them. An illustrator needs an interesting subject to work from.

Essay Research 4

Tintin 'Breaking Free' is a anarchist parody of the Tintin cartoons by Herge. The stories were written under the pseudonym J. Daniels. The story features characters based on the original characters but the stories have been changed. Using a well known story is a clever way to communicate political satire. The audience is likely to be more open to information presented by an 'innocent' and well known character.

When the bool was released the media reaction was mostly negative, The Independent described it as a "sad little publication" and called it "naïve and brutish". The book seemed to be too extreme and brash in its political stance. I think that any satire that is going to be capable of changing opinion needs to start from a more balanced viewpoint. All this book seemed to do was provide people with the same political views with a medium to vent their frustrations with the government. I think satire should start with irrefutable facts that's are universally agreed upon by all sides to maintain credibility before trying to change public opinion. 

Essay Research 3

I recently watched an interview by Jerry Seinfeld with Trevor Noah in the series 'Comedians in Cars Drinking Coffee'. This is the link to the interview.

http://comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com/trevor-noah-thats-the-whole-point-of-apartheid-jerry

During the interview they discuss the effect recent changes in technology and lifestyle have had on the way we protest.

"People are able to protest in their underwear, and that almost defies what protesting should be about. The whole point of a protest is to get up out of your bed, put your clothes on, walk out into the cold and say, ‘I stand for this’. But now you don’t really have to have that conviction because you’re on the couch in your underwear, going ‘you know what, I don’t like it either."

Although this conversation is part of a quick conversation between two comedians it highlights some of the issues in the way we voice our opinions using social media. Social media provides a way to reach a huge audience from our home or mobile phone. This could be a powerful tool for satirical illustration but the sheer volume of information on social media means that even if your message is shared across the world it can easily be forgotten almost instantly.

In many elements of day to day life new technology has been accused of making us lazy so it makes sense that it has had the same effect on the way we protest.

Essay Research 2

Jonathan Coe

I found a Quote from Jonathan Coe who wrote the novels 'What a Carve UP!' and 'The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim'. In the opening paragraph of his writing he says-

"What was, back in the 1960s, a genuinely galvanising movement, sweeping aside centuries of conservatism and deference, has now become a sort of toothless default setting."

I want to investigate whether this assertion is true. Has satire changed with the times and is it now as effective as it was in the 1960's. Changes in technology and the social/political climate could have had a huge effect on satire. He went on to say that-

"However, far from tearing down the established order, most satire (except in a few very great, very extreme cases – Swift’s A Modest Proposal being the obvious example), does the exact opposite. It creates a welcoming space in which like-minded people can gather together and share in comfortable hilarity."

Coe suggests that in most cases satire is not only detrimental to the government but could actually be beneficial to them as it provides an opportunity for people to let of steam and share their views without and real form of protest or activism. This is not to say that satire has become completely toothless but highlights the importance of the platform used to reach the audience.

If satire only reaches a like minded audience or immediately alienates anyone with opposing views then the likelihood of it affecting any change is extremely unlikely.

Essay Research 1

First I will look at definitions of satire so I have a basis for my essay and understand the concept in its broadest definition. I looked at definitions from a number of dictionaries and have chosen to use The Oxford English dictionary and The Merriam-Webster Dictionary as authoritative sources for definitions.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines satire as-

"a way of using humor to show that someone or something is foolish, weak, bad, etc. : humor that shows the weaknesses or bad qualities of a person, government, society, etc."

The Oxford English Dictionary defines satire as-

"A poem or (in later use) a novel, film, or other work of art which uses humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize prevailing immorality or foolishness, esp. as a form of social or political commentary. Freq. with on, of, against."

Of the two the Oxford English dictionary definition is more detailed and gives more of a sense of the contexts in which the term is used. The definition mentions that satire is used to "expose and criticise", rather than just being a form of humour with no purpose other than entertainment. It goes on to mention that satire is a "form of social or political commentary" and by implication calls for reform and change.

I want to use this definition as a starting point and look into the impact satire has had in the past and whether it is still effective a weapon today. I will look at the ways in which satire has had to change to keep up with new technology and the way it engages with its audience.