This image is of a nightmare that I had once dreamt of, and to sum up the story of the nightmare; once a click of the fingers had occurred, an apocalyptic scene had appeared out of the blue.
This ‘nightmare’ relates to the Surrealism art movement with the key themes, which were as follows. The dream has an aspect of being uncanny as it shows the apocalypse setting being familiar but at the same time, it is alien as there is a lot going off simultaneously.
There is also a release of hidden desires, which could be; the freedom of anger that could be the fire and ‘hell’ that is shown as the eye, and the shocking new headline within the image. For the constructed image to be related to the art movement; Surrealism, there needs to be ‘thanks for Surrealism, it seems that opportunity knocks a second time’ (Breton, A 1924 pg 452). Considering that the key theme for Surrealism is that artworks in the Surrealism category are way of releasing hidden desires.
References:
Breton, A (1924) First Manifesto of Surrealism,
Harrison, C/ Wood, P (2003) Art in Theory 1900-2000, Oxford: Blackwell Publishing
Uncanny in the Surrealism context is that when objects or situations can be familiar and on the other hand, they can be unfamiliar at the same time. Uncanny relates to the image ‘Distortions’ by Andre Kertesz (1933), as it is an image of two people, which is familiar. But what are unfamiliar about the image is that the image has been distorted as well as that there are two women, which can be alien to people meaning they would not be used to the sight. Also Kertesz had ‘an uncanny ability to create in advance what avant-garde movements of the period held as ideals’ (Museum of Contemporary Photography, no date) this explains that Andre Kertesz create experimental work that the noticeable art movement of the era that M Kertesz created his ‘Distortions’ work (1930’s) was seen as the crème de la crème of that era.
The term uncanny also relates to the image ‘Dolls’ by Hans Bellmer (1938), as it is an image what looks like a mannequin, which is familiar. But what appears to not be familiar is that the head of the mannequin has been cut off and placed next to the body and there is not much hair on the mannequin’s head. As well as this, the arms and legs have also been taken away from the body. This would be uncanny as people would not be used to the sight of a mannequin being taken apart.
Chris Cunningham’s video ‘Window Licker’ has a relation towards surrealism as the guy in the video has his unconscious mind unreleased as his hidden desires have liberated. The way that his desires have been liberated is that he is in a limousine with two women but as a twist, the women’s faces transform into men’s faces. Whilst there are two women with the man, they are twins and this has a strong connection to surrealism and the uncanny. There also is a connection with ‘Uncanny’ in ‘Window Licker’ as the women with the man is seen as familiar where as the women’s faces changing can be seen as alien to people. This all happens whilst the man is with these ‘women’.
The ‘Poltergeist’ film, especially the scene where there is a clown in a child’s room has a link to the uncanny as whilst the child is being set upon by the clown under his bed, the child’s mother/sister is being attacked by an unseen force. This is uncanny because it is recognised as being part of a horror film but the alienating feeling from this is that it can be unfamiliar for someone else to be attacked by an unseen force at the same time. This scene has a link to surrealism as it follows Sigmund Freud’s philosophy of the film having an ‘ability to reveal the concealed’ (Henry, 2013) as it allows the viewers to reveal their hidden fears which could be for example; horror movies.
Clown, Poltergeist, 1982
What is uncanny about a mannequin is that when people see a mannequin, they acknowledge that a mannequin is an inanimate object. But what is uncanny about the mannequin is that people can sometimes think that the mannequins can have a life of their own whilst being inanimate and that they ‘watch’ people walking by them. This can be alienating for people as they would be unaccustomed with the idea of mannequins staring at people.
Come Play With Us, The Shining, 1980
What is seen as uncanny about the film ‘The Shining’ is that the young boy is familiar in seeing the young twins that are standing in a distance but in front of him. But what makes this truly uncanny is that he is not used to seeing the twins stand like inanimate objects as well as dead. This scene follow’s Sigmund Freud’s philosophy as ‘the uncanny is the only feeling which is more powerfully experienced in art than in life’ (Stephenonfilms, 2014) this is meant that the uncanny situations in reality are less powerful as they are not expressed as much as they are visually in art such as films.
