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"culture" Tag


Lady´s in a car?


Thursday, December 6, 2018

I don´t know why I pick the book in the first place. Sometimes I just take a book without reading the title or the writher. It was standing somewhere in the middle, normal thickness and normal height. Nothing special on the spine, it was just black.

But when I took this book I saw that it was a good choose. There were two lady´s on the cover. I´m actually not sure if it are lady´s or man who are dress like lady´s. The make-up is so heavy that its looks they are covering something up. So they caught my attention. And the longer I looked the more questions came in my head. They are sitting in a car and it looks like a car from someone else. The weather is shitty and their makeup is not so perfect anymore. I think they are in a different country. They are looking a bit lost. But they don’t care so much. The cover of the book is also not so pretty as it used to be. in the corner it’s a bit ripped. At first, I thought that it was the print on the cover itself. In the inside you can see that someone repaired it with adhesive tape. It fits perfectly by the style of the book. Today I don’t feel perfect either. I can imagine that I have the same impression of the `girls´. I had a massage from my friend Nina who is also having a winter depression. But it always starts before the winter even begins. The picture is not filling the whole page. The rest is just black. Only the two people have colour. Outside of the car it is grey except for some yellow. The yellow reminds me of a taxi. It gives the impression of a big crowded city.

*15086*

same attitude


Thursday, November 29, 2018

I needed to choose a book on the tree keywords that I had with the first book that I choose only on subjective raisons. One of them was my keyword `Nina´. Nina is a good friend of mine how is traveling at the moment. She will come back this week so that’s also the raison that she is more in my mined. She likes a lot of thinks and her room is full with all kinds of different stuff. A lot of thinks are reminding me of here. She likes attention and takes good care of herself. She loves to changes here clothes an do here makeup. She is the only friend of my that is using make-up. Her attitude remind me of the figure on the front of the book. Not so serious and little rebellion. She is doing here makeup. It’s a Japanese prints. Something that Nina loves a lot. She has a tree of them in here room. She likes a lot of differed cultures. the Japanese woman doesn’t have female hands. The fingers are a bit weird. I like it when thinks are not perfect. Nina doesn’t have female hands ether. There fingers are a bit bigger. What she would also like about the woman is the thing in here hair. It’s a stick that holds her hair together.  Nina is making them herself. The other sides of the book are not so interesting. There is not much to see, and I found I a bit boring. I think it was getting my attention because of the book in front of I that I took. I think its not necessary so have more on the outside of the book. The attention goes more to the inside, and there is much to see.

On the inside of the book you see a lot of Japanese prints where the leaves are falling of the trees. With a lot of well chosen yellow, brow and orang colours. Its looks like the people on the prints like the autumn and that they are sitting at a place where they can see the seasons chancing. They look so peaceful and careless. There are also prints with only landscapes. Sometimes you see a person wondering to the nature. The landscapes are very different form each other. It looks like pictures that I would make when I´m traveling. But still they are made in the same way with the same technic. So you see the different county’s through the eyes of the Japanese culture.

*753.1ill1*

Moral panic? No worries, there is a whole encyclopedia to help a filthy girl out!


Thursday, April 11, 2013

I had to swallow a bit of vomit in my mouth when I saw the cover with the title “Girl culture”. Raw quiche for breakfast was a good choice. And then the stupid pictures of: girls hogging a mirror to smack make-up in their faces. A little (girl)child in a fluffy room with bubbles and pink fluff and beauty queens.
How fucking stupid is that? Puke factor is high.
Girls do other shit than that, I thought. And then I felt a little bit better when I discovered a tiny picture of three girls in a locker room dressed in football gear.
Better, but not well enough. Because I flip the cover to get to the List of Entries. Scrolling down for my favorite two topics. As the girl I am surely they should be listed here, yes?
Baby phat
Backstreet Boys

Breast enhancement
Covering over
Dirty Dancing
Easy-Bake Oven
Fairy Tales
Fat Girl
Felicity
Filmmaking
Feminism? Nope.
And then I puke all over it. Damn it. All that raw quiche, took me a lot of time and love to make, wasted.

I scroll down.
Gilmore Girls
Hello Kitty
Innocence
JAP (Jewish American Princess)
Ken
Little women
Lopez, Jennifer
Madonna
Magazines
Moral panic
My little pony
Masturbation? Nada. “We rather put Moral panic in there”. Truly saddening. The way we’re obstructed, sub consciously, by images and mould by the power of words. Girl culture. With no equality nor sexuality. Ignorant and poor point of view.
Beware of shit like this coming your way. Because this was, as the title said, only VOLUME 2, there’s probably a VOLUME 1 out there too.

