Bad little children's books - Bob Staake

When looking satirical books to be inspired by, I found this! Bob Staake recreated a twisted series of 60 children book covers, and called the series 'Bad little children's books'. I really love this, as I have a secrete hatred for classic children illustration, so the juxtaposition of the imagery with the joke text is brilliant. This is more like what i did for my cop practical last year, using the watercolour styled imagery. 

But by seeing this it has made me think that seeing as he's done 60 of these that they are pretty popular in the market, otherwise he wouldn't have done so many, that it has made me hopeful for my future, as this is something that I would like to get into.

REVISIT 6/1/17

I've just found this article about the Bob Staake series, and now it's not looking too great for my future...

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/12/03/us/satirical-book-outrage/

"Satirical children's book cover illustrations draw criticism"

It talks about having a fine line between satire and bigotry and how these series have really upset some people because he took it too far.. Although to be fair some one the titles are a bit much like 'happy burkaday timmy' and I would never do anything that I think would offend someone's race or religion. But this has made me think that I do need to be careful in the future for my work, as I don't really want to get slammed by the press.

Tom Wesselmann - Artist Inspo

I've never heard of Tom Wesselmann, but was written on my sheet as someone to look at for artist inspo. I'm intrigued by his use of colour in his work, working similarly to me with the bold flat colour which I love. Although his work is a lot more abstract compared to my own, I still think it's something that I can think about - how he uses negative space and large colour palette. His naked women remind me of my 'Susan', a bit more vulgarly depicted, but interesting to see his own interpretation of the human form.  

Joan Cornella - Artist Inspo

I personally find being inspired by other illustrators work quite difficult. I'm not sure what's wrong with me but I don't get excited by many other illustrator's work, which makes me sound a bit like an arrogant idiot but it's true. However Joan Cornella is someone who's work I really do enjoy. Similar to my own, the combination of solid colour and line work to depict satirical scenarios. Although Cornella's scenarios are a bit more vulgar than my own, he is someone that inspires my work. It's healthy to not take things too seriously and to just have fun with what you create, not being tied down by what you can and can't show. 

Trafford Centre visit

I finally got around to visiting the Trafford Centre in Manchester! It's such a weird shopping centre. When you first walk in you're greeted with an enormous lavish marble looking (but I highly doubt it is) staircase with pillars and a chandelier. It actually made me laugh out loud, it's just ridiculously and unnecessary over the top. The decor instantly reminded of me Vegas, it's like the whole place has been made to look like Cesar's Palace. I didn't feel like I was in a shopping centre at all. I suppose this links to destination theory, I felt transported into a completely different world, linking to Zizek's concept:

"The practicality of having memories installed in us of the perfect holiday is far better than having to go through all the commotion that comes with physically experiencing holidays, as well as being cost effective."

(Quoted from my essay)

The Trafford Centre is bombarded with theming, you can't walk for 2 minutes without bumping into an Egyptian pillar or a stone fountain. It's quite bizarre to be honest. But when I interviewed my participant about the Trafford Centre, they were saying how much they loved the theming and that it makes them enjoy going there. So I suppose it must work for some people. 

Peer Review 28/11/12

Todays feedback session wasn't as helpful as I was expecting it to be. I did get some useful pieces of feedback, as I really do need some more contextual references and illustrator inspiration. But I think that my theories aren't the easiest for everyone to understand so my ideas for my practical aren't comprehended properly, which is quite frustrating. I know that the uncanny is quite a hard concept to grasp, as it took me a while to fully get it myself, but I've explained it the best I can on my blog so I don't really know what else I can do.

I've also had my idea with a mock up and page layouts so I already had a clear idea of what to do, so I just wanted to crack on with it really.

But I understand how it was helpful for everyone or people who had hit a bit of a wall, and it was good to put my idea in front of people that had never seen any of my cop work. It's also made me think about extra products that could go with my books, like a dress up blow up doll with attachable paper items from my book.  

Enid Blyton & Ladybird satirical books

It seems there is a trend forming in the publication industry... Satirical books based on children classics. Although children books is not to my interest, satire most definitely is! Apart from this obviously inspiring me for my practical, it's also made me think about my practice as a whole. It's made me think that the satirical book sector is now trending and this is something that I should jump on. As much as I love editorial, I think it's healthy for me as an illustrator to also work in different disciplines. 

Adult ladybird books, the same as the above and previously looked at in COP2

Design Boards for COP3 Practical Workshop

Page layout

I did a quick sketch of what I want my pages to look like. Each illustration will be the same image of 'Susan' and will have a different commodity, reflecting hybrid consumption. Then underneath the illustration there will be a small piece of text linking to the illustration, the writing will add to the satire of the image. Similar to the ladybird and Enid Blyton adult books. I think the text will work great with the images, as otherwise they may look a bit out of place.  

I also need to work out what to do for the front and back cover. I think for the front I need to make sure it's clear that she's in a super market, so you can tell before reading the title. 

