Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Monday, December 28, 2015
Cultural Hierarchies
Cultural Hierarchies
Culture -the arts and other intellectual activities in which people participate in e.g. other people see your work to bring a group of people together with a shared interest. Could be put on the internet or exhibitions but if no-body sees your work is does not take part in culture. It has to be seen by society.
Websites such as The Photographers Gallery and Magnum are all cultural and they show and share peoples work and therefore is seen by whoever visits the website - obviously this a more directed culture as people uninterested in art and photography are unlikely to look on these websites therefore not being included in this specific culture by choice.
Tate is a much more popular website known by a wider range of people where as Hussar and Wirth is not as well known and therefore has a smaller cultural influence as the audience is smaller than websites such as Magnum and Tate.
Hierarchies - putting things in an order dependant on your personal values. Therefore within cultures, individuals will hold certain elements higher than others due to different values.
It is a system in which members of an organisation or society are ranked according to relative status or authority
Religion is one of the highest rated and most influential systems - many different cultures under one culture - i think this because everyone who is religious shares a belief in something whether it is the same or not but that core idea of believing and following a religion stems across all believers. Religious buildings are made so big so everyone can see them and they stand out, highlighting their value - this is a physical and visual representation of cultural hierarchy - the bigger the better.
Locating Hierarchies - evident in differences of Uni's. For example UoB used to be a polytechnic and is now a uni - there are no practical arts course, more academic based and students study in a much nicer/older building which is often viewed as 'beautiful' often buildings like this have history about it and therefore more interesting to some people because it has a past. UWE (bower ashton) is art based and the building is not as classic compared to UoB however it has much more modern features. I feel the stigmatisation of academic and art based courses increases the idea of UoB being higher in the hierarchy within society as to a lot of people, art and the creative industry is "not a proper degree" and therefore automatically approving and thinking more highly of UoB's building because it is associated with academic degrees and stands out physically. I have experienced the dismissal of my photography degree by being questioned 'what do you actually do other than press a button' or 'where is it going to take you in life?' However society is based around photography - everywhere you go you are presented with images whether it is on a billboard or in a car brochure or holiday brochure or on the front cover of a book or in the newspaper or online on fashion websites - there are endless places in which photography is needed and companies employ photographers to do this. Therefore it may not be seen as an academic based subject but with the ever growing industry it is becoming and important part in society and people's everyday lives.
Art Reviews - throughout anything many people seek reviews to decide what value they place on something, for example buying a new dress: if three people decide it was not a good material/good fit etc it automatically puts doubt in your mind but you don't know what these people are like/what values they hold and therefore you are making a judgment based on other peoples views instead of your own. This links to reviews on art - who decides what is the best picture of the month and why? It puts the idea into society that these people awarding artists for their work are more powerful than anyone else and they are dictating the way art is and what people should and shouldn't be interested in. If you are presented with a list of the top 100 artists you are encouraged to agree/disagree but still unable to engage with the people who didnt make it onto the list because a selection of people didn't think it was as worthy.
But this process and idea of a few people dictating and reviewing your work good enough or not is becoming over powering - its society. As a photographer working with clients you have to give them what they want and if two people completed the same brief the client would go with the one they prefer more often than not the one the prefer purely based on the visual not the meaning ( in some cases). Again this is putting someones value on a piece of art therefore ranking it higher than others, meaning it may be viewed more by society as they are being told this is better or more valuable than this.
However, like anything the more influence you have over society the more power you have and in the creative arts industry often people have many connections and therefore have more chance to do well as if you don't know anyone and don't 'get in' it can make becoming successful difficult.
Hierarchies are forever changing - things are ranked highly due to values you and society give them however as life and trends are ever changing peoples values also change for example you don't necessarily have the same values at the end of high school as you do when you graduate from university - you learn and grow and understand your own interests more. I think to be able to accept what is culturally ranked high but still have your own individual rankings is a good thing.