Rietveld Library cat.nr: 905.2

Hobo symbols and Rastafari language construct our fantasy similar to Cinema


Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Slavoj Zizek argues in his “Perverts guide to the cinema“, that each individual lives in a fantasy, fed by cinema. The role we play in society and the values we place on certain people, objects and situations are constructed by cinema. “If you are looking for what is in reality more real than reality itself, look into the cinematic fiction”(Zizek)

What is cinema actually? 24 frames a second. 24 images that visualize a story.  Usually accompanied by sound and dialogue to further visualize the story. So cinema tells us stories. And the stories create fantasies in the viewer.

However, we have not only started living our lives in accordance to fantasy stories since cinema. Story telling has been part of every culture. Through visual or literal means. It may seem like cinema is the most extreme way of story telling, as it can depict scenes in the most realistic way. However, as Zizek argues, cinema does not depict realistic scenes. It plays on the viewers fantasy. An example he gives is that porn depicts sex realistically. Cinema on the other hand, by hiding the obscenity, increases the erotic fantasy of the viewer even more. In cinema, the viewer is aroused through mere suggestions and everything around sex, not the act itself.


Jane changes clothes in silhouette,” from Tarzan and His Mate (1934) / “Percy changes his clothes” for The Dirty Weekender

The reason I bring this in, is that I want to investigate visual and literal symbols that similarly arouse the viewers fantasy through implying a story or some sort of meaning. Cinema is actually just a more complex alignment of symbols and construction of literary narrative. Therefore, Zizeks claim should also apply to more basic symbols and also language itself.

These images belong to a set of symbols used by gypsies and hobos. They would draw them on houses, street crossings etc. to warn and help each other.

What I found most intriguing is the hidden implications these symbols hold. The symbol meaning “woman living alone” holds a very dark implication. Even the shape of the symbol could suggest something sexual. Or the vulnerability of the woman, as this house can easily be entered.

A simple symbol like this can already visualize stories about rape, robbery or abuse.

This is what struck me when I came across these symbols, flipping through a book in one of our design workshops. However it is not only an insight into the brutal reality of hobo life. It also relates to far more recent developments. The recently censored site Rottenneighbor.com was a website launched in 2007, by Brant Walker. It allowed users to anonymously mark the houses of neighbours on google maps.


The concept of marking these houses has similarities to that of the hobo symbols.

Hobo sign for barking dog

The intensions and therefore the implications of these marks are different. The hobo sign is meant as a warning for when intruding into the property. The rottenneighbor entry seems to be more a way of letting out anger, a way of revenge.

In their function they are very similar though. The purpose of Rottenneighbor.com is to serve as advice for people choosing a new neighborhood to live in. This is very similar to the function of the hobo signs, although hobos would not look to buy or rent property, their signs also advise them about the safety of staying in certain neighborhoods.

On Rottenneighbor.com some entries also held similar implications to the hobo sign “woman living alone”.  There have been entries posted such as “Hier wohnt eine Schlampe, leicht zu haben und lässt die Tür immer offen.” a German post implying that the woman living in this apartment is easy to have and leaves the door unlocked. This post is an example for not going with the actual function of the website, of recommending neighborhoods. Instead it informs that there is something to get in this apartment. This makes its function even more similar to that of the hobo symbols.

This idea for an iphone application also plays on the idea of marking places to allow some sort of interaction with them. So the user would be able to search for, say, “a ‘safe camp’ or a ‘Kindhearted Lady’ (a picture of a cat) and then have the iPhone show him the location.”

However it is not only visual symbols, that hold implications. Also language unconsciously creates and upholds values and stories.

To become aware of this in English language, it can be interesting to look at the language of the Rastafari. A culture that has been very conscious of their use of words and grammar.

The  language spoken by the Rastafari is based on Jamaican English. Its a creole language, which formed when African slaves were brought to Jamaica and had to adapt to the English of the slave masters. In their “reasoning sessions”, language was a big point for discussion and the Rastafari consciously changed it to rid it of any unwanted implications and meanings. “If you Really want to know how Rasta’s think, “Listen to them Talk” (Nicholas, Tracy. Rastafari A Way of Life pg.37)

There are three main purposes for which these changes in the language have been made

1) To be aware of the subjectivity of each individual and the unity of man

“I” replaces “me”

“Me” is felt to turn the person into an object whereas “I” emphasises the subjectivity of an individual.

“I and I” replaces the pronouns “him” she” “we” “you” and “me”

This change of grammar refuses the “objective case”, that which is acted upon.

It aims at seeing the subjective-self in each individual.

And showing the unity of man.

Inity replaces unity

Demonstrates a general pattern of replacing “you” and similar sounds with “I”. U is consideres negative as it sounds like “you”

Itinually replaces continually

It has the everlasting/everliving sense of I existing continuously.

2) To not hide true meaning, implications of words

Underpression replaces Opression.

Polytricks replaces Politics

Politicians as tricksters

Outvention replaces Invention

Mechanical devices are seen as outdated, and because it is the inner experience of being a Rastafarian that is invention.