Book mock up

I thought I should do a book mock up to see how many pages were necessary and just to see the overall aesthetic. I decided to go with 12 pages, because that's the amount of devices that I could think of that I could illustrate with the doll, Susan. The pages will be A5, any bigger and the illustrations will look too small and any smaller the detail in the illustrations will be lost. I've already done two pages, so I'm thinking that I'm at a good pace to get this done before I get back from Christmas! 

It's made me think that making two books is a bit optimistic... So I think instead I'll propose other books and have them on the back of the book I'm going to make like they're part of a series.

Susan goes to the theme park

Susan goes to a casino

and

Susan now has no money

Practical - Page One

I added in my first object to my image to see how well it worked - and I think it was a success! I was worried that it would look obviously stuck on top of the original image, but I think it blends in pretty well! This has raised my spirits for the other illustrations, hopefully they will work just as well.

Practical - putting ideas into action

After finally coming up with an idea that I'm happy with, I thought I should test it out to see if it would work with my style and was worth delving into it. Surprisingly the image didn't take me that long to paint, which I'm hoping means that I'm getting quicker at painting! Which is great! I'm also pretty pleased with how it turned out, the eyes are a bit off but blow up dolls are a bit wonky away as they're cheaply manufactured so I'm not too bothered about it. 

I think it being a spot illustration works well, as I think if there was loads going on in the background then you'd lose focus on what I want the audience to look at. It should be pretty easy to add different items to the doll as I've got lots of space to work in. 

Overall I'm really excited for this idea, I think it will be successful and link to my essay! Which is the most important thing. I'm hoping that it will work satirically too, or I'd feel like my illustration isn't a success. But the text should help with that and work hand in hand. 

Bluewater Visit

I managed to take a trip to Bluewater shopping centre in Kent whilst I was at home for the day. It was weird going after doing all this research on shopping centres and the devices they used to make us consume. It made me over think everything and to be honest made me enjoy the experience a little less... But! This was a good opportunity for me to take some photos of what I've been reading.

The thing with Bluewater is that I don't find the decor necessarily draws in shoppers or is based off a model of anything else. But the shape definitely does, as all my participants brought up the triangular layout of Bluewater being the reason for it's popularity:

Desire path! Each participant said that the triangle shape makes it far easier to navigate around the shopping centre opposed to a square or rectangle. This is like the desire path, these being new paths that form when people realise that it's quicker to cut corners. They usually form triangles and right angles, which happens to be the same design as Bluewater Shopping centre. I don't think this is a coincidence... I know that the triangles are also used because it wastes the least amount of space, as squares have a lot of wasted space in the middle opposed to triangles. But I think it is also because of the idea of the desire path, making the shopping experience more pleasant, in turn making people want to stay longer. 

Hybrid Consumption was spotted by the entrance, a small arcade with overpriced games that you probably aren't going to win at! No relation to shopping, but of course improve the experience of going to Bluewater. 

Satires of children's board books boom

Author Adam Mansbach and the illustrator Ricardo Cortes creating another adult version of children's book, which led me to this link...

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/children-board-books-ripe-satire-article-1.1602345

"One of the biggest trends in book publishing is satires of children's board books"

This is great for me, even though I'm not specifically interested in children's books, it means that there is an interest for satirical books! Although this link is from 2014, I think it may be actually more of the case now than it was three years ago, as the adult ladybird books boomed this christmas.

Practical Brief Form

I also revisited the practical brief form that we did a few weeks ago and amended it to my new concept. 

Taku Bannai - Use of space

When thinking about space for my illustrations, Taku Bannai is a great representation of how space can be used and the atmosphere it creates. The simple construction of shape and colour to show quite mundane experiences, but still gives off such emotion. This has made me think that I need to make sure that I use a limited colour palette and simple shape when creating my illustrations, as this makes the use of space more apparent. 

Practical Response Proposal Revisit

Seeing as my initial practical proposal has changed quite drastically, i thought it would be helpful to redo it to help with my process and give myself a clear understanding of what I am doing.

The three end questions are important for my practical. It's essential that I keep in mind the time that I have left and give myself deadlines to work with. So when I book my print slot I can make sure I will work to that deadline so I have plenty of time to prepare for my actual hand in on the 12th. I'm usually pretty good at time management, so I'm not too worried about hitting the targets that I've given myself. 

I'm a lot happier with this practical proposal than my initial one, as this seems more relevant to my essay and isn't an obvious solution of drawing Disney characters. It's also far suited to my way of working, as satire is what I'm best at so would be silly not to capitalise on that. Now I just need to get on with making which I'm really excited for!

