Love or Hate

Hate

Contextual and Cultural Research

Communicating a juxtaposition of emotions the following posts required a illustrative exploration of the Love or Hate brief. Within the structure of billboard and graphic layout I have attempted to convey a visual representation of these binary opposites. My original working point was the subject of Central Banking and most notably the Governor of the Bank of England Governor Mark Carney.

I considered several options regarding the subject matter, the fiscal policy since the 2008 financial crash, and as research tool drew from the criticism of the BoE current policy to the propaganda use of imagery. The initial ideas were a mere release of frustration and resentment. A juxtaposition of binary opposites that can translate clearly were later explored.

Preliminary Sketches

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Drawing on the notion of fear and horror that central banks can convey preliminary concepts played around with linear translation of financial policies as a poster image. Without singling out an individual the images were meant as generalisation. The ink splats a literal stylistic representation on anger. I worked with several compositions before settling with the final one.

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Research

Below the two diagrams exemplify the direct result of Quantitative Easing and continuing lowering and stagnation of the UK interest rate. A process that has been repeated since 2008. Theories regarding our current economic climate are attributed to this.

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Charts provided by www.tradingeconomics.com

Mark Carney’s poor record of anticipating economic trends was underlined by official figures. Deflation figures are near to zero and have been for a considered period of time. The Governor’s assurance this year that Britain’s experience of low and even negative inflation would be “temporary” seems a mockery as the figure has barely moved in nearly eight years even after QE stimulus and unmoveable interest rates. Mark Carney has repeatedly signalled that such a rise is approaching, only to retreat in the face of events the Bank failed to predict. The “emergency” rate of 0.5 per cent that has stood since 2009 and is now such a part of economic life that we have seen hyperinflation of assets such as property that have now made homes unaffordable and the value of money worthless.

Research source: The Telegraph and The Economist.

Rough sketch.

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Research indicated that the introduction on QE as a fallout from the banking sector of 2008 and the consequential defaults of the Eurozone as only further fuelled further increase of national and personal debt.

The current figure of QE that the BoE has produced is now £445 billion.  UK personal debt according to www.themoneycharity.org.uk stands at £1503 trillion by the end of September 2016, which is up from £1451 trillion from last year. That is an extra £1036.58 per UK adult a year.

     

Research of political Hate campaigns 

The famous “Labour isn’t working” ad was not written by Charles Saatchi, as is often believed. It was the work of a young copywriter named Andrew Rutherford. Charles rejected the ad, but Rutherford secretly re-inserted it into the presentation to Margaret Thatcher, then leader of the Opposition.

The poster ran in August 1978, a critical time for the Government of Jim Callaghan, who was deciding whether to call an election for October. The ad created an immediate sensation. In the middle of the silly season, the media seized on it as the topic of the day. Government ministers hit the roof.

Also created by Saatchi was the other poster involving a picture of Labour Party leader Tony Blair on a black background with a strip of the poster appearing to be torn off across the eyes of Blair. The eyes were replaced with a pair of “demon eyes” with the slogan “New Labour New Danger” positioned below the picture.

Final Composition

Visual conveyance of this research presented various challenges. Using the backdrop of London and a rendering of Carney. I attempted to construct a series of signifiers that can immediately be interpreted as an illustrative and negative indictment of Carney and the BoE. The idea behind the sketch was to use the skyline as a backdrop similar to the  economic charts, however when increased in size significance failed  to convey. Working with a palette of three colours I wanted to create the following indices:

Red – Debt

Black- Credit

Grey – Civil Service

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The use of the word BANKER was meant as a contronym. The initial use of the term to denote a civil servant but the reference to the colloquial translation. Within the banner is a rendering of Carney although partly obscured, the overall impression is hopefully that of disdain and contempt utilising the ink spalt motif now rendered to a block of red.

 

Love

As part of the brief we had to take the original image and re convey love. Within this boundary and utilising the same colours I looked to simplify the image using research of propaganda posters as a platform:

Research

Visual culture in political posters convey a sense of serenity and optimism. Through the use of simple colours and bold lines images like the ‘Obama Progess’ poster created by Shepard Fairey present an iconic presentation similar to Jim Fitzpatrick’s representation of Che Guevara as seen below. In a Communist Poster from China the utilising of techniques  respond to simplicity whilst mythologizing the subject. Power and adoration a key signifiers to this style.

Besides drawing on national myths, political images also serve to create a myth of the individual to present to the public, as political images an idealized version of them self. Associating the values of the nation or cause with the values of the individual. I intended to draw on this cultural reference and apply it to a poster image of  Mark Carney.

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Final Composition

Reworking the original illustration I removed the rendering replacing with bold lines. Using blocks of colour and eliminating the skyline. The triptych below is an attempt to convey the repetition of policy that has been argued provided the UK with its current economic stability.

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Critical Analysis

The challenge presented a visualisation of binary opposites. Restricted with a three colour palette the main objective was to convey a subject for an audience unfamiliar with whom Mark Carney is. Within the exercises I attempted to explore and create a structure based around three key signifiers. The man himself, the London skyline and his role as the Governor of the Bank of England. Visually this presented some problems. The rendering of the subject within the Hate motif is obscured beyond recognition and the placement of the composition within the banner looks lost.

Reworking these themes for the Love aspect of the brief the re rendering of the image can  be characterised as more coherent. Utilising bold lines and block colours the pose is an attempt at being more reminiscent of the propaganda posters as discovered within  the research. Overall the project required a representation of conflicting imagery. I felt that further experimentation of themes could have been explored.

 

 

 

 

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