Essay No. 2

'Choose an iconic image and discuss why and how it has become iconic. This will involve you discussing the history of that image as it has been used, re-used and adapted at different moments and in different places.'

For the second essay I will be writing, I have chosen the question on iconic images. It's probably the most open of all the questions we can choose from, which means I can tailor the essay content to something of my own interest. The image I have chosen to study is the well-known photograph from the Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing in 1989. The photograph of one man standing in front of a column of tanks gained iconic status around the globe through international news. A key moment in modern Chinese history, the image stands for political oppression, a fight for democracy and the bravery and courage of human will.

I plan on discussing the history behind the image. The history of Tiananmen Square; the original purpose this square was built for, and brief political history of the leaders and protestors involved and the incidents which started this protest.
Why and how the image is iconic; through the discussion of its connotations, metaphorical meanings, how it summarised the current experiences, it's symbolism of values and concepts, and how it has played a part in public political culture.
I'll also look at other representations of this image. How various artists/illustrators have adapted it accordingly for new situations, whether political or cultural.

Scarfe's Sins.

Political and social cartoonist-illustrator-caricaturist, Gerald Scarfe is known for his witty observations on politics and world news. Keeping in tune with his usual style, Scarfe’s Seven Deadly Sins is a book which looks at the classic sins but with a modern Scarfe twist. For example; prostitution and pornographers feature under Lust, and the deterioration of the environment comes under Sloth.
His spin on Gluttony includes, gourmet lovers, genetic engineering, smoking, drinking and dieting.

"The Gourmet-We are what we eat."

"Bigger chops-Bigger profits."

"The Smoker"

"The Drinker"

"The Dieter"

Flowery Forks

As I moved on from looking at gluttony, I decided to stay with the idea of tools/machinery used with food. Rather than looking at how people can be gluttonous, I'm looking into methods of making people act less gluttonous. I thought about how I can alter found objects such as cutlery. Modify them in ways which render them almost useless. Initial ideas were; holes, barbed, weight, fragility and length. Also, of course, create my own. This has led me to produce several pieces of cutlery from various materials after exploring which materials would create the least utile tools.

These are 'bean-bag' pieces of cutlery. I hand-stitched cotton and filled with sea salt to create the a bean-bag effect.

I originally made the wire cutlery as frames to tie ribbon onto, for a ribbon set of cutlery. But I was pleased with the results of the bare wire frame so decided to keep them and I will make another set for use with ribbon.



Matchstick cutlery made using wire and glue to hold them intact.