Turning the Sword Against Its Master
A critical report about my practice.
I cannot think of a more suitable word to describe the corporate frenzy of graphic design than tartuffe (appearing as moral to deceive others of your dishonest intentions). One of my greatest fears is to be abducted by these companies to cremate my own soul and use bright colours combined with geometric patterns to coerce the middle class into consuming from them. Influenced by the 1980s postmodern art collective The Memphis Group these corporations use this aesthetic to whitewash the real injustices, whilst attempting to appear as fluid, inclusive and in line with the current stage of postmodern identity politics. As Walter Benn Michaels said, “What makes identity politics appealing to the neoliberal imagination is that it’s perfectly compatible with inequality.” (Michaels, 2006).
I continue steering my ship as far away from this island as possible, taking a world view fundamentally based around ownership in economics and its all-encompassing implications. I use design to translate my economic philosophy into a more digestible accessible form in hopes of raising awareness and circumventing the ideological framework we’ve all internalised. The power of design reaches far beyond the surface level aesthetics; design is a language. Just like you and I subconsciously translate various chemical and electrical signals into dialect, we can use design in the same way as a form to carry the same content . This is a form that I believe holds value in bypassing the stigma of complexity and elitism surrounding economic ideas. Throughout this critical report I will delve into my design practice exploring my influences and ideas in relation to the wider context of design...
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Screenprint
Newsprint
64 x 90cm
