Wishin’ on a Boot[then moving on]

We are about to Baudrillard this puppy, but first… I want you to think of this video as an act of public rhetoric.

• Who is it for?• What does it mean? • Why is it funny? (is it

funny?)• What cultural capital

makes you appreciate the humor?

• What is the use value? • The exchange value?• Symbolic value?• Sign value?

Switch.

We’re going to watch some videos.

PUBLIC RHETORICS.

That is… rhetoric for a clearly defined public audience. Rhetorical moves that “say something” to society or a particular culture.

Behold, again, the Space Invader. He is…I know it’s cheesy on some level… “invading” your space. His is a message of art out-of-place or respect for craft lost.

Or Shepherd Fairey, with his “Obey” motif.

What is he REALLY saying to us? That we should take our advice from Andre the Giant?

And the high exalted master of the craft , Banksy.

Why does Banksy do these things?

Brilliant or simply sarcastic, prolific and often vilified, Banksy uses graffiti to critique culture in ways that are at once obvious and slightly obscured.

What is his point?

Sometimes his juxtapositions are obvious.

But he does, indeed, make a point with each thing he “defaces.”

Your task, then…… is to create a piece of public visual rhetoric and deploy it.

As I have said before, you don’t need to be so brazen as to spray paint something. I don’t want to get you into trouble.

But you want to make something that conveys a public message that you can place in public space.

Suggestions:1) Think sticker sized. Make stickers and put them

anywhere/everywhere.

2) There are lots of bulletin boards on a college campus and in a college town…

3) A paint stencil might get you in trouble, but a chalk stencil is easy to remove. Just make sure you travel with a camera, because it is also easy to remove. :P

4. We have an internet full of public space and references.

5. This is still publicity work; it’s just a little off-of-center. So use the same sorts of strategies you’d use to advertise or brand. 5. Customize the medium to your message: what do YOU want to say?

Brainstorming! For each prompt, write for as long as I give you (about 5 minutes), or sketch, or whatever helps you.

Prompt 1: What are things that matter to you, issues you have something very specific to say about?

Prompt 2: Remember that this is visual rhetoric, so this needs to be an argument that is more about the visual than the text. What images work with your chosen message?

Prompt 3: Think about places where your message could best be heard*seen*. What can you put there? How difficult would it be? How legal would it be?

Prompt 4: Think about the power of memory. How will you get your message to “stick” with the audience? Why will they remember it a day later? A week?

Prompt 5: What can you use in this space to make this point? Where can you access the materials? Is it cost effective?

Prompt 6: What are the risks of doing this and can you afford to risk it? If the answer is no, return to prompt 1.

Armed with these responses, spend some time roughing out a general plan for what you want to create and how you want to deploy it.

You can also get started on the actual design if you can get that far.

Due to the weather and our Lynda timing, the due date for this assignment has changed. It is now due March 21st.

For next Tuesday:

Make sure you are up-to-date on the readings. We’ll start by looking at hegemonic visualism and work to cover anything that slipped by us these last few weeks in the missed days shuffle.