3) To give words the positive implications they should have

Rising together replaces Falling in love

Everliving replaces Everlasting

Overstanding replaces Understanding

Referring to enlightenment that raises one’s consciousness.

Know replaces Believe

Rastas do not believe Haile Selassie is God and that they the Rastas are the chosen people. They claim to know these things, and would never admit to believing them.

Reasoning replaces Conversation

Any lengthy talk should not consist of conversing back and forth, but reasoning. Putting minds together to discuss anything from politics to sports or everyday life.

Sign In or Sign Up?

We should pay more attention to the values that are created around us. The art of story telling is constantly affecting our fantasy. Not only in cinema. Im not saying that language or images should be changed to give them more positive implications. But like the Rastafari, we could become more aware of their importance.

Contrasts


Tuesday, December 8, 2009

As I let my fingers caress the spines for a second time, I cannot simply let my personal preferences surface. Instead I let my fingers stop at big books, interesting letters, big old tomes and backs with interesting colors. With the latter in mind I pull out a thin yet big book out of the shelf. A smooth, new spine, with bright yellow letters on a background of bright red, turning to pink. How could it not attract my attention? ‘China now’ is the title and the front immediately makes my decision easy; naked Asians running through a hallway accompanied by red airplanes. How can one resist opening such a book?

The art of a people, suppressed and unable to produce art freely until recently, is fascinating. Different mentality, history and culture make their art unlike any western art in my opinion. And it is refreshing to see modern art from such a different angle. It is nice that not only the cover has beautiful contrasts, but also our cultures and countries. (me being Dutch)

Satisfied I carry the book to the check out desk, to take it home and immerse myself in another world and go back to the busy and colorful markets of Beijing and Chengdu.

CHINA NOW 707.9

Design linked to Art: Designblog’s New Library Search Engine


Sunday, April 5, 2009

New Tags for the Rietveld Library:

How do you find interesting books when you don’t know what you are looking for? How do you stray through the collection in search of inspiration? Can the library catalogue help you or do you better construct one yourself, Exploring connections in the library between design- and artbooks, students created keywords/tags that linked them together.
a recount of tagging the library

Click the keywords/tags from the Tag-list [purple column at the left] to see all related postings, or use a yellow keyword link [below] to read the postings and experience how they are connected together. Use these keyword links to navigate between the postings!

overview, freedom, animal, elder, identity, intervention, repetition, connection, tattoo, self sufficiancy, structuur, illustration, pyramid, leader, visual language, individuality, playground, best, give, beeld, independent, shelter, West Coast, time, neon, develope envelope, fragile, construction, wisdom, invention, oppervlak, culture.

outsiders?


Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Constructing patterns, all around the world.
That’s what they do in my last book also.
But now in a more emotional way, rather than functional.
Here its more clear what their dreams, fairs and thoughts are.

Outsiders,
as we call them,
just because they see it from their own vernacular perception.
More pure, more spontaneously, out of visionary need.
They are more independent from what we consider art.

cat.no: 705.9-car-1

keyword: culture

Wooden Looms


Friday, March 27, 2009

Building up a colourful construction with one piece of wire.

It looks like its done with a lot of patience, but is going really fast.

The act becomes automatic. Out of nothing a patch seems to appear

from one side of the wood constructed loom.

Patterns with different shapes and colours, like the map of Africa.

Every country has it’s own unique technique and style of weaving.

They have all found their own creative way of constructing looms

that help them in this seemingly tedious process.

To see those beautiful constructions

find this book of Venice Lamb at the Rietveld Library.

cat. no: 779.1

keyword: culture

Paperback


Tuesday, March 24, 2009

In een rij boeken zal dit boek niet direct opvallen, maar toch viel mijn oog erop. Juist de bruine kaft die aan karton doet denken wekte mijn interesse. Het geeft het boek een natuurlijke uitstraling en sluit daarom goed aan op de inhoud van het boek. Ook het formaat spreekt mij aan, het ligt lekker in de hand; niet te groot maar toch een redelijk dik boek. Ik wist niet direct de betekenis van het woord ‘dwellings’ en om daar achter te komen begon ik door het boek te bladeren. Het bevat afbeeldingen van hoe mensen over de hele wereld hun eigen huizen bouwen. Het is ongelovelijk hoeveel verschillende manieren van bouwen zijn ontstaan door verschillen in klimaat en cultuur. Indrukwekkende constructies worden weergegeven in tekeningen en de teksten bij de afbeeldingen geven snel informatie zodat je er makkelijk doorheen kunt bladeren zonder perse meteen de hele tekst te lezen. Ik bleef geboeid tot ik het hele boek bladzijde voor bladzijde had door gebladerd.

cat. no. 710.9

keyword: culture


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