Competitions and prizes: people enter completeions and respond to a brief to get their work out there and their name known and this will eventually help with future work especially if your work wins and is acknowledged. therefore competitions are important as it helps your get connections and your work entered into a wider society. Even within this, there are still people dictating and deciding who wins and although this can be seen as a negative to people who don't win and their work won't be seen in society - it can help with future jobs and contacts.
"Awards are a mark of acceptance"
Cupid stunt was a tv programme which wasn't accepted to be shown on mainstream tv however he actively challenged this dismissal of his show and did his own thing which eventually got enough recognition and views it earned air time. I think it is good to challenge hierarchies as it shows that some people won't accept what a small minority of people think and believe enough in their own work to make it successful.
Cultural Capital
Taste has been historically formed through a process of admiring and desiring objects that are deemed beautiful.
BEAUTY - B U Y - E A T
eating through your eyes - buying into it.
what is deemed beautiful? tastes are not learn and are not natural it is taught and inflicted through socialisation - its reflects our own and families culture.
You are forever choosing what is important to you and want isn't...
"I'm not bothered" is still a choice, it is choosing to not engage with something and at that moment in time that reflects your taste and to some extent about yourself - it is not a definite opinion (in my personal view).
Culture -the arts and other intellectual activities in which people participate in e.g. other people see your work to bring a group of people together with a shared interest. Could be put on the internet or exhibitions but if no-body sees your work is does not take part in culture. It has to be seen by society.
Websites such as The Photographers Gallery and Magnum are all cultural and they show and share peoples work and therefore is seen by whoever visits the website - obviously this a more directed culture as people uninterested in art and photography are unlikely to look on these websites therefore not being included in this specific culture by choice.
Tate is a much more popular website known by a wider range of people where as Hussar and Wirth is not as well known and therefore has a smaller cultural influence as the audience is smaller than websites such as Magnum and Tate.
Hierarchies - putting things in an order dependant on your personal values. Therefore within cultures, individuals will hold certain elements higher than others due to different values.
It is a system in which members of an organisation or society are ranked according to relative status or authority
Religion is one of the highest rated and most influential systems - many different cultures under one culture - i think this because everyone who is religious shares a belief in something whether it is the same or not but that core idea of believing and following a religion stems across all believers. Religious buildings are made so big so everyone can see them and they stand out, highlighting their value - this is a physical and visual representation of cultural hierarchy - the bigger the better.
Locating Hierarchies - evident in differences of Uni's. For example UoB used to be a polytechnic and is now a uni - there are no practical arts course, more academic based and students study in a much nicer/older building which is often viewed as 'beautiful' often buildings like this have history about it and therefore more interesting to some people because it has a past. UWE (bower ashton) is art based and the building is not as classic compared to UoB however it has much more modern features. I feel the stigmatisation of academic and art based courses increases the idea of UoB being higher in the hierarchy within society as to a lot of people, art and the creative industry is "not a proper degree" and therefore automatically approving and thinking more highly of UoB's building because it is associated with academic degrees and stands out physically. I have experienced the dismissal of my photography degree by being questioned 'what do you actually do other than press a button' or 'where is it going to take you in life?' However society is based around photography - everywhere you go you are presented with images whether it is on a billboard or in a car brochure or holiday brochure or on the front cover of a book or in the newspaper or online on fashion websites - there are endless places in which photography is needed and companies employ photographers to do this. Therefore it may not be seen as an academic based subject but with the ever growing industry it is becoming and important part in society and people's everyday lives.
Art Reviews - throughout anything many people seek reviews to decide what value they place on something, for example buying a new dress: if three people decide it was not a good material/good fit etc it automatically puts doubt in your mind but you don't know what these people are like/what values they hold and therefore you are making a judgment based on other peoples views instead of your own. This links to reviews on art - who decides what is the best picture of the month and why? It puts the idea into society that these people awarding artists for their work are more powerful than anyone else and they are dictating the way art is and what people should and shouldn't be interested in. If you are presented with a list of the top 100 artists you are encouraged to agree/disagree but still unable to engage with the people who didnt make it onto the list because a selection of people didn't think it was as worthy.