Hipster Handbook Documentry

Hipster Handbook Documentry notes:

>Love for the real
>keen on food
>make things in an artisan way
>everything comes with a backstory, authentic and real but is meticulously designed(like shabby chic)
>business has jumped in on this
>used to be a place, now a state of mind
>constant theme park - shoreditch
>post post modern world
>borrow from the past, very retro
>use irony in a way it ables them to consume anything - cereal killer cafe
>authenticity against the fake
> refusal to conform, do things your own way
> Wiliamsberg - hipster area in america - used to be poor latino, working class, industrial
> it’s now middle-class, no longer cool.
>‘Counter culture has mutated into a self obsessed aesthetic vacuum stripped of its subversion and originality’ - Adbusters
>authentic - getting to truly know yourself - be your real self
> bare brick, industrial tiles - theme park reminder of what these buildings used to be for
> showing your individual taste - findings things from vintage stores - collaging, layering, promiscuous magpie - expressing individuality- don’t invent, they curate
>all about coffee - writing and being creative - each shop has a different strategy, but it’s all about backstory - has to be environmental, sustainable
>creativity applied to selling
>demonstrate commitment to an ethical framework (when you buy from these edgy places, as if to say I am a good person)
>how can i show my superior taste - luxury goods - micro-connoisseur
>mainstream coopted hipster looks - pret a manger with bare brick wall, ‘mismatched’ furniture thats actually massed produced
>everything revolves around products

Pink - What I can relate to my research - consumerism and design of businesses 

Individual Tutorial 22/11/16

Essay:
After the feedback I'm feeling quite confident with my essay as it seems to be going in the right direction, I just need to remember to keep linking it back to my questions and tying the theories together a little more.

Practical:
The practical is where I'm definitely struggling. I keep having ideas that turn out to be right offs and I feel like I'm just going round in circles. But the idea I currently have does seem to have potential, with using blow up dolls as my spokesperson to create a social campaign.
BUT
After my tutorial I need to link it with shopping, although it links to the uncanny it still needs to make sense to people. I told my idea to my sister and she said 'yeah but how's that got to do with shopping', and annoyingly she's right. What's the point in doing something that has no relation to shopping or theme parks? I think I need to be more direct with what I want to say instead of trying to be really out of the box but ending up being surrounded by pointless cardboard boxes with no meaning.

So

When I was walking home after my tutorial I had a thought. I really enjoyed my practical last year, it was different but did link to my essay and was easy to comprehend, you didn't need to be that guy that Benedict Cumberbatch plays in the Imitation game to decode it. So why don't I do something pretty similar? 

I thought of making a satirical book again, not giving it exactly the same as the Ladybird book, but pretty similar. I'll use the same full body illustration of the blow up doll, same position same vacant expression, and have her holding different commodities/ be in different scenarios that relate to hybrid consumption. I.e. Wearing cowboy outfit because of theming.

I could make two books - "Susan goes to the Mall" and "Susan goes to the Theme Park", exploring the different devices used in both theme parks and shopping centres.

Test

I'm really struggling with this idea of having a blow up doll has a spokesperson for some kind of political campaign about consumerism. I'm struggling to think how my strengths can play to this, apart from my interest in satirical artwork. But I just wanted to put pen to paper, so created this image. I don't think it's helped me necessarily know what my next stage is and what my final product is actually going to be... but it's made me know that I want to do something with simple colours and shape, as I think that it makes the biggest statement. This image has also made me know that I want to do it with gouache by hand and not digitally, the final outcome, i think, is not as successful when digital and doesn't have the same feel that gouache has. 

One-on-one interview - Participant 6 - MetroCentre

Q. Would you visit the shopping centre with the sole intention of browsing? Why?
A: Yes i suppose i would because it can be quite a fun and cheap day out, actually i only go to the shopping centre to browse because my girlfriend likes to go, otherwise to be honest i wouldn't really. 

Q:A side from the retail element, are there any sites in (shopping centre) that you regularly visit? Why?
A: I would visit the foodcourt but it would rarely be for anything more than quick cheap fast food or you know like the lunch time menu at Frankie and Bennies. I'd rather go into town to a restaurant if i wanted a more expensive meal, who wants to spend £50 eating at a restaurant inside a shopping centre??

Q: When you're at the shopping centre, would you share your location on social media? Why?
A: No - because that's super cringey. I'm not really a big user of social media. Plus I see shopping as a fairly mundane activity, and it isn't interesting to share basically. 

Q: If you are unfamiliar with a shop, but like the window display, would you still go in? Why?
A: Yeah i suppose so, i dunno i feel like all the shops are kind of standardised, so you can make more of a judgement of what's going to be inside more so than you could in like a strip of independent shops in a town. You always know what you're getting when you're at the mall.  

Q: Would you go the shopping centre just to go to a restaurant or the cinema? If so, why?
A: No i prefer to eat in a restaurant in a town centre or elsewhere, if the shopping centre cinema was my closest cinema or it was better than my local cinema then i'd go it. 

Q: What emotions do you generally feel when at the shopping centre? Why?
A: I suppose i feel contentment because it's a familiar place, but also annoyance if it's busy, you feel a bit overwhelmed and you just don't want to be there. 

Q: The MetroCentre is one of the most popular shopping centres in the UK, why do you think this is?
A: I suppose it's a combination of it's sheer size and quite a high standard of shops, its got all the ones that you'd want. and maybe compared to the rest of the country, it hasn't got much competition in neighbouring cities, only Newcastle city centre can rival it for shops. 

THOUGHTS AFTER INTERVIEW:
> Supports previous statements in both focus group and interview -  supports Underhill: all shopping centres are the same. Hybrid consumption brought up again.
> Familiarity was brought up when discussing emotion whilst being there, supporting buchanan and underhill on no matter where you are, you can go to a shopping centre because it's familiarity is reassuring and you know it's a safe place.
> Again shows shopping as an experience rather than status

Practical - Blow up dolls?

