OUGD501 - Study Task 2 - Parody and Pastiche

After reading the texts I wasn't sure what the exact definitions were of both parody and pastiche were so before going any further I looked up the dictionary definitions. 

Parody:
an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect.

Pastiche:
an artistic work in a style that imitates that of another work, artist, or period.

What is parody/pastiche according to each author?

In Hutcheon's text she seems to consider that parody and pastiche are the same thing. "Parody—often called ironic quotation, pastiche, appropriation, or intertextuality—is usually considered central to postmodernism, both by its detractors and its defenders" here she suggests that pastiche is simply a synonym to parody.
On the other hand, in Jameson's text he seems to believe that pastiche has indeed replaced parody completely. He writes:  "Pastiche is, like parody, the imitation of a peculiar or unique, idiosyncratic style, the wearing of a linguistic mask, speech in a dead language. But it is a neutral practice of such mimicry, without any of parody's ulterior motives, amputated of the satiric impulse, devoid of laughter" here you can clearly see that he does not believe in either parody or pastiche as a literate term. But he suggests that pastiche does not contain any of the things that parody does therefore he seems to suggest that it is pointless. 

How does parody/pastiche relate to postmodernism?

Parody and Pastiche both take examples from the past and present them in a new way. In Jameson's text he suggests that post modern designs using parody/pastiche 'cannabalize' the designs that they take inspiration from: "randomly and without principle but with gusto cannibalizes all the architectural styles of the past and combines them in overstimulating ensembles". Hutcheons states in her essay that "Postmodernism is both academic and popular, élitist and accessible" suggesting that everyone has access to old materials to pastiche from.

How does Jameson's tone-of-voice compare Hutcheon's?
Jameson's tone of voice feels a lot more like an argument than a rational essay. His tone of voice is aggressive and arrogant suggesting that he believes he is right about everything. 

Where as Hutcheon's seems more rational and thought out, written in a more academic style. She makes no reference of Jameson unlike when he almost picks on her in his essay. 

How do these concepts relate to graphic design/visual communication?

The concepts raised in the two texts show us that nothing can really be original as most design has been achieved already, it is pretty impossible to create a design without accidentally pastiching someone else's through looking for inspiration. 

OUGD501 - Study Task 3 - Establishing a Research Question

I want to focus on the theme of Branding or Identity Design. I'm interested in specialising in this in my own practice so I thought that it would be interesting to research further into the dynamics of it.

I was thinking of something along the lines of the following questions:

- How far does branding go to sell a product?

- Is good branding needed for a successful company?

Which Of The Module Resources Does This Question Relate To?
- Devereux, E. 2014 "Understanding the media"
- Packard, V. (1981) The Hidden Persuaders. Harmondworth: Penguin Books
- Poynor, R. (2003) No More Rules. London: Lawrence King

Which Academic Sources Are Available On The Topic?

Here are a few books that I may research further into for this essay:
- Klein, N. (2000) 'No Logo'. London: Flamingo.

- Wang, S. (2011) 'Big Brand Theory'. Berkeley, CA: Gingko Press.

- Olins, W. (2004) 'On Brand'. London: Thames & Hudson.

- Hetherington, K. (2008) 'Capitalism's Eye: Cultural spaces of commodity'. London: Routledge. p.25-50

- Gobé, M. (2001) 'Emotional Branding'. New York: Allworth Press.

- Bierut, M. (2015) 'How to'. New York: Harper Collins.


How Could The Research Question Be Investigated Through Practice?

The response would most likely be a piece of branding in response to whether branding affects the perception of a company. Perhaps I could rebrand a good product that doesn't have successful branding already.

OUGD501 - Study Task 1 - The Death of the Author

The overall text by Barthes is written against the Aueter theory, a theory that works of art, films, novels etc can be understood through the individual characteristics and styles of the director or author. 

"The removal of the Author (one could talk here with Brecht of a veritable 'distancing', the Author diminishing like a figurine at the far end of the literary stage) is not merely an historical fact or an act of writing; it utterly transforms the modern text (or - which is the same thing - the text is henceforth made and read in such a way that at all its levels the author absent)."

This text is showing an untold relationship between the reader and the author. That only the reader can interpret meaning from any text and that no author can provide meaning as everyone would interpret things differently. Therefore meaning is only created at the point of reading and not at the point of writing. This is the death of the author and the birth of the reader that Barthe's concludes with.

"Succeeding the Author, the scriptor no longer bears within him passions, humours, feelings, impressions, but rather this immense dictionary from which he draws a writing that can know no halt: life never does more than imitate the book, and the book itself is only tissue of signs, an imitation that is lost, infinitely deferred." 

Here, Barthes argues that no writing can ever be original because everything comes from a "dictionary" of the author's knowledge. He argues that everyone is brought up with certain knowledge of history and culture and they create this dictionary of knowledge from texts that they have read and things that they have seen, therefore their inspiration and their writings aren't original.    

The central point being to get people to engage with the world differently. It is encouraging you to challenge the dominant approach on the world. Also challenging the idea that everything has a fixed media. It is the struggle between a cultural authority's opinion and your own. 


SOCIETY

"The author is a product of our society"

This shows that to be successful an author must be accepted by society otherwise they will not be successful. Society decides the norms for everyone to follow. 

"It is thus logical that in literature it should be this positivism, the epitome and culmination of capitalist ideology, which has attached the greatest importance to the 'person' of the author."

Here Barthes shows us that in our capitalist society, the 'knowledgable' and the educated rise to the top of our social hierarchy where everyone else has to be taught by these people. Society has divisions and hierarchies where people are made to feel unintelligent in contrast to others.

References:
Barthes, R. (1968) "The Death of the Author" in: Barthes, R. (1977). "Image, Music, Text", London, Harper Collins.