But this process and idea of a few people dictating and reviewing your work good enough or not is becoming over powering - its society. As a photographer working with clients you have to give them what they want and if two people completed the same brief the client would go with the one they prefer more often than not the one the prefer purely based on the visual not the meaning ( in some cases). Again this is putting someones value on a piece of art therefore ranking it higher than others, meaning it may be viewed more by society as they are being told this is better or more valuable than this.
However, like anything the more influence you have over society the more power you have and in the creative arts industry often people have many connections and therefore have more chance to do well as if you don't know anyone and don't 'get in' it can make becoming successful difficult.
Hierarchies are forever changing - things are ranked highly due to values you and society give them however as life and trends are ever changing peoples values also change for example you don't necessarily have the same values at the end of high school as you do when you graduate from university - you learn and grow and understand your own interests more. I think to be able to accept what is culturally ranked high but still have your own individual rankings is a good thing.
Competitions and prizes: people enter completeions and respond to a brief to get their work out there and their name known and this will eventually help with future work especially if your work wins and is acknowledged. therefore competitions are important as it helps your get connections and your work entered into a wider society. Even within this, there are still people dictating and deciding who wins and although this can be seen as a negative to people who don't win and their work won't be seen in society - it can help with future jobs and contacts.
"Awards are a mark of acceptance"
Cupid stunt was a tv programme which wasn't accepted to be shown on mainstream tv however he actively challenged this dismissal of his show and did his own thing which eventually got enough recognition and views it earned air time. I think it is good to challenge hierarchies as it shows that some people won't accept what a small minority of people think and believe enough in their own work to make it successful.
Cultural Capital
Taste has been historically formed through a process of admiring and desiring objects that are deemed beautiful.
BEAUTY - B U Y - E A T
eating through your eyes - buying into it.
what is deemed beautiful? tastes are not learn and are not natural it is taught and inflicted through socialisation - its reflects our own and families culture.
You are forever choosing what is important to you and want isn't...
"I'm not bothered" is still a choice, it is choosing to not engage with something and at that moment in time that reflects your taste and to some extent about yourself - it is not a definite opinion (in my personal view).
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
29/10/15
29/10/15
1996
2015
" We are all media creators" - Henry Jenkins
e.g uploading photos/videos/texts through blogs/facebook/twitter on iPhones/tablets/laptops/desktops.
"participatory culture is in which members believe their contribution matters and feel some degree of social connections with one another" for example: uploading and sharing images on Instagram a huge and ever growing social networking site - thinking that sharing a picture of your dinner or day in London matters to other people. People have become self conscious and aware of what other people think - this is shown through editing posts once they are posted/deleting images or posts if you feel there isn't enough likes etc.
We are: CREATORS - we create our own online presence.
CONSUMERS - we take in other peoples lives on social media.
MULTIPLIERS - we share and retweet/repost other peoples posts and image.
An example of this would be posting a series of images on Instagram, scrolling through your newsfeed - taking in other people's images and either liking or scrolling past and also reposting a photo from another account, or even tagging other people in an image - promoting them as their own creator therefore keeping the cycle running. People can be more of one category than the others or equal in each category for example I often post images on Instagram everyday and share videos on Facebook. But with sharing posts on Facebook I also scroll through my newsfeed meaning whist I am a multiplier I am also a consumer within this process.
Context/History
Delwiche and Henderson, 2013
(4 phases of participatory culture)
1 - EMERGENCE - 1985 - 1993
During this time period PC's became popular in households meaning individuals had more access to their own creations. The zine subculture also emerged, a popular zine being 'Forced Exposure' a music inspired zine.
2 - WAKING UP TO THE WEB - 1994 - 1998
During this stage big websites such as Yahoo (1994) Amazon (1994), eBay (1995) and Google (1996) started up. Their initial look was very different to modern internet styles where the fonts are more stylistic and clearer layouts whereas previously the fonts were 'clunky' often in text boxes.
