OUIL401- Study Task 4- Triangulating & Harvard Referencing Page

1. There have been a number of authors to have considered the use of advertising in current society. Kalman (1998), Adbustersa (2000) and Garland (1964) have all discussed the use of Graphic designers and graphic design in their respective current societies, stating that design is now something that is dictated by higher 'committees' and companies, rather that designing for what they deem to be real purposes. For instance Kalman talks about how what we see as cultural ideas are usually dictated by a 'higher power', stating that "Corporations have become the sole arbiters of cultural ideas and taste in America. Our culture is corporate culture.Culture used to be the opposite of commerce, not a fast track to ‘content’- derived riches." Suggesting how culture has changed from something which was dictated by the mass of society, but has now shifted towards being controlled by large corporations who dictate to us what to buy, what to like, what to reject, purely for the benefit of making a profit.

2. In this image, the two 'consumer' type figures are looking towards the news stand, which no only draws the viewers eye towards it, but also suggests the they are somewhat intregued in what it has to say. The use of the road sign stating 'stop thinking' it a very definitive visual symbol, as this is something that always has to be followed.

3. Garland's manifesto (1964) talks extewnsively about the use of advertising and specifically graphic design in the current culture, discussing that graphic design has better uses that to simply work for advertising companies and that there are a lot more more worthwhile uses of their time. He discusse dthe fact that advertising has become so saturated with too many voices. 

4. Writing in his manifest 'First thing's First' (1969) Garland talks about the 'saturation opine' and the 'high pitched scream' of current advertising. He also enforces the idea that there are more important things that advertising could be used for by stating @We think that there are other things more worth using our skill and experience on. There are signs for streets and buildings, books and periodicals, catalogues, instructional manuals, industrial photography, educational aids, films, television features, scientific and industrial publications and all the other media through which we promote our trade, our education, our culture and our greater awareness of the owls" which brings a lot of other worthy causes to the readers attention.

This task really gave me an insight into what type of language I should be using within my essay. The techniques I have been given through this task will hopefully help me to produce a better, and more sensical essay.

Study Task 3- Planning an Essay

“Discuss the role that Illustration can play during periods of political and/or social upheaval."

Suggested Research Question
What role did illustration play for pro and against arguments during the Vietnam War between 1955 and 1979?

Which Academic sources will be Referenced

Books

• Pilger, John (1986, 2001) Heroes (Mainly Chapters 15 and 20)
• Picasso, P., Morris, L., Grunenberg, C. and Bernatowicz, P. (2010). Picasso. London: Tate Pub.
• Eckstrøm Lave, J. (n.d.). In Love & War: The Anti-War Poster Art of the 1960s. 1st ed.
• G. Gonzales, J. (2013). ART AND THE ANTI-VIETNAM WAR MOVEMENT. 1st ed. 

Websites

• Reflections on Liberty and Power, (2015). Picasso and the Anti-Vietnam War Movement 1969. http://davidmhart.com/wordpress/archives/517 
• Nguoore, Allary, (2013). Propaganda and the Vietnam War . https://prezi.com/k2umdkvqhlab/propaganda-in-the-vietnam-war/
• AFP, (2015). Powerful propaganda: Vietnam journalists' role in war. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-3050148/Powerful-propaganda-Vietnam-journalists-role-war.html

What Illustrations Will you analyse



Essay Map

Introduction- Outline the thesis and briefly explain the argument that will be made. Include some background information about the controversial nature of the war.

Section 1- Argue that the use of propaganda promoted the war, and promoted American involvement in the war. Avoid opinions on weather America should have been involved, irrelevant.

Section 2- Analyse image 2 and suggest why the image was used as propaganda to promote the war and justify americas involvement.

Section 3- Argue the use of propaganda helped end America's involvement in the vietnam war, talk about the times of upheaval (1967- 1970) and why it was important to distribute propaganda to spread a message.

Section 4- Analyse image 1 and discuss the way in which the image persuaded particularly the men of AMerica to fight against Americas involvement and for those who were not drafted, for them to revolt against the war.

Conclusion- Illustration played a huge part in the vietnam war. it caused a surge in the participation because of the propaganda used by the AMerican governmnt, but it could also be argued that illustration helped and the war on Americas part as it helped to spread a message of negativity towards thier participation.

