Marginal Publishing and Artists - Literature review Example

Marginal publishing & artists Name Institution Tutor Subject Date 1. Introduction The chosen work is Ernst Bettler, a fictional designer of Swiss origin that was invented by Christopher Wilson in 2000 in a publication in ‘Dot Dot Dot’ magazine of visual culture. The article explains Bettler as having been critical to H + P pharmaceutical company for its involvement in Nazi concentration camps experiments. While H + P is also a fictional company, the article expresses a contract that involved Bettler and the company where Bettler was contracted to design advertisement posters for the pharmaceutical company. While the management of the company trusted Bettler that he would design posters that created public awareness about its drugs, Bettler dis not do this in actual sense. This is not because he was not competent to design the right poster, but because he wanted the public to be aware of the involvement of P + H in the Nazi experiments. The actual designs of posters made by Bettler showed abstract compositions which could be read as capital letters. These letters spelled out the name N-A-Z-I when put in the right manner. While the poster contained a number of details such as photographs, the article explains that the public became outraged with involvement of P + H pharmaceutical company in Nazi experiments and declined to obtain products of the company. This resulted to the collapse of the company in a period of six weeks. A number of fictional features exist in the article ‘Dot Dot Dot’ such as Sumisdorf and Burgwald towns that are assumed to be based on Swiss towns of Sumiswald and Burdof (Brand 1986, p. 2). 2. Intention behind the work The intention of the work is to be critical about the observations in the society. This is because, it criticises P + H for engaging in the Nazi experiment while the company needs to be recognized as being aimed at the needs of the public. This it illustrates that the society should be vigilant about the happenings in their surroundings so that they can criticise businesses that do not observe human rights while performing their business activities. In addition, the work aims at informing the public that they should be critical about any person or business that does not perform its activities according to the extent of their mandates or the purposes for which they were formed. It tries to inform businesses that the process of conducting a business also involves showing concern for the needs of people such as people in the community. Hence businesses should not be involved in activities that cause harm to people. This is observed by the involvement of Bettler in designing posters that illustrated that P + H Company had taken part in the Nazi experiment while the company needed to be recognised for production of pharmaceutical products for use by the public. It is also aimed at creating awareness to other writers of articles that they should not be silent about inhuman practices in the society and when they observe any form of practice that does not involve observation of human rights; they should be at the forefront in disclosing such information to the public (Lehni, & Rollo Press 2011, p. 34). 3. The relationship of the work with existing theories There are a number of ways in which the written work is related to the works in the suggested readings. For instance, this work criticises involvement in commercial practices that result into negative impacts on humans. This is demonstrated by the involvement of Bettler in the design of posts that criticise P + H for involvement in Nazi experiments despite the intention of P + H to publish an ad about its products. In a similar manner, the works cited also focuses on criticism of commercial malpractices by informing the public about the need to be aware of any organization involved in a similar activity so that it can be disclosed to the public. The main theme manifested here is the power of graphics design i.e. advertisement posters, on the perceptions and actions of people. Bettler used this form of artistry to give P+H success and later applied the same technique to destroy the same company. A theory that is able to explain the constructive part of the graphic designs is able to explain the destructive part of it as the process involved the same. It is all about developing a good public image or a bad one in relation to what is to be achieved. In Ernst Bettler both images are achieved but at different times (Brand 1986, p. 44). The impact of Karl Max (1818-1883) has been phenomenal throughout this work. During this period of time the number of people who referred to themselves as Marxists or who lived in the reign of Marxists government was about half of the world’s population. That just shows how influential his theory of ideology run the world and it is greatly believed that up to this century his theory still lives on in his absence. His theory explains how ideology works in different circumstances. A good example is that concept of commercial adverts which operate on different ideas depending on the product being endorsed or marketed in general. The concept is always mainly to woo consumers to use products in question and different advertisements always try to justify why the product in question is better and superior than its alternatives. In Ernst Bettler two sides to this theory are revealed, first is the power of ideas in establishing a positive image and second is the power of the same in creating a negative perception (Lehni, & Rollo Press 2011, p.22). In this case we consider the various posters that were made by Ernst Bettler. P + H pharmaceutical company had faith that Ernst Bettler would make them attractive posters that would woo buyers. It is important to note that the pharmaceutical company wanted the advertisement posters in order to bring its consumers closer by communicating to them that they were the best and provided effective products. We see that the posters initially made were full of nice ideas that were capable of wooing potential consumers to P + H. Marx in his theory propose that individuals in real sense do not think independently at all cost, however, the large portion of people precisely repeat the prevailing ideas of their time depending on the circumstances and place of thinking. By this, Marx implies that human beings are not capable of thinking on their own but simply repeat the attitudes and ideas that they frequently read, watch and even hear. This applies to the Bettler in a direct way. Through the posters created, the P + H Company was is in a position to persuade many people and this made them successful in business for some time. It sent across a strong appeal which in a positive way able to influence the minds of many in buying their products. Marx argues that everything human knows is not right and they only think they know because they are products of the mode of production. With all this in consideration Marx implies that many human beings end up buying and consuming things not because of their own thinking but as a result of ideas which already exist in which in our case refer to commercial advertisements like the ones by Ernst Bettler. To some extent we can be able to depict some sense of truth in this theory as most cases our buying habits as human beings is heavily controlled by the type of adverts we come across. Customers are always able to analyse every element within adverts and that is why Ernst Bettler was able to bring this company down through use of symbolism or imagery in his poster. Again ideas are used to bring about the downfall of P + H (Brand 1986, p. 33). 