Feedback on Visual Discourse Analysis

The feedback from the peer review session was overall positive and I am happy with it; the essay shouldn't need to many changes before I extend it with quotes. The overall strengths were the focus on context and cultural references as well as visual, linguistic and rhetorical mechanisms. However, it was suggested I could expand on the production process of the poster, for example where it was designed and the parameters of the screenprints. I could also add a little about the band, and my own opinion of the visual look of the poster; do I like it or not? I will take this into account and add a little when I update the essay. 

Visual Discourse Analysis (500 words)

The poster created by Dan Stiles for the Arctic Monkeys gig would have been advertising a massive event, as the Arctic Monkeys are currently one of the worlds most popular and well known bands, especially in America where the gig was happening (Lewiston, New York). It is also very current, as it was made in the summer of this year, June 2014. The poster would have not just been created for advertising; gig posters are increasingly becoming more collectable and recognised as valuable pieces of  work, selling on the internet and in shops for up to thousands of pounds depending on the rarity. Fans of the band would have bought this poster as memorabilia, or something to hang on their walls as a piece of art whether they attended the gig or not. I came across this poster via the book and website gigposters.com, a well known library of posters created by Clay Hayes, so it is widely accessible around the world.

The target audience for this poster is very wide, as the popular tour it was created for had seats for thousands of people per gig. It appeals to both male and female viewers of a wide age group, by depicting the silhouette of an attractive lady in psychedelic, sixties looking colours and patterns. The majority of the lyrics within the bands songs are based on women, so the poster is literally visualising what the band is 'about'.  The vintage connotations also link directly to the band, as they currently have taken on a more old fashioned look themselves, and gives the poster a more fashionable edge. This would also help the appeal towards the female audience; the only detail on the silhouette are a pair of vintage sunglasses and pouty lips, looking like the kind of editorial illustration you would find within a fashion magazine. The male audience would be (more obviously) drawn into the bold image of a woman with a sexy figure. The graphic look of the poster enhances this, drawing attention to how she has been designed with an exaggerated hourglass figure; what men historically deem as ideally attractive.

The colours involved within the poster reflect the time of year when it was published; sunny yellows, hot pinks, bright blues and clear greens all hint at the idea of summer. June is the month when you can finally start believing the weather might be getting permanently better, and you can start to celebrate the new season. It is a feel-good poster, probably even drawing in the eyes of passers by who are not fans of the band. It is an image of mass communication about the band; bright, bold and relatable.

Personally, I think the poster has been very well designed, as it does it's job perfectly as a bright and eye catching advert, linking directly and indirectly with the music and look of the band, and the current fashionable themes of 2014. It exists digitally all over the world, and in a series of 130 limited edition screenprints, bringing back the essence of handmade quality for the more passionate fans and collectors (of the band and artist alike). This poster gives you the opportunity to own something that was created especially for one evening of great music, something a lot of people would aspire to have.

http://www.danstiles.com

Choosing my keyword

I am going to focus on the theme of society for my Context of Practice module, as I think it gives me the biggest selection of topics to choose from (history and culture can sort of fall within society itself). I am most interested in people, and since people make up societies, it seems the wisest choice to make. 

At the moment, I am thinking of looking into something along the lines of poster advertising (relating back to the gig poster design book in my last post) and how design can affect the power of the advert. Posters with really eye catching designs and with loads of effort put in are just so much more attractive, and probably attract a certain audience over others who may not be so visually interested. The pictures I have included below make the event seem like more of a one off thing (even if it's not) because they have a one off design. They also make it more of an art piece rather than just an advert. 



 




















I am also interested in how currently maths and science subjects are being regarded much more highly over arts subjects in schools. It really annoyed me when my friends and I were looking into what to do next after sixth form and realising that some universities didn't take art as a qualifying subject, and how teachers constantly tell  younger students that you have to take an academic subject like biology to get anywhere in the future. People don't seem to realise how important the arts are within society; look around any city or town and you can see that art and design makes up a massive part of British culture. However, I need to do some research and find out if this was just the attitude in my schools and where I grew up or if it was the whole country before I take it any further.

Posters by Dan Stiles (Arctic Monkeys, 2014) and John Biddle (Sleighbells, 2010)

Library Books

These are two books which I could potentially be interested in writing my COP essay about, that I have borrowed from the college library. I love the images they both contain and think both are important subjects; a good book cover and a good poster can completely change how the book or event is being advertised.

The library references are 741.64 and 741.67