Before I had thought of doing a fake political campaign for my practical, as this area is something that i'm really interested in and I'm doing this for my extended practice so would be a good link. The subject for my campaign has been something that I've been unsure of. I wasn't sure whether making up my own character would work best or choosing a random object and using that.. but I just thought that what would work best for what I want to say is a blow up doll.

My reasoning behind this is as follows:
> They're something recognised on the uncanny valley - they're similar to us, not exactly the same but are made in our image, which is something that we strive for as egotisticals.
>They don't speak - the hyper real spaces speak for themselves, they don't verbally need to force you to consume, you just do it.
> They're ridiculous - the point i want to make is that people can easily be persuaded by things that aren't even real. The blow up doll is being used to show the extreme of what I've found in my essay.
> They're not real - Yes a blow up doll is physically real, but it's made from a model of ourselves, just like how Main Street USA is modelled of a 'typical' small american street, they're models of reality.
> They're laughable - No one really takes these things seriously, used mainly as a joke - this adds to the satire
> Commodity Fetish - literally

So, for my practical I want to create a fake political campaign with the blow up doll as the spokesman. I will create posters, badges, banners, stickers for my physical work, and would like to propose a video as something that I would like to do, create some story boards maybe.

Bluewater Focus Group

Q1. Would you visit Bluewater with the sole intention of browsing? Why?
A: 4 - Yeah - because it makes me happy, theres something about looking at things you wanna buy is satisfying. It's entertaining, you go just to go, theres just a social thing to do.

2 - No - ultimately i like to buy something even if it's small, i wont go if it's just for nothing 

1 - No - because i go to shop when i know what i want and the specific shop that i need to go to
3- No - i go somewhere and just buy it, i don't have the intention to browse, i always have an objective of getting something. I would have a certain type of shop that I know i'll like something, i wouldn't browse through any shop, i have about three different shops i go to.

Q2. A side from the retail element, are there any sites in Bluewater that you regularly visit? Why?
A: 4 - Yes, food obviously, only restaurants, i wouldnt go anywhere else. 

2 - Yes, restaurants and sometimes cinema, because my favourite restaurant is there and i like the cinema that's there
1 - Yes, but only if other people want to go. 

3- Yeah - i always end up going to the foodcourt, or at least a coffee, most definitely, like 98% of the time.

Q3. When you're at Bluewater, would you share your location on social media? Why?
A: 4 - No - I wouldn't want everyone knowing where I am 

2 - No - because i couldnt care about what other people think about my whereabouts

1 - No - because you'd be embarrassed about where I am
3 - No - because i'm not a narcissistic loser that cares about what people think i'm doing, i really don't care. unless i'm tagging someone in a personal joke, otherwise, who cares!

Q4. If you are unfamiliar with a shop, but like the window display, would you still go in? Why?
A: 4 - yeah - because i might potentially want to buy something if it is similar to the display

2- no - i dont tend to be persuaded by the window displays, im quite old fashioned and stick to the shops that I know.

1 - yes - it would peak my curiosity, thats the art of a good window display. It also depends on what the shop is selling.
3 - maybe, it depends on the shop itself, i duno, T2 looks inviting and cool, ive never been in before but i would like to go in it looks cool. but for clothes shops if they have a interesting window i wouldnt go in, so overall not really. 

Q5. Would you go Bluewater just to go to a restaurant or the cinema? If so, why?
A: 4 - yes - because there is a variety of decent restaurants, theres loads that are worth it just to go to Bluewater without shopping. Like for a birthday or a special occasions. 

2 - no - i'd rather go to a normal restaurant, unless the restaurant i want to go to is only in bluewater, but if it isn't i'd rather not have to go to a shopping centre.
1 - yes - but only for convenience, like if it had the film at the right time that I wanted to see.
3- yeah - well the cinema in bluewater is the nicest in the area, and there's way more options to choose from. theres the food court for the crap stuff then there's proper sit down meals. and it's a great meeting point for everyone in kent and london, it's a great flagship place to meet. 

Q6. What emotions do you generally feel when at Bluewater? Why?
A: 4 - i feel happy, but not on a Saturday when it's busy or at christmas. I feel anticipation of what im going to buy, especially when I know that i'm going to specifically buy. Overall, it's very positive. 

2 - it's an experience that helps me relax, unless it is busy, i hate going around christmas time. other than that it's an relaxing experience,

1 - I feel tense, i feel nervous, i feel slightly claustrophobic, there's too many people there, too many shops.
3 - it depends how full the place is, if its really packed then i just don't want to be there, i get agitated. but if it isn't full then i'm pretty relaxed

Q7. Bluewater is one of the most popular shopping centres in the UK, why do you think this is?

4 - because its really big, there are two floors and is in a triangle which is different. it offers a variety to low to high class restaurants, same with the shops, it appeals to literally everyone and it has a cinema. There isn't a primark but I don't like primark anyway. 

