Task 6 Exhibition Review

In June 2009 Marks & Spencer celebrated its 125th anniversary by opening up an exhibition in the Centenary Gallery of Leeds University's Parkinson Building. The exhibition, curated by M&S archivists, displays M&S' journey from its penny bazaar market stall to becoming an international retailer.

It showcases how through each decade M&S has striven to become a part of British life from the clothes we wear, to the food we eat, through to the moral values we expect from businesses to day.

Considering the proposed 60,000 items to be archived in a purpose built location on the university campus, the initial modest exhibition space housed a small collection of M&S items from staff uniforms and key fashion pieces, to ad campaigns and WWII helmets that the staff would have worn in the event of an air raid.
The walls at opposing sides of the room were covered with customers feedback over the years and provided random but somewhat interesting facts from the population of women wearing M&S knickers to the number of fans on Facebook of Percy the Pig (which in case you weren't in the know are pink, pigs headed shaped sweets). There was even an interactive wall for visitors to write up their own current thoughts on M&S.

Walking around the exhibition, as a woman, you can't help but feel a slight bit of feminism creep up inside you, as you take in the cookie-cutter characters of housebound women displayed in adverts, illustrating a time when men and women's roles appeared so simple. Not to mention the display of letters written to M&S that give a somewhat deranged but comical view of the average female customer, who felt the need to comment about their day to day experiences with their M&S purchases; "I got a dress from one of your stores, nothing wrong with the dress but...I couldn't get the fastener open and had to go ask a policeman on duty to help me...after a full hours struggle he had to tear the dress off...I can see the funny side of it now, but I was red in the face trying to free that zip".

Altogether, the most entertaining part of the exhibition was the M&S representative that guided you through each M&S piece of each history. A camp and witty fellow, he provided many of M&S's life's quips from ridiculous customer stories to some of M&S's somewhat amusing adverts. 

What was most likeable about the exhibition was that along with the M&S rep, it didn't seem to take itself too seriously and provided an encapsulated view of how a humble northern market stall can grow to become a household name amongst British middle class culture.

Task 5 Triangulation

Use the seminar texts discussed in last weeks session to write a short triangulated review of the First Things First manifesto (2000), published originally in AIGA Journal of Graphic Design, vol 17, No 2 (1999).

Make sure you use, and quote from, at least three texts in your critical analysis.


First Things First Manifesto 2000, most notably published by Adbusters, with help from journalist Rick Poyner  is an updated version of First Things First, originally published by Ken Garland in 1964.


Both manifestos discuss the cultural force of the media of advertising and how it has led to mass consumerism. 
In wanting to propose a reversal of priorities "in favor of more useful, lasting and democratic forms of communication" (Adbusters, 2000:P5) the manifestos both turn to the generative source of these impermanent products, the graphic designers.


The differences between the two include a more broader mention of the industries concerned from graphic designers, photographers and students in 1964 to graphic designers, art directors and visual communicators in 2000 noting a greater shift of concern to be held. Also the products that they perceive to be commercial have slightly moved on to products of more luxury from detergents and fizzy water in 1964 to diamonds and heavy-duty recreational vehicles in 2000. 


Rick Poyner argues that designers have grown uncomfortable with this view of design and that by encouraging this form of design we are endorsing commercialism so much so that it is having a docile body effect on our society. He goes on to argue that;"There are pursuits more worthy of our problem solving skills. Unprecedented environmental, social and cultural crises demand our attention." (Adbusters, 2000:P5) 
But I question that if such pursuits are made essential before others such as design of toothbrushes then surely we will begin to have stagnant design of day to day products and without innovative design of such regarded inessential products will society be ready and able to accept advances in wider universal issues?


Both however are leading to be critical of the Western commercial culture that is based on economic and political freedom which has enabled such signatory members the freedom to write such a manifesto and afford the luxury goods they deem inessential. An alternative society that they could be suggesting is the rejection of the Western capitalist society to that of  a communist regime where a single group choose the right to decide what is inessential. It is important that such groups consider not only what their first things first are but also the first things first of others whilst not ignoring the framework that has allowed them to speak so freely.


