Art in Advertising I

 This ad works because it takes the viewer on an adventure. With one click of the button, you can change your surroundings, similar to a Sony game or even watching tv on a Sony screen. The button that's illuminated serves as a constant throughout the commercial. The music is majestic almost like it's coming from a music box, which is an interesting contrast to some of the scenes with explosions and buildings crashing. It all comes together when it says "Make. Believe". The commercial is make believe like a fairy tale-it's not real, but the copywriter also creates a dichotomy with the period between "make" and "believe". It separates them into two separate but powerful verbs that reflect on what Sony products are capable of doing; They can create new realities, or mirror existing realities for the viewer to experience.

Art in Advertising II

Art in Advertising III

The Objects floating through space at first reminded me of something out of the movie Toy Story. It could visually fit be defined as "Art" in a short film or movie, but prooves that it's a good ad towards the end.The HP wireless printer is the product. The artist did a good job of connecting visuals floating in the air as "wireless" images traveling from the monitor to the actual printer. Genius really to be able to create a visual, artistic, musically captivating commercial.

Art in Advertising IV

Art in Advertising V

 TBWA-Vancouver ad. I think it looks like Art and also contradicts art for a few reasons. Usually my art teachers have told me not to put stuff "directly in the middle of the canvas"...this creates too much of a focal point...blah blah blah... BUT. Here, in this "ad" it uses something that an artist may have been told not to do, and does place it right in the center. It contradicts what you're not "supposed to do" and does it well. THe off focus of the camera and still competes for the attention of the center. The fact that a gun is blowing a GUM BUBBLE is hilarious...and it takes a while to sink in that it's gum. Gum in a Gun..maybe two things only an advertiser/artist would pair together.

Silly Zamboni...Razors are for Skin!

The Gillette razor ad is a great way to reach a target audience of Men. The Zamboni (machine that cleans the ice so it's smooth) is a perfect comparison to a clean shave. The fact that mostly men watch hockey games proves the point of hitting a target audience. Gillette could even take the advertisement a step further by doing some sort of promotion of razors at the game. Not only would the crowd at the hockey game see the ad, but people watching the game on TV could see the ad. The blown up razor on the Zamboni is subtle and hilarious. I remember going to a Stars game and seeing a blimp floating around promoting a burrito from non other than Chipotle. It's all about being in your face at a sporting event, and what better way than on the ice where everyone is looking?

Ways of Seeing

The Question "What is the Difference between ART and ADVERTISING" came up in class...

There are definitely two edges to this sword, and a sharp sword at that... a dialectic argument to say the least. I kept thinking of John Berger's book "Ways of Seeing" but had to revisit the book before I exploded with verbal diarrhea in class. I should have gone fourth and maybe just brought the book up, but I felt the need to look at it more deeply. I don't have the book with me at school, but I read it in a high school Art History Class. It's by far my top five favorite books and it should be on Oprah's bookclub list because society, especially the US, needs to understand the importance of their culture and how it has evolved.

Art shapes our culture and it also mirrors our culture. Same with advertising. I had an epiphany after class after my buddy Kyle made some remarks. He said something about Advertising having an intent for the consumer, whereas Art is more for the individual. Yes, they intersect but what I think he was getting at is better understood through Berger. In a nutshell Berger says that Advertising, "fuels the urge for a glamorous life". (Social Darwinism more plainly put). But it's not about survival, it's about consuming and building your image. Advertising allows you to choose who you want to be, what you want to look like, the lifestyle you choose. Some may think it's vain, Berger addresses how Advertising, "creates envy", but we all make choices. We all can climb the ladder if we so choose.

Like Advertising Art can also reflect society or create a glamorous lifestyle when it's a sellable product. But when I think of Art with a capitol A, I think of Art for Art's sake. For the joy of creating, for the process of enduring, the technique worth mastering. Art is its own entity.

 Art and Advertising are different, but very similar ways of navigating, embracing, and changing our culture. (...profound right?) ;)

Ode to a Bean Bag

Empty rooms are like blank canvases. cliché ? ...we'll see. There's vulnerable space to be taken advantage of. For an entire semester my room was pretty empty. I had a photograph collage that a friend gave to me for my 21st, it's cute and meaningful, but it's not Art  with a capitol "A" and not something I would chose to put on my wall. I'm not a big fan of those houses that are decorated wall to wall with Isaac Alongi "professional" family portraits. One is enough, you don't need to take a family portrait every year, and have individuals of every kid. A couple photographs framed here and there, in an artistic, well captured moment are good...but when it's overdone and collaged together...ew (no offense Dylan and Andy I love that gift).
     For an entire semester I left my walls artless and my carpet bare. Keep in mind I live in a sorority house and share a 2x4 with my roomate Daisey, and not a piece of wood. (hah).  Actually, I'm not complaining. We were blessed with a new house this year and the rooms are rather large for a sorority house. About double the size of your average dorm room.
     Literally, the week before thanksgiving break my mom took the liberty to send me a carpet! I chose a round 6' shag. I wanted it to be circular because I think they are more inviting that squares. Also, since our room is a square, it's always nice to fit a circle in a square (very pantheon-esk). People responded to the carpet. I started having regular visitors who wanted to come sit and play cards on my cozy rug. Not gonna lie, it's soft and reminds me of my Sheepdog Monty.
     But the rug wasn't cutting it. On multiple occasions Kate would come in and chat and always comment, "There's not place to sit on your room but your bed... I feel awkward sitting on your bed". I would always kind of chuckle, but I knew that we needed something. I looked at bean bags online and those goofy "gamer chairs", but wasn't ready to purchase something without it being perfect. One evening I happened to wonder into Urban Outfitters and for the first time in my life a piece of furniture spoke to me. It yearned, "BRITTANY, BUY ME I AM THE BEAN BAG SENT DOWN FROM HEAVEN FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF MOLDING TO YOUR BUM". What did it look like? Why an original POLLOCK! I couldn't help but chuckle in class when Professor Allen showed us the digital pollock link. And you too can be an artistic genius!  


Click Me!


What's ironic about this bean bag is it inspired a painting idea for me. No, I wasn't tempted to splatter paint on a canvas... been there, done that. But I thought a bean bag could be a great canvas! Especially for college students. So be on the lookout, I may be expanding my medium to canvas beanbags.

P.S. Check out the transformation of my room. Now everyone comes and hangs out, Pi Phi house Room 220, join the party!