INTRODUCTION TO CULTURE JAM
Students identified an advertisement from a company which communicates or implies a message that might be useful in terms of increasing consumer desire for the product depicted, but which could have negative implications for people and society more broadly. The company benefits from increased sales, while the public viewing the advertisement may have their thoughts and opinions shaped in ways that could lead to negative outcomes such as lower self-esteem, and immoral or unhealthy behaviour. The students were tasked with changing subtle elements within the advertisement, which at first glance might not be highly noticeable, but upon deeper reflection reveal to the viewer what was problematic about the original messaging of the advertisement.

Culture Jam of an Under-Aged Sexual H&M Advertisement by Rosemary Steynberg (She/Her)

Rosemary chose an advertisement for schoolwear from H&M, in which two young girls are posed in a manner typical of adult fashion models, accompanied by the text “Make those heads turn in H&M’s back to school fashion”. Rosemary identifies the fact that the girls have been treated in a sexual manner that is common with adult models, but is not appropriate for depictions of children. Rosemary says that she “based [her] culture jam on the controversial thought that young girls should turn heads”

In order to expose the problems inherent in the original advertisement, Rosemary focused on the way in which these young girls have been objectified. By changing the tagline to “buy H&M’s clothes to catch his eye. Grade 5 doesn’t have to be boring” Rosemary draws the viewer’s attention to the broader issue of the objectification of women, and specifically to how this is not appropriate for younger girls. What makes this project so successful is that very little was changed, yet once one realises the implications of the changes one is deeply affected by the new message contained in the image.

INTRODUCTION TO FOUNDATIONAL MOVEMENTS OF POSTMODERNISM VIDEO ESSAY
For this assignment students needed to find a contemporary artist whose work has been influenced by a 20th Century Postmodern movement on the deepers levels of the philosophies, beliefs and ideologies of the historic movement, while remaining unique and relevant to the 21st Century context. In order to do this, students presented their research on the background and context of the original movement, and showed how these could be related to the contemporary artist. Students worked in groups, and put together a video essay, using the possibilities of combining sound, text and images to carry their argument across more powerfully.

Cindy Sherman: A 21st Century Artist Shaped by Identity Politics by Carissa Claassens, Jeanine Rabie and Jade Swanepoel

The group was able to make a compelling link between the ways in which the Identity Politics movement of the late 20th century laid the foundations on which Cindy Sherman built her artistic career, and the ways in which she communicates the messages within her work. The research into both the postmodern movement and the contemporary artist is well selected and clearly presented to the viewer. The group has made good use of the unique opportunities for communication enabled by the video essay format. They have selected an artist who does not merely imitate the visual output of the 20th Century movement, but instead one that has built upon and expanded concepts in a way that is relevant in current times.

INTRODUCTION TO MASS CULTURAL PHENOMENON

Students identified a mass culture phenomenon observed in present-day society and used the theories and arguments presented throughout the semester in order to define, interpret and critique their chosen phenomenon. They presented an in-depth look at the various cultural and ideological factors that influence it and commented on these using theories learned in class, and those identified from your additional research in academic writings.

This second project entailed students firstly providing a hermeneutic interpretation of a visual text of their choosing, and then critically analysing the same interpretation using a selection of the theories studied in VC200. Students were asked to adopt two distinct ‘voices’ when doing this critical analysis, looking at their interpretation with theoretical detachment to identify any ideologies or biases present in it.

Everyone I Have Ever Slept With (1963-1995): An Interpretation and Critique by Marié van Urk (She/Her)

Maria presents a nuanced and thoughtful interpretation of a provocative work by controversial artist Tracy Emin, and arrives at this interpretation by incorporating a variety of different perspectives, including her own. Maria is also able to step back and take a critical look at this interpretation and use the distance afforded by theoretical analysis to gain deeper insights into the work’s meaning, as well as her personal relationship to it.

By choosing a complex work that deals with challenging themes, Maria was able to demonstrate how the subjective meaning of an artwork can be made more accessible and universal through the application of theory and critical perspectives. She was able to contrast her personal and social context as the viewer with that of the artist, and explain how this affects her experience and understanding of the work

The Mass Cultural phenomenon ‘Core’ explored through Grungecore by Kurt Schwimmbacher (He/Him)

Kurt makes an astute observation that Tiktok users tend to typify and commodify particular fashion subcultures by affixing ‘core’ to whichever subgroup and aesthetic that they feel like they belong to. He argues that companies use this phenomenon to co-opt innovations in fashion that originate from individuals, and turn these into products that are easily packaged and sold. He contrasts grunge, which emerged as an anti-commercial and anarchic expression of youth culture at the end of the 20th century, with grungecore, which is an inauthentic and ready-to-buy imitation of the original.

Kurt not only identified an appropriate topic, but he was able to articulate how mass media has been used to change something from a genuine expression of human creativity and turn it into a product that will enrich corporations. He used theories learned in class to show how the use of certain codes allows consumers to feel that by buying a particular product, they also lay claim on the values purportedly associated with it.