2 - i think the attraction is the triangle shape, and its designed with a lot of light which doesn't makes you feel  claustrophobic, its one of the few shopping centres that doesnt make me feel like that, its open and light. it also has nice shops and has the combination of restaurants and cinema. Also there's loads of parking available and it's free! that's one of the reasons why I'd go there instead of Bromley. 

1 - I think its popular because i think it has a very nice design, i like the Toblerone layout, because you can always go back on yourself, you dont have to walk as far as some places, it's easy to get around. It has shops for everyone and free parking. 
3 - because it's the only good thing in Kent... it has a lot of stuff that not everywhere else has, and it's always changing the shops that it has, it keeps it fresh it's not full of old stale shops. There's stuff for everyone there, it pleases everyone. it covers all ground of food, shopping and entertainment. It's laid out pretty well with the triangle, it's easy to get around. It has really good transport links too. 

THOUGHTS AFTER FOCUS GROUP
> Similar to the previous interview, they prove the reasoning behind hybrid consumption, going to the shopping centre and doing at least one other activity whilst being there.
> Dislike the Trafford Centre interview, they show that shopping is an experience rather than a status (zizek disproving benjamin) - as they wouldn't share their location.
> Also show contentment (mostly) whilst at the shopping centre (Ritzer & Bryman)
> But what I found most interesting about these results, is the discussion about the layout of Bluewater itself and how that is why it is proved so popular - the triangular design linking to the idea of desire paths?? - this is very interesting
> Proves familiarity - one participant saying they always stick to the same shops whilst at the shopping centre.

One-on-one interview - Participant 5 - The Trafford Centre

 Q1: Would you visit the shopping centre with the sole intention of browsing? Why?

A: Yes - because the amount of shops that it has is ranging from reasonably priced to quite luxury so if i had a wedding i knew id find something or if i had a party i knew i could find something for any occasion. also is a lovely environment i like the smell of it its good, it smells fit. the fountain smells so good. 

Q2: A side from the retail element, are there any sites in the Trafford Centre that you regularly visit? Why?

A: Yeah - the food court, because they have a wide variety of food for any budget, nice area and nice ambience. I enjoy going there more because its themed, because i like the lights in the sky, it makes it more fun 

Q3: When you're at the Trafford Centre, would you share your location on social media? Why?

A: Yes: I not ashamed that being at the Trafford centre, plus there's always someone in the area that would also be there that i may know.

Q4: If you are unfamiliar with a shop, but like the window display, would you still go in? Why?

A: Yes - i like trying knew experiences and if theres a new shop that seems like it would be interesting to look at because of the window display i would to see what they had to offer

Q5: Would you go the Trafford Centre just to go to a restaurant or the cinema? If so, why?

A: Yes - because where i live is a shit hole and isn't many nice cinemas nearby, even though it's miles away. Same with the restaurants. It's a way nicer environment

Q6: What emotions do you generally feel when at the Trafford Centre? Why?

A: I usually feel calm, expect when its busy, i usually go in the evening when it's not busy, so you have to be careful for when you want to go - a lot of people with prams

Q7: The Trafford Centre is one of the most popular shopping centres in the UK, why do you think this is?
A: I think theres something for everyone, rich poor, into fashion, into food, if you want a day out, theres coffee shops, theres bars, there's so much to do. 

THOUGHTS AFTER INTERVIEW:
>The responses to the questions are one I was hoping for, this being because they have proven the success of hybrid consumption, they go to shopping centre and it is rare that they don't at least go to the food court. As well as proving destination theory, as they would travel to the shopping centre just to go to a restaurant or the cinema even though it isn't their closest.
>They also prove shopping as a status, saying that they would share their location on social media (Benjamin)
> Ritzer & Bryman - feeling contentment whilst at the shopping centre

Questions for case study

> I need these questions to be open ended and allows me to have the opportunity to go with a follow up question of the back of their response. They also can't be really direct and too obvious to what I want to get out of it.

> I would want my results from my focus group to correlate with my research, that the theories are true, these being:

-stay longer 

-destination

-theming 

1. Would you visit the shopping centre with the sole intention of browsing? Why?

“the process ensures a steady flow of shoppers or even strollers, window shoppers and ‘hangers-out’, elderly people savouring the lively crowd, or adolescent ‘mall-rats’ and mall-bunnies’ as one journalist called them (Kowinski 1985)” (Shields, 1992)

2. A side from the retail element, are there any sites in (shopping centre) that you regularly visit? Why?

hybrid consumption

3. When you're at the shopping centre, would you share your location on social media? Why?
what i want to say - that shopping is all about the experience rather than a status symbol 

4. If you are unfamiliar with a shop, but like the window display, would you still go in? Why?
aesthetics

5. Would you go the shopping centre just to go to a restaurant or the cinema? If so, why?
hybrid consumption, destination theory 

6. What emotions do you generally feel when at the shopping centre? Why?

'you feel good about where you are. And when people feel good they tend to want to stay longer'

7. (Shopping centre name) is one of the most popular shopping centres in the UK, why do you think this is?