1996
2015
3 - PUSH BUTTON PUBLISHING - 1999 - 2004
This is the interaction period for example Facebook was founded in 2004 meaning people could talk and interact over the internet. Despite this being seen as a positive and fast advance to the technological world - has it become an obsession? have people become so reliant on computer conversations that face to face talking is a rarity? Progressing 11 years on from the first launch of Facebook, twitter and other networking sites have become available encouraging people to become creators and share their life, thinking it impacts other people's lives. Also there has become an expectation of people to have accounts on Facebook and follow the mainstream way. You can access Facebook on laptops, tablets and phones meaning anywhere at any time you can get in contact with people, this leads into the last and final stage of Delwiche and Henderson's 4 phases...
4 - OBIQUITOUS CONNECTIONS - 2005 - 2011
This is the period in which the iPhone came in (2007) and people could continuously and immediately contact other people.
A more recent example is Snapchat - people create and produce their own media by posting images either onto their story for everyone to see or to individuals, therefore forcing the viewer to be a consumer. The consumer then has the choice to either create and send an image back or not. Therefore I feel Jenkins ideas fit in well with Delwiche and Henderson's 4 phase's of participatory culture as without being a creator or consumer these stages wouldn't exist. Phone companies have also fed into the idea of obiquitous connections due to contract deals in which you pay a certain amount a month for a set amount of texts/minutes and data - allowing people to connect with other people whenever and wherever providing they have 3G or wi-fi.
However I think consumers can participate in different ways either actively or passively. Passively meaning aimlessly scrolling through feeds and refreshing pages hoping for something interesting to arise where as actively consuming means purposely looking and engaging with peoples creations.
Crowd Sourcing
For crowd sourcing to occur it needs lots of participants for example:
threadless.com is a t-shirt designing compay in which is uses the public to create t-shirts.
1. register and download templates
2. create own design
3. upload design to gallery
4. all designs are rated for one week and the most popular designs then enter a forum in which the staff decided to be the best one and is then mass produced and available to buy.
The systems works because it relies on public participation as they basically do all the hard work and the staff simply choice what they think is the best design and then produce it therefore participants doing a companies labour for free. The idea of winning and having your design mass produced is enough for people to join in because even if they don't win they havent wasted any money on entering a competition.
Constructions of value in participatory culture...
We put our own value on items based on a symbolic or sentimental value rather than financial.
For example, Ebay - we bid higher on items which have more meaning to us either because it is something we want or need and therefore the higher we bid the more symbolic meaning it has to us as individuals.
'Appraisal' - you decide something is worth more than the other person.
residual - retro - meaning old materials - have a new value in which we attach not from the material itself.
Marinia Abramovic is a perfomance artist in which her shows exist as a live show and then is gone and also states we have now become consumption junkies.
Jenkins states that youtube acts as an after life - it films live shows and also people to watch or re watch live performances feeding into what Abramovic says about a culture becoming consumption junkies, the videos are also free which encourages people to watch and re watch videos as there is no financial barrier. Again individuals appraise videos therefore deciding what to watch/share/comment on. This gives us an insight into capitalism and the illusion that we are in control when in reality there are people who regulate us and what we are presented with instantly. for example if you search something on google, on the right hand side a box with pictures of the specific item and websites come up - these websites sponsor google in order to get their products and companies promoted. Also when you look on certain websites then go on Facebook or youtube for example - adverts appear in columns of items you have recently viewed - through repetition we are more likely to purchase these items of interest.
Foucault - the panoptic gaze
based on an architectural design.
in the centre is the watch tower where the power is held and superiors watch the prisoners from and the outer wall is the cells in which the prisoners are based and have a constant paranoia of being watched and therefore act differently as they fear being watched and have learnt to self0regulate their behaviour.
Sousveillance
the idea that there is a power shift between superior and prisoners
e.g if a police officers breaks the law and is caught on camera by viewers, there has been a shift in power as the superior has evidence against him.
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