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Capitalism, Marxism and art, oh my! Part II-Branding

This week we will consider branding and consumerism in a capitalist culture.

This is a photo of the work Tomato (from Campbell's Soup I) by Andy Warhol. It is a screenprint showing a single red and white can with the words Campbell's concensed tomato soup.

Task 7

Reading

Sturken, Marita and Cartwright, Lisa (2001) Chapter 6: "Consumer Culture and the Manufacture of Desire". In Practices of looking. An introduction to visual culture; Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 189-236.

Read this text and answer the questions below.

1

Can you think of a product that you (past or present) were obsessed with? How was it branded? What type of desire did it produce in you?

This is an open answer.Check your answer

2

How can you explain your experience as a consumer through the analysis Sturken and Cartwright provide?

This is an open answer.Check your answer

3

How might you make a short film or a short piece of choreography about it?

This is an open answer.Check your answer

Viewing

Now watch Logorama (16:01) (opens in a new window) a French animation from the collective H5, François Alaux, Hervé de Crécy and Ludovic Houplain, 2009 and answer the following question.

4

Brands

What brands did you recognize in Logorama?

You might have identified these brands:

  • Malibu (rum)
  • Pringles (crisps)
  • Lego (toys)
  • Pizza Hut (pizza restaurant)
  • Esso (petrol)
  • Fanta (drink)
  • McDonalds (fast food)
  • MasterCard (credit card)

And many other logos and references to famous companies in the USA.

Check your answer

Reflection

Now you are going to think about branding in art.

5

Artists brands

Designing a personal brand means thinking about how you want to be perceived by others.

How might a dancer, choreographer, filmmaker brand himself or herself? What effect might branding have on the work of an artist?

This is an open answer.

You could have written down, for instance, that it is important for a choreographer to formulate a clear and interesting vision of their work, think of a suitable name and logo for their company, make frequent press statements and prepare any other communication packages to reach potential funders and audiences. Similarly, you could have also made a note about a film director that works closely with a designer to invent a brand identity of their film production.

Branding your professional persona includes nowadays using social media and websites to promote your work. This is quite important as it has an immediate global reach. Artists need to decide what they want the target audience to be, and in what style they are going to talk to this audience.

Check your answer

Wall

Find an example of an artist who you think utilizes the capitalist marketplace well and post one of his or her works on this wall. Make a note on your post about the work and its author. Be prepared to discuss and qualify your example.