OUIL401- Studio Brief 1- Change of Subject

Although my essay question remains the same, I have finally decided that I want to focus my arguments around the Vietnam War. Not only is there a huge amount of illustrated propaganda available to me, but also textual information on how the use of imagery changed the way people thought about the war.

Because the war was such a controversial subject across the world, the subject will be easy to find information on for both sides of the argument. I will discuss how illustration was used to not only promote the war, but how it was used to encourage people to stand up against the violence.

OUIL401- Studio Brief 1- Essay Planning

After trawling through libraries and the internet trying to find information about times of social and political upheaval, I have come to a conclusion. To write an essay that effectively argues a point, I either have to stay with the 'safe' subjects which are dull, but have huge amounts of information available; or I go with a more interesting subject, with little to no information whatsoever.

Use of propaganda which is easy to find (Chinese wartime, Barak Obama's election campaign, WWII/WWI posters) are subjects which is widely known about anyway and a pretty standard thing to discuss, and because I don't particularly like essay writing anyway, I wanted to chose something which would catch my interest as a subject matter.

My initial thought process for the essay was to write about Thatcher's election, and the social repercussions that came thereafter, however the images and information discussing that exact subject just don't seem to exist, and the only evidence I seem to be able to find is some amateur made cut n paste image slating Thatcher, which isn't exactly the best thing to use when writing academic papers.
 

Structuring an Essay
My chosen question is quite an open ended one, instead of asking 'How' or 'when', it simply asks to 'Discuss' the subject. For me this is great as it allows me to explore both sides of an argument myself and create my own thesis on the matter.
My essay will discuss how propaganda has been used to support a certain viewpoint during times of social/political upheaval. Depending on my subject, I will argue that illustration and other forms of media have played a huge role in swaying mindsets and creating hype around these critical times. 
I will look to set out my essay as follows:

• Introduction- explaining the question and what the essay will discuss. (thesis)
• Para 1- Introduce my main case study and outline the time
• Para 2- Explain how illustration has been used to support the initial view
• Para 3- Image example 1- Discussion on how it was used.
• Para 4- Summary of first argument
• Para 5- Argue against paragraph 2 and outline argument
• Para 6- Image example 2- Discussion on how it was used.
• Para 7- Summary of second argument
• Para 8- Conclusion and Thesis reflection.

I will begin to gather possible sources to be used for my essay, including books, websites and other sources.

OUIL401- Studio Brief 1- Visual Responses

Below are some of my visual responses in my visual journal.

In the above image, I wanted to discuss the anarchic nature of war, and the simplicity of protest, simply being against something is enough to be able to protest it.

In this image, I wanted to specifically look at the war in Vietnam, and how the war was purely initiated because of economic issues. (The dong is Vietnamese money, not a penis). 

Reworking the dollar sigh, trying to create my own form of protest art.

I will continue to develop these images, and explore other means of protest art.

PORPAGANDA by Edward Bernays

Propaganda focuses n the use of physical and verbal methods of an 'invisible government' controlling societies opinions, tastes and ideas. With a very critical tone, Bernays describes the use of physical and social propaganda used by a controlling party to dictate the way society works. Bernays suggests 'In theory every citizen makes up his mind on public questions and matters of private conduct. In practice, if all men had to study for themselves the abstruse economic, political, and ethical data involved in every question, they would find it impossible to come to a conclusion about anything'. Implying that, for all his apparent negative views on the control of mass opinion, he appreciates the validity of it all. Suggesting that the majority of society need to be told how to think and what to buy in to.

Bernays talks about a 'village community' in which, around the time of the constitution,'produced the greater part of its own necessary commodities and generated it's group ideas and opinions by personal contact and discussion directly among its citizens.' (Bernays 1928-P13) as opposed to the contemporary technologies of the time of writing (mass transport, telegraph and telephone) where much more of a global community has been developed; making the distribution of propaganda even easier and more accessible to the masses, a situation in which Bernays argues that has made the powers of the government far superior, as they now have the ability to control a much, much larger proportion of global society. This is even more apparent now, through the development of the internet and other technological commodities.