Friday, January 23, 2009

Ambivalence Illustrated


antlers
Originally uploaded by oferchrissake
This ad from a furniture chain sums up what I love and hate about advertising. Advertising is a creative process... always looking for a new twist on an old concept. I like that way of looking at this, I like modification and innovation and exploration of concept. I also like things that don't make a lot of sense, like a vase to keep antlers in.

On the other hand... it's manipulative as all hell.

I find myself concerned and annoyed to think that someone wants antlers in a vase to be the next hip decorating style. It's irksome to think that trends are created by seemingly innocuous photographs in advertisements. It's especially annoying to think something at ignorant as trophy hunting is being pushed this way. (I say trophy hunting because, although many people eat elk after they've hunted it,and I think the big antlers are elk antlers, the antlers in the back are from an oryx or something. Exotic big game hunting is usually more about the trophy and less about the steaks and leather.)

But it does make me laugh to think that there are people out there with antlers scattered around the house, who will now suddenly realize that if they just had an enormous vase to put them in, all would be right with the world.

1 comment:

Rufus said...

I'm the same way about fashion photography- I mean, I collect these magazines like Jalouse and Citizen K and the Vogues of a few countries because, ultimately, I really do think this is the great artistic movement after 1950. However, part of the appeal is that I have no intention whatsoever of buying these clothes that I couldn't possibly afford anyway.