Does Britain have it's own American Dream?

The white picket fence theory is predominately rooted in the USA and apart of the 'American Dream' ethos.  The dream is a promise of success and prosperity to all, this results in the overall effect of materialism and idealism that I talked about in my last post.  


However, doesn't that want dominate the minds of people in Britain too?  Our own nations dream can be found to develop during the 1980's when Margaret Thatcher fought for the council tenants right to buy their homes.  The 'Right to Buy' scheme published in 1979 allowed freedom to it's tenants who became property owners over night and abolished the rules which stopped them from decorating and changing their homes to suit their own needs.  


Reading an article by McVeigh in The Guardian published in 6th of December 2009, I found evidence of the psychical shadow that has been cast as a result of the 'new freedom' given out to people over the last 30 years.  The statistics written by McVeigh (2009) were that 'council houses sold off passed the 2 million mark' which ultimately lead to the impact that 'people across Britain on waiting lists for a council house, up almost 10% in a year'.


Selling off public housing while failing to rebuild replacements and the added effect of the recession, which has put a stop to building new homes, has vastly reduced the number of houses available to a growing population of people who need them.  The article also comments on how this was also 'abused widely by companies that made profits out of portfolios of ex-local authority housing' (McVeigh 2009).


Families without homes now struggle to live with the relatives that will take them in, or the state has to pay to keep them in a B&B's or privately rented homes until they can find alternative accommodation.  This was in fact mine and my daughters situation 7 years ago.


People were so desperate to own a little piece of freedom that they have now effected the lives of their children and almost abolished the chance of them living in their own homes.  Strange it may seem that recently it has been reported that the 'Right to Buy' scheme will be used again.  


A new article released on the 19th of November 2011 in the Mail explained that up to 2 million tenants could buy their homes at a huge discounted rate as they were in the 1980's.  The money will then be put back into the development of new housing and as reported by Groves (2011), 'The Government hopes that the new drive could result in another 100,000 homes being built, creating 200,000 jobs'.


The British Dream of idealism and materialism starts again, who knows where it will end this time?





References


McVeigh, T. (Sunday 6th December 2009)  30 years on, the right to buy revolution that still divides Britain's housing estates.  The Guardian. (Online) Avaliable from http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/dec/06/right-to-buy-housing-thatcher (Accessed on 25/11/2011) 


Groves, J. (19th November 2011) Half price council home: 2 million properties to be sold off as Government retvive Thatcher's 'Right to Buy' scheme.  Mail. (Online) Avaliable from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2063513/Government-revive-Thatchers-Right-Buy-scheme-2m-council-houses-sold.html 




                                  

There is Trouble Until the Robins Come.

My current aim is to focus and develop creative research for my proposition around the area of 'Life not being as it seems'.  Talking through my thoughts with my tutor I came across the real foundations for the film American Beauty and the essence of what it is really about.

The White Picket Fence is present in the very first opening scenes of the film and stands in front of a very large and perfect white house.  The white fence isn't just a boundary to separate land but now a symbol of what some consider 'perfection'.  Inside lives a middle class married couple with excellent jobs who are raising their children in a 'nice' community.  However, this fence only lies on the surface of the reality of what is beneath it.  Just as American Beauty illustrates, Lester and Carolyn have well paid jobs which allows them to live that  'American Dream' and in the beautiful white house, but as the story unfolds they show us how their well paid careers actually bring them utter misery.  

For example, Carolyn brakes down after she struggles to sell a house.  This scene is more than just tears, it is a battle with the person she is...'Shut up! Stop it! You wimp, you baby! Shut up!' Her job has reduced her to slapping herself in the face and harshly scrutinising herself, hardly the perfection that we perceived from the other side of the fence.  The white picket fence, as illustrated in American Beauty, has ultimately the produced an era of materialism and idealism falsely connected to idea of happiness.

Looking into the white picket fence I came across a film written by David Lynch called Blue Velvet (1986).  Through extremes of environment, Lynch opens with scenes of the idyllic.  Peaceful large American houses, white fencing, American Beauty roses, lust green lawns and a slow motion shot of a waving fireman to an elderly man watering his lawn on a hot sunny day.  A sour taste is left on the scene when the elderly man suffers a heart attack and falls to the ground, the chaos of water spurting in all directions.  The viewers is then taken to the ground, through the lust green grass where beetles are loudly savagely consuming another insect, as Nesbit (2006) explains in his blog, 'Lynch's visual painting ties in with the theme that American Beauty will later adopt about "looking closer."'  