Bluewater focus group
Participant 1 - 50 - male
Participant 2 - 46 - female
Participant 3 - 24 - male
Participant 4 - 18 - female

Trafford Centre interview
Participant 5 - 20 - female

MetroCentre interview
Participant 6 - 25 - male

Case Study Rethink

I still haven't heard anything from the two architects that built the Trafford Centre and I have lost faith to think that it will be apparent. I've also just read in 'Lifestyle Shopping - The Subject of Consumption' that 'Mall owners and developers who have such studies generally refuse to divulge their contents, nor do they grant permission for impartial surveys on their property.'  (p.10) This has made me rethink my options for primary research, but I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing because I've read about how these places have been constructed and what I want to find out is more so on how it impacts on the consumer and if it is successful. I will be able to find this out if I ask people who go to shoppings centres and these people could be anyone so a lot easier to contact.

So, for my case study I would like to put together a focus group to answer questions about either the Trafford Centre, Bluewater Shopping Centre or the MetroCentre. I have chosen these three as they are the names that keep coming up in my research. I would like the focus group to be quite a small group of around 5/6 people, which a range of ages, gender and views towards shopping centres (people that go there a lot and that don't). Luckily, I know people that live close to all three shopping centres, so should be easy to source. I will have Bluewater as my focus group and the other two will be just one on ones just as a link to my focus group to see any correlations.

Methodology:
> Interview - focus group & one on one
> Qualitative Data

No under 18s, mixed gender group 

Culture Jammer

I managed to find the word that best describes what I want to do for my practical and also describes what I did for my practical last year - I am a culture jammer. Now I have to think about how I should culture jam and what I want to say and to who. 

Black Mirror? The Waldo Moment

When thinking about fake campaigns, the Waldo Moment episode in the amazing series Black Mirror is something that comes to mind. Although I honestly didn't enjoy the episode that much, it's still something that I could use as an idea for my own campaign and looking at why his campaign was so successful even though he was a fictional character. It looks very similar to how Donald Trump won which is quite scary...

But maybe I could do something similar to this? Not exactly the same but use similar devices. Maybe to show how easily the public can be persuaded by something that isn't even real.

Rethinking practical again...

This practical is something im really struggling with, I'm just not happy with anything that I'm coming up with. I want to make something that makes people think about the world and everything and makes an impact, because that's what I want to do as my general practice. I also think I should use my satire and colour just like in extended practice. But it's just the subject matter that I can't get right and it's so frustrating!!!!!
Patrick made me think about making a campaign about what i want to say and make the whole thing political which is something that I love to do! So this is something that I think I should research into.

Disney Burger - the reality of Disneyland & consumer devices

Burger breakdown:

> Money - all comes down to 

> Mickey Mouse - use of welcoming friendly characters

> Main Street USA - familiar environment

> The world - the takeover of

> Food stalls - used to quieten restaurants 

> Roller coaster - theme park element

> Confusing exit sign - they don't want you to leave but aren't being physically stopped 

> Balloons - add to the 'fun' element

I decided to fully do my burger idea to see if it was a path worth going down. I decided to do it digitally instead of my usual gouache, because it wouldn't take me as long to do. Honestly I'm really not sure about it. I don't know whether it's the choice of media or the idea itself, I'm just not massively happy with it. I thought the idea wasn't too bad, but now I'm not sure. I think it may have to be back to the drawing board... But at least I attempted a different media and was practice with using a Wacom tablet which is something i haven't touched in a while!

The Hybrid Consumption Burger

This idea just popped into my head for my practical piece. Burgers are something that are very recognisable and what I think is something that links to consumption (as food is a big factor). They're also made up of different layers to create the whole burger. Now, hybrid consumption is basically a mix of lots of different forms of consumption to make the most money that the company can possibly make. It's made up of lots of separate components that rely on each other to be successful, just like a burger or a recipe.  Also at the end of a day it's just a burger, it isn't anything special, but it turned into this colonial symbol birthed from our love of consumption.  

I think that this could be done as a series, each burger layer being relevant to that hyper real space - i.e. one of disney, Trafford centre, vegas  and the different consumer components they use.

Artist Inspo: Thibault

Thibault is an editorial illustrator, but usually uses two images in one to convey a message, and portrays it in such a clever and aesthetic way:

I think this is something that works better for me, as spot illustration and block colour is the way that I love to work in. It also means that the image doesn't need to be turned around or is really hard to see one of the other images, I also think it'll be easier for me to create. 

Practical? Illusions?

I'm still pretty stuck with what to do. I thought that I got it together then it just isn't solid enough or just doesn't look that great.

Notes:
>Transformation?
>Two things at once?
>Inability to classify
> Psychological transformation
> Changing the meaning
> Needs - false consciousness
> False, Fake

I think transformation is something that interests me most from the quick notes I took in my tutorial. When googling transformation and looking at what comes up, it's mostly pictures of butterflies and Kylie Jenner. I don't think I should do something super obvious, and it also kinda needs to link to consumerism in some way also.