4. Influence of the work upon contemporary world Many individuals have come to agreement with the reality that Ernst Bettler has turned into one of the most critical influences in their day to day lives. As much as many agree to this idea, a greater portion of the world population is still doubtful of this work and they will disagree that they are influenced by such. The influence of this work on how the business world is currently operated cannot however be ignored (Bierut 2007, p. 4). It is noticeable that businesses are more careful than ever when making advertisement posters. This is just to make sure they never send the wrong message to the public who always have an eye for detail. As much every individual was unique in his way of thinking, the Bettler’s goal was to make potential consumers have the same perception of goods being advertised thus there was just a small margin for variability (Lehni, & Rollo Press 2011, p. 24). In this case, Ernst Bettler had two key roles to fulfil: an ideological one and an economic side. The economic side is to refer to its function in the free market economy by presenting the innovative ideas to the public (Heller & Ilić 2009, p. 6). The first function appreciates and acknowledges the role this advert plays in manipulating both social attitudes and values. This work is capable of fulfilling the role initially achieved by religion and art. This is through providing the masses with a bountiful of stories which vividly brings and conveys the essence of both ideals and value. These are what assist individuals to bring together their feelings and make sense of the planet (Erasmus 2012, p. 12). What such ideology is bound for is the fact that individuals have both social and material needs and due to this, some of the most persuasive artist of this century, just like Christopher Wilson, make the use of both sociologists and psychologists to find out which images and values are likely to appeal to the public in general (Heath & Potter 2010, p. 8). This can stand as a solution to why we sometimes find ourselves buying products we think we need, but in real sense we necessarily do not need them. This may end up as waste but it is the persuasive nature of the advert in place that controlled the purchasing habit. Sometimes the public may opt not to purchase some product due to the negative depictions being communicated in the media by some sectors (Erasmus 2012, p. 12). This acknowledges the fact that human beings are passive instruments who from the suggestion of information on a certain goods or products through advertisements; hurry out in frenzy to purchase it. It is evidently apparent that Ernst Bettler in this case had main issues to fulfil (Scalin & OverDrive 2012, p. 4). First, it wanted to attract attention. For any normal human being the pictures shown are enough to get attention. The work is very vivid and the storyline is in a way engaging to the audience. The work, under normal circumstances, is capable of arousing interest of various audiences thus in the long run stimulating the desires of the potential designers who are impressed by the information provided. The last issue Ernst Bettler fulfilled was that it created conviction. As much as the adverts within it were effective in relaying the intended message, it was also appealing despite containing fictional information (Erasmus 2012, p. 10). 5. Conclusion The work of Christopher Wilson, Ernst Bettler, is a piece that can be considered as multifaceted. This is not only in terms of the writing style employed but also because of the ideas presented within this work (Eye Magazine 2015, p. 2). Despite being fictional, it is effective in achieving objectives one can think it intended to achieve. The first item presented by the work is the relationship between Ernst Bettler and the society. There is some form of conviction that is presented within the work (Ethics of Design 2015, p. 4). For the reason that it maintains a consistent relationship with the society, it is easy to relate with it in the real world setting despite being a fictional work. Through this work, the business world is able to learn that it unconventional dealings lead to losses in the long run. Also discoursed, is how Ernst Bettler relates to Karl Max (1818-1883). Specifically discussed is how this theory relate to the ideas proposed in the suggested readings. This theory is about the power of ideas to persuade individuals in undertaking something. At first, ideologies in Ernst Bettler prove useful in building the relationship of H + P pharmaceutical company and that of the public, the relationship is positively enhanced. Subsequently the theory by Karl Max is responsible in explaining how ideas can be used in deconstructive mission. To analyse this work, it is important to consider it as a multifaceted subject. This enables one two view it in more than one perspective. The first look is in relation to the layout in application, i.e. use of graphics and fiction while another view point is in relation to its objective i.e. how it links up with the current society (Levine &Macon 2013, p. 4). Image “A woman holds her head and the word ‘Kopfschmerzen?’ meaning (headache), is written at an angle through the image, and combines with her arms to form the letter ‘A’. Noticeably Contrazipan, the company’s pain reliever, would benefit her. This one was used to display the letter A in the N-A-Z-I References Lehni, J., & Rollo Press. (2011). Hektor works: 2002-2009. Zurich: Rollo Press. Publications By And Works By Edition Hansjorg Mayer. (1968). The Hague, Netherlands: Haags Gemeentemuseum. Bailey, S., Reinfurt, D., & Dexter Sinister (Firm). (2009). Dot dot dot: Set in Edinburgh, 2009. New York: Dexter Sinister. Erasmus, F. C. (2012). no no position: Die Designer, der Designer, das Design. Norderstedt: Books on Demand. Levine, F., & Macon, S. (2013). Sign painters. Dexter sinister - bulletins of the serving library. (2011). S.l.: Sternberg Press. Brand, S. (1986). The Essential whole earth catalog: Access to tools and ideas. Garden City, N.Y: Doubleday. Editions Hansjörg Mayer (Stuttgart), Mayer, H., & Gemeentemuseum (Hague). (1968). Publications by Edition Hansjörg Mayer and works by Hansjörg Mayer. Stuttgart: Edition Hansjörg Mayer. Suzuki, S. J. S., Roth, D., Campbell, B., Gerson, S., Zycherman, L. A., & Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.). (2013). Wait, later this will be nothing: Editions by Dieter Roth. New York, New York: Museum of Modern Art. Scalin, N., & OverDrive, Inc. (2012). The design activist's handbook: How to change the world (or at least your part of It) with socially conscious design. Iola: F+W Media. Heath, J., & Potter, A. (2010). The rebel sell: Why the culture can't be jammed. New York: HarperCollins Canada. Heller, S., & Ilić, M. (2009). The anatomy of design: Uncovering the influences and inspirations in modern graphic design. Beverly, MA: Rockport. Bierut, M. (2007). Seventy-nine short essays on design. New York: Princeton Architectural Press. Eye Magazine (2015). The Ernest Best Problem. Retrieved on the 27th April, 2015 from http://www.eyemagazine.com/opinion/article/the-ernst-bettler-problem Ethics of Design (2015). Good Ethics. Retrieved on the 27th April, 2015 from https://ethicsofdesign.wordpress.com/case-studies/good-ethics/ernst-bettler/ Read More