The story of Blue Velvet is based around the character Jeffrey Beaumont who comes home from school after finding out that his dad has had a heart attack.  On his return from seeing his father Jeffrey finds a human ear in a field, this is when Lynch's film gets very bizarre.  The story develops as Jeffery becomes more and more curious and does some investigating with the detective's daughter, Sandy.  He then meets the woman at the heart of the story called Dorothy Vallens, a singer in a night club, who's husband and son have been kidnapped by a psychotic man called Frank.  He uses this to blackmail Dorothy into being his sex slave and act out his sick, abusive fantasies about his mother.  


Jeffrey witnesses the cruel sexual attacks on Dorothy and realises that life is not as he once thought it was.  In a scene in Jeffrey's car, Jeffrey tells Sandy 'it's a strange world Sandy' and within the same scene my title is a quoted by Sandy in regard to a dream that she had.  She believes that the world she dreamt about was dark because there were no robins, yet when they did come the world was filled with love and it made a difference.  Her explanation to the darkness was that 'There is Trouble until the Robins Come'.  Sandy shows her immature innocence in this scene and believes that love will save the world, a complete contrast the harsh life that is lead by Dorothy in this film.









The bright white picket fence will always cast a dark shadow onto whatever is inside it.  This is inevitable to its form but now also exists within what it stands for, created by peoples greed and undeveloped ideals.         
   

References

Nesbit, J.  (2006) Old School Reviews by John Nesbit, Blue Velvet, 1986 (Online).  Available from http://oldschoolreviews.com/rev_80/blue_velvet.htm.  (Accessed on 21/11/2011)    


                        

Identity of the Creator

I revel in the idea of 'life not being as it seem's', it means that there is more content below the surface, more to explore and more to enjoy. Henk Van Rensbergen work has inspired me to look around life's chaos and see the beauty of time and what it does to people, architecture and landscapes.  


However, although there is variety in what we see there is always a recurring element which makes these pieces personal to the viewer and an identifier to the creator.  Rensbergen's images are filled with human touches, they are beautiful in texture but gritty and for me hold a sadness to the forgotten souls of these places.  These are my identifiers and I will connect these qualities to Rensbergen's work in the future.


This thought leads me onto the idea of 'motifs', a repetitive mark, element or sound used within a medium to emphasise a meaning or emotion.  The film American Beauty, which I mentioned previously uses motifs in the form of the American Rose or petals to create really beautiful bursts of colour within scenes.  The colour of the rose varies in each scene but the red is the most prevalent.  The meaning of the red rose has been explained in many ways by lots of people who have been touched by this film.  For me it illustrates the idea of beauty and it's meaning to each character. 


For example, Carolyn sees beauty in 'success', please go back to my entry 'This is my Life' for more details on characters.  This is shown in Carolyn's facial expression of longing when looking at the  red 'Real Estate Kings' board outside of the house he has just sold.  Also, during the opening scene of the film Carolyn is pruning a beautifully formed rose grown in her garden while her neighbour Jim, admires her success and asks 'how do you get them to flourish like that?'  Carolyn enjoying the beauty of success goes on to share tips with Jim.

American Beauty - Carolyn admires her roses
http://cinema-fanatic.com/2010/07/27/auteur-of-the-week-sam-mendes/

The symbol of the rose comes up time and again in lust, beauty or success and will always be an identifier for the film and it's creator.                    

Markings

Armed with inspiration I have thought about the ideas and subjects around 'life not being as it seems' in the form of brain storming or mind mapping, which is more politically correct.

One particular train of thought that I found interesting was the idea that when we look closer we are able to see in more detail, see marks or textures.  Life leaves marks on everything whether material or emotional and this is something that is has been captured by Urban Exploration Photographer, also known as 'Urbex', Henk Van Rensbergen.  Born in Belgium 1968,  Rensbergen documents abandoned architecture closed off to the public.
            