Maybe I could work with illusions? things that are two things at the same time like the duck and rabbit thing:

I think I should start roughing out my own two in one illusions linking to subjects that I've found. I suppose this also links with hybrid consumption? Because it's a hybrid of two different things based on consumption. 

I need to think of consumer products/relevant items that link to what I want to say, or ones which I have found in my essay.

> shop architecture - shapes within that 

> Food

> Clothes

> coffee

Questions?

If/when I manage to get a response for a telephone interview, I need to be prepared with a set of questions that best fit what I want to know.

My essay q: To what extent has consumption influence the development of hyper real spaces? 
> What do I think?? - That consumption massively drives the development of hyper real spaces.
> How can I ask questions that back this up? or maybe they'll counteract it??

1. The reason for the quirky architectural decor is meant to pay homage to the history of the area, but is there any other reason for the style choice? 

2. Do you think the themed style choice affects the consumer and why? 

3. Did you enjoy working on this project, if not why not? 

4. Would you do anything differently if you were to do this project again? 

5. Did you look at any previous shopping centre layouts before designing the Trafford Centre? 

Leach Rhode Walker architects

Leach Rhode Walker and Chapman Taylor were the names that came up when I researched who designed the Trafford Centre, so thought I'd have a go at contacting. Luckily, I found that Leach Rhode Walker was pretty easy to email! So I went for it and I'm really hoping that I can get a response so I can get some primary research for my dissertation.

I also managed to find multiple emails for Chapman Taylor for different areas in the UK, and decided to email the Manchester based email as that would make more sense as the Trafford Centre is in Manchester. I sent the same email to this address also and hopefully will get a response soon!

Disconnection?

I have just found within Peter jackson's article 'consumption and identity' a reference to Daniel Miller, he brings forward to concept of disconnection within consumption which I think could be included in my essay? He uses the example of milk, people have been disconnected from where milk actually comes from, with the response if it coming from the supermarket. We have slowly been conditioned by commodities and their easy access to make us forget the reality of it all in terms of where they actually come from. This is something that can be seen more in children than an older generation, as many of them have never seen where things such as milk come from. Maybe this is something that I can explore, how age is a factor within reality.

Case Studies? - The Trafford Centre

When thinking about what shopping centres to include in my essay as a case study, the Trafford centre in Manchester is what first came to mind. It's tacky themed decor fits perfectly with the concept of theming that Bryman puts forward in his Disneyization book. I think this is somewhere I need to go to and could possibly be a case study???? But first I need to do some more research into the layout and design of the building. 

From Wiki:"Its vivid and quirky rococo/late baroque architectural style pays homage to the history of the area. The Orient food hall is themed as a steam ship, reflecting the centre's proximity to the Manchester Ship Canal."

> I suppose that explains the extremely outdated decor... but surely there's more reasoning behind it.

I've found that John Whittaker was in charge of the architects to push forward the style of the deco, promoting it as a unique shopping experience of the consumer. I thought this would be a lead into who I could contact for more information, then I saw he has a fortune of £2.3 billion so contacting him isn't really going to be an option... But the actual architects are Chapman Taylor and Leach Rhodes Walker, maybe I'm more likely to get in contact with these guys? 

IKEA Layout - who designed it???

I've been trying to work out who was in charge of designing IKEA's maze-like layout and the reason behind it all. Well it's obvious it's a tactic to make the consumer buy more, but I was curious to see any other explanations.

I found this snippet quite interesting. It links to both the stay longer theory and destination theory within hybrid consumption. By having a complex maze it forces the consumer to stay longer, in turn spending more money. The whole set up of the minimalistic show rooms and the restaurant turns IKEA into a unique destination point - 'The IKEA Experience'. The ability to turn a shopping environment into an experience is what the man at the top of it all wants/needs the most. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8278010/Ikea-layout-intended-to-confuse-shoppers.html

In this Telegraph article it points out that the aim of IKEA's layout is to confuse the customer by their surroundings so they pick up the product straight away as they don't think they'd be able to find it again later in the store. This concept is something that I haven't yet looked at or thought about, and maybe could apply to other contexts.

Although my google findings were interesting, I still have no idea who actually was in charge of creating this genius layout...

False Consciousness & Commodity Fetish

noun :
(especially in Marxist theory) a way of thinking that prevents a person from perceiving the true nature of their social or economic situation.

In terms of consumption - a person consumes because they think it's something that they need because that is how it is shown to be - through advertising. We are duped to believe it's a necessity where it's actually completely materialistic. 

Social exchanges amongst each other for money/commodities - which never used to be the case. Money has become everything - capitalism. 

>Doesn't see you as a person see you as an object.

Individual Tutorial 8/11/16

After my tutorial I think I have a clearer understanding of what to do in terms of case studies and just need to get researching into designers of nearby yet relevant shopping centres. I'm still a bit stumped with my practical, but this is something that just needs to get researched and thought over myself, along with some drawing!!! I think the idea of having the banraku puppet is a bit of a dead end and  the idea of combing the uncanny with something else could be a good route to go down, so this is what I should look at next. Which I haven't done enough of. At least I feel quite happy with my essay and how that's getting along. 

