12 August 2010

Creating Propaganda From A Personal Point of View

Figure 1. Chiropractic Man. Kelly Myers, Drawing with Illustrator/Photoshop, 2009
     I become a cosmopolitan being when logging on to the Internet. In only a few minutes, I can sort out the latest world news, fashion, or entertainment. Not only can I be my own worldly informant, but an arm chair diagnostic specialist as well. It is now so easy to be an advocate for my own health. Furthermore, I can carefully select my own consumer goods, higher education or anything of interest through Internet research. Also, as a member of a growing global community, I can add a word about anything on the heels of anyone famous or unknown, and on any subject or in almost any language. Exchanging ideas with friends across the world, is now an instant and every day activity. I am a true cosmopolitan woman, from my own studio apartment. I take this new life rather seriously. 
     It is through our collective new habits that trends form. With the help of mediascapes found in the Internet, we are able to up date our own self image and human knowledge by having an endless supply of ideas. It is now not at all uncommon to see high fashion in low places or to know about the latest invention in technology from articles written by citizen and professional journalists.
     This access of media has developed into a new platform for media influence. An influence that is so young, it is hard to determine what sort of effect it will have on our communities at large. 
     However, my foundation for media was influenced first by glossy magazines. It was through the images in various fashion magazines that I began to form my ideas specifically regarding the female image. Through my exposure of media culture in this manner, I learned about the male gaze and its patrimony. The dominating power in how a woman presents herself is arguably crafted by the discerning eye of the male. Albeit, with her consent. Often at the hands of gay males, but generally funded by big money which by and large is from the pockets of a white upper class male patriarchal dominated figure.
     Chiropractic Man is a very old idea. It started with a remark I heard once from a comedian, who said, "high heels should be worn lying down." 
     Over the years, I have watched many women hurt themselves by wearing high heels. I have listened to women talk about how it is "good" for their calves. Isn't that indicative of a woman? Making the best of torturous situations?  
     I have watched women run in high heels and hurt themselves. Some have broken the heel of the shoe and walked lopsided the rest of the night. Others have taken big spills on stairwells. Many have feet that are crooked from elevated shoes. The list goes on and on. But the most common complaint is lower back pain. Enter chiropractor, did you make a deal with a high heels manufacturer to secure your place in society?
     I created this poster to provoke women to think about what they are doing to their bodies and why. The hegemony of society's female imagery looms over women in a way that is of an extreme nature. The manufactured female in our mediascapes is carefully manicured from head to toe, and is almost always wearing a pair of very compromising shoes. Why would the way we look dominate the way that we feel? 
     Perhaps, part of the American Dream for women, is to be successful in the way that she looks. Having the right hair, make-up, clothing and the perfect shoe has become a kind of female uniform. I worked in retail for many years and I found that anytime that I spent extra time on my hair, makeup and wore a back breaking shoe, my sales would go up. Plus, people would act nicer to me. But at the end of the day, I felt horrible, and concluded that my comfort was far more important than someone's kind gaze.









     

24 July 2010

True Confessions


To drag my point even further into the ground, I conducted a little experiment. The figures in the top sketch are outlined from two photographs. The outlines were pretty basic and I filled in the rest with my imagination. However, what I find very interesting is that all of the markings on the drawing are edits from a tutor. The corrections are purely from his imagination. My point is, when a figure is reference in action from a photo, it will seldom look "correct". This is my main beef with this type of work. Perhaps it's like the Greeks who on purpose, made the lines of the columns not straight in order to look straight. People really don't look 'right' in photos, especially action photos.

Getting it Out of My Mind


Yes, the art of the thumb nail. Drawing numerous pieces of paper, for several hours, knowing that only one, if one will be the idea to evolve into 'the idea'. Perspective doesn't work, in my opinion. Printing out a photograph and applying the rules of perspective on top of that photo will tell you this right away. Yet, schools continue to teach the rules of perspective, because, they 'look' like they work. All resistance aside, just for a moment, I am becoming fond of wasting my time like this. I am perfectly engaged in the use of my tools. The pencils are diminishing, the pad of 100% cotton papers cycling through my hands and right into the recycling paper bin...it's like Zen really. Or wait, is that the opposite of Zen? The creation of nothingness, is that even possible?

24 February 2010

Stuffed, Digital Photos, 2008.

           

This is discustiing. When I took them, I thought it might be interesting. I usually photo what I like, not what I don't.

My nose was curled, and my breath held, it's a whole floor of stuffed birds, so it's bound to be pretty discusting.

My first semester back to HSU, I had a class in this building. It's three stories and has various stuffed animals (not the cute kind) through out. My professor was totally annoyed having to walk through the halls to get to the classroom as were many students. Some felt it was some sick irony that Federal Indian Law would be housed in the Wildlife Building. Luckily it was only one course. Yet that was enough for me to attempt this series of photos and convey my contempt.


16 February 2010

Freedom By Force: The Great American Paradox. Black and White 35mm Photo. 2009.

usflag-storm-invasive-plant

Okay, I admit to getting carried away with that title. I love this photo for four reasons. The flag is/was erected on a building by a newspaper that just 'did me wrong' and others as well and is now no longer circulating. Next, the pampas grass which is an invasive plant and is not indigenous to this biome. Finally, the barbed wire and the looming stormy sky.

15 February 2010

What Beardsley Saw, small pen and ink sketch, 1998.





Once upon a time, while walking on Cambridge street in London...I happened to stumble on the house where Aubrey Beardsley lived. This page shows the address and this church, St. Gabriel's which is across the street and the first thing Aubrey saw everyday he looked out his window or stepped out for some fresh, um, London air. I sat on his steps until 'me bum hurt' and then skipped off. I love Beardsley.

14 February 2010

Looking for a Paradox, Illustrator file 2010.

The latest assignment for graphic design is a tea box and tea bag. Here is my sketch that was deemed "too offensive" to work on. The instructor suggested something that "you would see on the shelf at Wildberries". This suggestion deflated my enthusiam in trying to achieve a visual paradox. Also, I am now roaming around in the land of uncertainty, questioning the very source of inspiration for this idea. Which can be boiled down to man love and Republican tea struggles. The idea has not been totally abandoned. I have reduced the hot topic to "Men's Tea" and I am now looking for "handsome" packaging ideas. However, the tea maker will most certainly be, T. Bauger, Inc.