Insane Asylum, Abandoned Places 1 by Henk Van Rensbergen - Winter 2001
http://bit.ly/p3pjMW

I was truly captivated by the texture in the image above and of the paper that is still falling from the wall like leaves in autumn.  It is as if the building is dismantling itself, moving back to the bare materials it was once built with, or removing the remnants of the human intervention of decoration.  The littered chaos of debris conflicts with the neatly coiled cables and lighter area of untouched wall opposite.  The chaired area is a reminder of the people that once occupied this room, a mark of their presence here and how they once used it.  Left to deteriorate the room is unloved, cold and surplus to requirement, the pealing door is now shut, the finality of it's fate to abandonment.

The Silence of the Past by Henk Van Rensbergen

These places are hunted down because of the anticipation of finding something pure, something that hasn't be spoilt by the human hand for many years.  Rensbergen (2010) comments in an interview that a dream place would be 'Any location that is untouched so it can tell a story'.  It is about capturing a narrative, an essence or mark of human life from the past and of course, producing that unseen and extraordinary image.     

References

Rensbergen, H. (2010) Talk Urbex, Exploring decay abandoned archetitecure..., Guest of the Month, Henk Van Rensbergen gives us his view on urban exploration. (Online) Available from http://www.talkurbex.com/2010/10/henk-van-rensbergen-gives-us-his-view-on-urban-exploration/

(Accessed 17th October 2011).

                   

This Is My Life

Probably the simplest of questions but one that I found incredibly hard to answer!  Becoming a responsible adult means that we become consumed by what we should be doing, so often forgetting what we like doing.

Brain storming and some quite time got me to think about what I love and I found that a strong theme tended to run throughout what I enjoy and that's anything with some form of fantasy or chance of escapism within it.  Not in sexy, rude or unhinged way, but in the sense that I love to use my imagination and get lost within worlds that don't exist.  I love to escape into books and films that skim on the edge of reality with multi-visual impact accompanied by music soul wrenching sound to make your hair stand on end.

American Beauty(1999) - Theatrical Release Poster

American Beauty (1999), a film written by Alan Ball and directed by Sam Mendes, is based on Lester Burnham, played by Kevin Spacey, and his self reinvention through fantasy.  If you haven't seen this beautiful film before then please watch it, I guarantee that it will consume you for the full 122 minutes.    

Full of complex themes and interesting characters it drags you inside with a constant message to 'look closer' and in turn forcing you to ask questions, some that you won't be able to answer in this life time.

American Beauty - Lester Burnham at work scene.
'Look Closer', a clear message on desk.   

The story opens with Lester Burnham and his rich material suburban life, however it is his lacking emotional life that leaves him unsatisfied both at home and in work.  Trapped in a loveless marriage with Carolyn and living with his only daughter Jane, who hates him, he finds himself in a constant state of 'sedation'.  The film becomes dramatically more exciting when Lester is awoken out of his misery by his daughter's best friend Angela.  His sexual fantasies about being with Angela empowers his life and he starts to question his job, wife and relationship with his only child.





Many critics have explained and heavily debated the storyline to death.  Some believe it is about suburban imprisonment as written in a review by Berardinalli (1999), "For many, the suburban life is the American dream. For others, however, it can turn into a twisted nightmare of unfulfilled desires, repressed needs, and shattered hopes."  Revealing that painful monotomy of perfection comes at a huge depressing price.     


However, I feel that it is heavily centred around the idea of  'Looking Closer', which is the tag line for the film.  It's a statement to look beneath the smiling faces and material success and assess the people inside.  The American Rose which is used as a motif in the film is beautiful on the surface but prone to rotting roots beneath the cover of the ground.  It is a frightening understanding that perhaps people and even life is not exactly what it seems and it is this that I am compelled to investigate further.


If you do watch or have watched this film I would be very interested to know what you feel about it.
Sara.        


References

Berardinalli, J. (1999) Reelviews - American Beauty, A Movie Review by James Berardinalli (Online).  Available from http://www.reelviews.net/php_review_template.php?identifier=339 (Accessed 16/10/11).

    

Too Many Cooks

Our lecture today used to flex and work the creative muscle by hammering the brain with quick fired briefs to stimulating instant response ideas.  To say I had an initial attack of writers block is utter sarcasm!

Accustomed to the home comforts of time accompanied by coffee and a worlds worth of research, has produced a slightly lethargic approach to be my creative process. Although, I do work to the philosophy that good design takes time and sustained effort, this didn't stop me from feeling extremely frustrated with the mini concepts that lay lifeless and dormant in my drawing pad fro most of the lecture.