3. The relationship of the work with existing theories There are a number of ways in which the written work is related to the works in the suggested readings. For instance, this work criticises involvement in commercial practices that result into negative impacts on humans. This is demonstrated by the involvement of Bettler in the design of posts that criticise P + H for involvement in Nazi experiments despite the intention of P + H to publish an ad about its products. In a similar manner, the works cited also focuses on criticism of commercial malpractices by informing the public about the need to be aware of any organization involved in a similar activity so that it can be disclosed to the public.

The main theme manifested here is the power of graphics design i.e. advertisement posters, on the perceptions and actions of people. Bettler used this form of artistry to give P+H success and later applied the same technique to destroy the same company. A theory that is able to explain the constructive part of the graphic designs is able to explain the destructive part of it as the process involved the same. It is all about developing a good public image or a bad one in relation to what is to be achieved.

In Ernst Bettler both images are achieved but at different times (Brand 1986, p. 44). The impact of Karl Max (1818-1883) has been phenomenal throughout this work. During this period of time the number of people who referred to themselves as Marxists or who lived in the reign of Marxists government was about half of the world’s population. That just shows how influential his theory of ideology run the world and it is greatly believed that up to this century his theory still lives on in his absence.

His theory explains how ideology works in different circumstances. A good example is that concept of commercial adverts which operate on different ideas depending on the product being endorsed or marketed in general. The concept is always mainly to woo consumers to use products in question and different advertisements always try to justify why the product in question is better and superior than its alternatives. In Ernst Bettler two sides to this theory are revealed, first is the power of ideas in establishing a positive image and second is the power of the same in creating a negative perception (Lehni, & Rollo Press 2011, p.22). In this case we consider the various posters that were made by Ernst Bettler.

P + H pharmaceutical company had faith that Ernst Bettler would make them attractive posters that would woo buyers. It is important to note that the pharmaceutical company wanted the advertisement posters in order to bring its consumers closer by communicating to them that they were the best and provided effective products. We see that the posters initially made were full of nice ideas that were capable of wooing potential consumers to P + H. Marx in his theory propose that individuals in real sense do not think independently at all cost, however, the large portion of people precisely repeat the prevailing ideas of their time depending on the circumstances and place of thinking.

By this, Marx implies that human beings are not capable of thinking on their own but simply repeat the attitudes and ideas that they frequently read, watch and even hear. This applies to the Bettler in a direct way. Through the posters created, the P + H Company was is in a position to persuade many people and this made them successful in business for some time. It sent across a strong appeal which in a positive way able to influence the minds of many in buying their products. Marx argues that everything human knows is not right and they only think they know because they are products of the mode of production.

With all this in consideration Marx implies that many human beings end up buying and consuming things not because of their own thinking but as a result of ideas which already exist in which in our case refer to commercial advertisements like the ones by Ernst Bettler.

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