Starbucks

I am currently sat in Starbucks in Leeds city centre opposite this weird arch way which looks like a conference room. I'm in a coffee shop?! Why does it need to have an area for fancy people to have meetings in?? What is the need? I find the use of space very interesting. I suppose it shows that Starbucks aren't just an expensive coffee shop, they're pretty damn clever. Starbucks have utilised their use of space to bring in another form of clientele to spend their money on average coffee. Consumerism strikes again!

Banraku Puppet test

I decided to do a painting of a banraku puppet to see if it's something that I can pursue as a practical idea. I was really excited about this, but now I've done a painting I'm not sure of my application or what I want to say with it. It's making me think that maybe the uncanny isn't the best theory to illustrate, or maybe it's not a bad idea but needs to be illustrated with another theory to give it more context and can make me think of an application for it. I've got a crit with Pete so I'll see what he says about it and where I should go from there. 

Bunraku Puppets

I think I've finally realised what I should do for my practical!! I have been looking at the uncanny valley and what falls within it, this being:
>Robots, zombie, corpse, prosthetic hand, stuffed animal, bunraku puppet

I've never heard of a bunraku puppet before, but was very intrigued. Basically they're traditional Japanese puppets and can change into two states by pulling the lever like so:

I think these puppets is something that I should specifically focus on, as they are very human like and the change into a weird demon thing links to having the uncertainty of it's human form. For now I'm just going to experiment with drawing to refine my understanding of the puppet and where i should go with it. 

Magritte's Pipe

The concept of The Uncanny and objects is a bit similar to Magritte's Pipe. This being that the pipe is an image, it's not an actual pipe, so he's written underneath that it isn't a pipe because physically it isn't. Although Magritte's concept isn't exactly the same as Freud's, they both play with the thought processes behind how we conceive objects, which is interesting and maybe something for me to think about. 

Practical - The Uncanny?

The theory of the uncanny is something that maybe I could have as my context, instead of trying to squeeze everything into an image.

"The Uncanny" - 'Is something new that exists in something already known'
'Human replicas that appear almost, but not exactly like real human beings elict feelings of eeriness and revulsion among some observers.'

With this understanding, I think trying to visualise the highlighted above is going to be my best pathway right now. What human like objects are there that has this effect?? And how can I show this?
>LAYERING - This is an idea that was on my mind a while ago and I think it's time that I could test it out and see if it's successful.
>But first I need to experiment with media on acetate to see what works best.

Peer review feedback session 3/11/16

I really needed this feedback session because I had lost hope with my practical. I didn't have any ideas that were jumping out at me or got me excited to create.

From the feedback I wrote:
>Look at maps of theme parks/shopping centres
>Make up own theme park
>Look at KAWs
>Layering
>Spot illustrations

The most useful thing that I got out of this session is that I need to remember what I do best, which is spot illustrations. What's the point in trying to create a massive mural scene when that's not what I do? So this has made me think a lot more about composition and how I should present my work. Everyone seemed to really like the painting that I had done a few weeks ago of evil Mickey, so I know that this is the style that I should work with. It also links with my work from 603, which I think is quite important.

For my next sessions my peers have written that I need to do more experimentation with character and visuals, revisiting my research on hyper real spaces and try and apply it visually. Also to find a contemporary piece of illustration that I'm interested in and appropriate my idea into something like that - I think this feedback is very useful as I've never thought about doing that. Now I just need to get on with it!

Notes: Zizek - first as tragedy then as farce

"At the level of consumption, this new spirit is that of so-called "cultural capitalism" : we primarily buy commodities neither on account of their utility nor as status symbols; we buy them to get the experience provided by them, we consume them in order to render our lives pleasurable and meaningful"

p.52

"In Paul Verhoeven's dystopia Total Recall, an agency offers to install memories of an ideal holiday into the brain-one no longer even has to actually travel to another place, it is much more practical, and cheaper, simply to purchase memories of the trip." 

"Another version of the same principle would be to experience the desired holiday in virtual reality-since what really matters is the experience, why not go only for that, bypassing the clumsy detour through reality?"
p.52/53

 

> Zizek uses the example of Total Recall to explain our love for virtual reality. The practicality of having memories installed in us of the perfect holiday is far better than having to go through all the commotion that comes with physically experiencing holidays; as well as being cost effective. If what Zizek says about us consuming to solely get experience administering from it is true, then the reason why these hyper real spaces are so appealing becomes more apparent. 

"Consumption is supposed to sustain the quality of life, its time should be "quality time" -not the time of alienation, of imitating models imposed by society, of the fear of not being able to "keep up with the Joneses;' but the time of the authentic fulfilment of my true Self,"

p.53

Quick collage inspiration

For the practical feedback session tomorrow I wanted to have more to show because I only had my mickey painting... So I've just quickly put together a collage of what I think is relevant to consumerism in general and some of my own paintings. Kin Hung Ken was my inspiration and I took aspects of his work, like using type. I'm not sure how successful it is, I suppose it's harder to tell because it's in black and white but colour printing is expensive and I am poor. But I didn't really enjoy creating it, which I guess in itself shows that this isn't something that I should pursue.