When analysing the term ‘uncanny’ to the art movement of ‘Surrealism’, ‘imagination ..offer… some intimation of what can be’ (Breton, A 1924 p447). This shows that with at being uncanny; familiar and alien simultaneously, they can leave a hint of what they can be with the assistance of imagination and I personally agree to this.
The meaning of the “McVities Digestive Biscuits – Kittens” advert is that the product; in this case that the biscuits will be as sweet as kittens as the packet is opened, kittens appear.
The kittens are a denotation of the advert as they are featured as well as the biscuits. The product; biscuits is a denotation as it is what is being advertised. The nurses’ faces are a denotation as they are in the advert.
The connotation is of the kittens escaping from the biscuit packet would be that the biscuits are as sweet as the chocolate. The meaning of the biscuits would be that you taste the chocolate and people feel freedom when eating chocolate. The face from the nurses’ that are looking at the kittens is a connotation as they convey how they feel when the ‘sweet’ kittens appear from the packet and their expressions show how people would feel when they eat the biscuits.
The metaphor of the advert is that when you eat the biscuit, you are feeling a sense of freedom as the kittens represent the biscuits. An example of this would be; that when you are with animals, you feel a sense of freedom and that your stresses would not be present.
The symbol in the advertisement would be the kittens as they make you feel the biscuit will be as “sweet” as the kittens. And the sight of the kittens would make the nurses oblivious to what is around them as they are showing a happy facial expression.
The indexical sign in the advertisement would be the facial expressions of the nurses when they open the biscuit packet and see the kittens.
The icon in the advertisement would be the biscuit packet as it shows the product featured in the advertisement.
The message that the advert is trying to communicate is that when you eat the biscuits and you will be oblivious to what is around you and that you will feel happy when eating the biscuit. The kittens in the advert are a myth as they are sweet which links inwith the product being advertised; chocolate biscuits. To back this thought up, Roland Barthes states that ‘semiology has taught us that myth has the task of giving a historical intention a natural justification’ (Barthes, R 1973).
References:
Evans, J / Hall, S (1999) Visual Culture: the Reader, London: Sage
I have produced an image that follows the Dadaism art movement.
This image that has been produced, contains a hidden meaning of that when beauty is destroyed by the modern components, beauty in the world has been lost by the modern world.
This image relates to the key theme of valuing the materials in a modern world. It follows this theme because the cable that was attached to the image has changed the meaning for the original image as it destroys the aura of the flowers.
The image has been mechanically reproduced as it includes an object from the modern world; copper cable. The image was then saved as an electronic version as well as using photo manipulation software (Photoshop) to change the effect of the image. The effect that was changed were the colour.
The technology used; Photoshop has given a new imagination for the production for the image as the intensity of the colours has been changed and made to look different and reproduced.
This image relates to the ‘Dadaist Manifesto’ as ‘there is a great negative work of destruction to be accomplished’ (Tzara, T 1918). I agree with this quote as it shows that for a Dadaism image, there has to be a destruction in the aura so that the image follows the Dadaism art movement as this is the top main theme for Dadaism.
References:
Harrison, C / Wood, P (2003) ART IN THEORY 1900-2000: An Anthology of Changing Ideas, Oxford: London
The dadaism art was created by montaging images of a businessman handing out what appears to be money and Hitler.
The content in the image conveys a new political meaning as it shows that Hitler could have been funded by the Government. And an idea of ‘money fuelling political power’ and ‘the Nazi salute is a plea of cash.’ (Metmuseum.org n.d.)
The image has a relation to the idea towards appropriation with the aura of Hitler being destroyed as he is smaller than the “Government” who is stood behind him. And the context of the salute that Hitler is showing has been changed as now means that he is pleading for money instead of his power salute.
References
Metmuseum.org, (n.d.). John Heartfield: Der Sinn des Hitlergrusses: Kleiner Mann bittet um grosse Gaben. Motto: Millonen Stehen Hinter Mir! [The Meaning of the Hitler Salute: Little man asks for big gifts. Motto: Millions Stand Behind Me!] (1987.1125.8) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. [online] Available at: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1987.1125.8 [Accessed 10 Nov. 2014].
References:
contextualstudiesinartanddesign 