Michael Bierut, partner of design studio Pentagram and president of AIGA criticises the 33 signatory members of First Things First Manifesto 2000 as "...specialising in extraordinarily beautiful things for the cultural elite" (Bierut, 2007:P55) who thereby do not have the chore of reproducing the inessential products that they speak of as they have never been invited to and goes on further to say "A cynic, then, might dismiss the impact of the manifesto as no more than that of witnessing a group of eunuchs take a vow of chastity" (Bierut, 2007:P55) 


Bierut argues that Graphic Designers are in fact envious of the advertising the world; "Whereas the effect of design is secretly feared to be cosmetic, vague and unmeasurable, the impact of advertising on a clients bottom line has a ruthless clarity to it" (Bierut, 2007:P55). 
He seems to suggest that advertising appears to be offered more chance at subjective control than graphic design, where they come up with the big ad campaign and tag line to the clients message, and secondly they use a graphic designer to produce their ideas, leaving the designer, as Bierut puts it "...at the bottom of the pond" (Bierut, 2007:P55) Further suggesting that it is the advertiser that generally convinces the consumer to buy, not the graphic designer. 


Bierut argues further that whilst the manifesto criticises the design of inessential objects such as fountain pens and rubber flooring it is designers that have transformed these products and have made life that little bit easier for society. 
So he questions, what makes dog biscuit packaging an unworthy object of our attentions as to say some cultural project? Because to someone out there it is more important. (Bierut, 2007:P56)
In his final note he agrees with a statement made by Ken Garland; that we should aim to identify with our real clients; the public who may not be the ones who pay us but who are the final recipients of our work therefore they deserve a well designed dog biscuit package. (Bierut, 2007:P60)

Task 4 Annotation

Annotate a key page (or pages) of Adorno's (1954) essay 'How to Look At TV'. Your annotations should evidence that you have conducted a close critical reading of the text and show deep level understanding and an ability to relate Adorno's ideas to examples of contemporary TV. Underline and explain key vocabulary and critical terminology.

Proposal Task 3

Submit a proposal for the 2,000 word essay element of the portfolio brief.

The proposal should include-

1. A proposed essay title or topic
2. The main issues addressed by your argument (in bullet points)
3. Any visual material that you will look at (include hyperlinks if possible)
4. What theoretical approach / methodology will you use? e.g. marxism, the gaze, psychoanalysis etc
5. Which specific theorists / writers will you refer to?
6. At least 5 books / articles / resources already located (referenced using Harvard)

Title: Deconstructing Disney Princesses

Main Issues & theoretical approach:

• Phallocentrism in film - the idea of recognising the male gender and the sexuality of men as the dominant norm.
• The Gaze - the objectification of women and the internalisation of the Gaze that changes womens perceptions of themselves.
• Psychoanalytic theory- Writing and debate which follows the framework of Freud's approach to the human mind and patterns of behaviour, emphasising the fears and desires which drive the individual.
• Ideology - The set of beliefs that a society holds as being 'natural', 'normal' and 'relevant'
• A feminist study of Disney's The Little Mermaid  including examples of other Disney films.
• Can Disney be accused of internalising false ideologies in young women?

Visual Examples:

Phallocentric example of film:

Internalised false ideals: 



Disney princesses

Theorists/Writers I'll refer to:

• Laura Mulvey
• Lucian Freud
• John Berger
• Laura Sells

Book References:
Aaron, M. (2007) Spectatorship: The power of looking, London, Wallflower Press

Bell, E. Haas, L. and Sells, L. (1995) From Mouse to Mermaid: The politics of film, gender and culture, Indiana, Indiana University Press

Berger, J. (1972) Ways of Seeing, London, Penguin

Storey, J. (2006) ‘Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: An Introduction’, 4th ed. Essex, Pearson Education Ltd.

Mulvey, L. (1989) Visual Pleasure and Other Pleasures, Hampshire, UK and NY, Palgrave

Zipes, J.E (1994) Fairy tale as myth/myth as fairy tale, Kentucky, The University Press of Kentucky

Reality, Virtuality, Hyperreality (p1)

Reality, Virtuality, Hyperreality (p2)

Globalisation, Sustainability and the Media (p1)