So, since we’re working with students in grades 6-12 this
semester, I’m thinking of media they would deal with on a daily basis. The
first things that come to mind are commercials. Adolescents are confronted by
ads on tv, on the radio (if any teens listen to the radio any more) and on the
internet. Aside from electronic media, there is graphic signage everywhere! In
subway stations, on subways and trains, on billboards, in magazines, in stores,
everywhere!
I’ve noticed with many recent tv commercials, people insult
eachother, there is some kind of confrontation or rudeness going on. One
example was a string of commercials for Best Buy this past Christmas, “Game on
Santa”. These Moms were all complete Bitches to Santa Claus! He was trying to
give presents to the kids, and the Mom would come out and confront him. One Mom
kicks his reindeer off the roof, another says “Aww, guess I didn’t leave any
room for you, huh?” Best Buy was advertising the fact that people could get
gifts fast. Around that time I kept noticing more and more commercials with
these kind of competitive and harsh attitudes. It was disheartening.
The articles we read talked a lot about hidden messages with
advertisements. I thought for an art activity, students could watch an existing
commercial and try to find some hidden messages imbedded in it. They could then
make their own version, changing it, maybe to be more direct about the product,
or think of more positive ways to promote it.
For example, make it non-confrontational, or non-sexist, etc.. They
would essentially perform a dissection and reinterpretation of the commercial
using digital video.
Where graphic advertisements and signage are concerned,
students could have more access to creating these types of media. Maybe there
are no video or flip cameras available at the school. Students could create
signage by drawing, painting, or using a computer graphics program. However, I
was trying to think about what could be done in a ceramics classroom (I’m a
major and Aaron presented the challenge in class). Right away I thought of
graphics. There are so many ways to apply graphics to ceramics. Students could
apply decals, either commercial decals or make their own if there is a printer
available. They could also do graphic images using a carving and slip technique
called Mishima, or another technique called paper resist.
Students could apply the same idea as the commercials,
looking through existing ads, signage, and finding hidden messages. It would
get them thinking and learning to analyze media. Maybe they would find
something which seems like it’s diminishing those from a certain culture or
gender. Maybe they notice the ad is directed at one specific type of audience.
The students could counter act these messages and create their own. I think the
best ceramic format for this would be tile. It’s flat, could be any size, and
graphics can be easily applied. Students could make a narrative that develops
from tile to tile, or one big installation with many tiles that make up one
image. There are many possibilities! The tiles could be installed or exhibited
around the school or in the community and people’s reactions documented to see
how they respond to the revamped add.