However, group work really encouraged my thought process to expand and with such speed!  Bouncing ideas off other creatives was super exciting and only helped to fuel my enthusiasm to satisfy at least one brief that day.  Two random briefs with two very different but curious outcomes...


'Bricking It'
The Brief - To produce a new usage for the common house brick.

Brain storming in a group around the subject of the brick created a concept idea very quickly.  Talking about the older models of the personal mobile we remembered that there shape was often referred to as a brick.  We thought it would be fun to flip this idea around and use the brick to protect the smaller refined mobiles from today.  The iBrick was born!

The brick, branded with the Apple icon (of course), would be cut in half and connected by a hinge. When opened there will be a small protective area inside especially for the mobile phone.  It will come in a range of natural terracotta and grey colours with the added option of custom engraving for that special message.

The brick can also be used as a paper weight, door stop or perhaps a defence tool if someone chooses to steal your mobile!


'The Royal Family'
The Brief - To create a gift for the anti-royalist.

The Royal Family draws on so many words and subjects areas however, it was John (the lecturer) that sparked the train of thought which lead to the final concept idea.  The 'Throne' is a word that has multiple meanings for large ornate chairs used by Kings and Queens and on the other end of the scale, slang for the toilet.  From here we thought about possible characterised toilet seats, towels and finally toilet rolls.

Sudoku Novelty Toilet Roll
Image found at : http://www.qfonic.com/gifts-gadgets-perfect-present-novelty-sudoku-toilet-roll-paper-p-2261.html

Using the Sudoku themed toilet roll we decided to produce a quality 7ply roll which would illustrate a member of the Royal family on each sheet.  Decorated with expensive lace and gold leaf this would be a product for the true anti-royalist.      

Sketch of Concept Idea - Royal Family Novelty Toilet Roll with Pen.  

Each roll would include a novelty pen so that the user can draw on the faces if they wish*.  The inner roll would used especially for the Queen's face to emphasise her unwillingness to leave the throne.     

*We would advise use of the novelty pen before use. 

Both concepts moved quickly, it was a really exciting rush of ideas form the group which I felt produced 2 successfully completed outcomes.  For this subject at least 'too many cooks' make a great broth.

At last, I breathe a sigh of relief, it's a growing light at the end of a very long dark tunnel, but nevertheless it's there.  I feel that I am more than capable of producing something creative and challenging for the end of this module.

I would probably insert a smiley face here, but I doubt whether this is very academic.
Sara

No Briefs...

The magic words that all designers and artists long to hear, 'there is no brief'.  What, seriously??

Talk about a rude awakening, I've been in my own graphic design/photography bubble for the last 3 years and until now didn't realise how much of the creative expanse I had forgotten about.  It's like being able to fly and then somehow forgetting you could ever manage it, because you walking everywhere. 'Walking' of course is very cost effective, but will only take you on short and unsatisfying journeys.  

The depressing truth is that my creative thoughts have been choked in the name of the green stuff, diluted by the white value printer paper, otherwise know as my client brief.  Life after degree has become a production of horcruxes (1), each piece of work containing a bead of my soul at the price of an unfed mind.

On the bright side...

My senses have suddenly become busy with things (too many to list) that I haven't considered in years.  It is still on the bitty side, somewhat snowy but I'm really looking and smiling the creations that I love.

A current favourite on television is the Sky Movie introduction created by MPC Advertising and Sky Creative to advertise the their film channel.  Made up of a collection of a film clips in different genres, the viewer is taken around a 360 magical world where you are flooded with sound and moving images of space, pirates, fairy tales and city life.

The promo can be viewed at http://site.skycreative.tv/ on their 'Work' page, 16th icon along the top.

Film Still by MPC Advertising.

‘It is about escapism – explain the directors.  This is our invitation to our audience to enter another world.’ - Esther Wallace and Nick Tarte - Designer/Director (2).


As both Wallace and Tarte explain the short film is about entering into other worlds and for me it is this promise change which keeps me watching whether I've seen it once or a thousand times before.  This piece of animation is so diverse, a real cocktail of colour tones, textures and musical style which enables it to call to so many different viewers within a short space of time.

It is difficult to become bored with something that is so colourful and mood altering all in just 54 seconds.  It gives me goose bumps just listening to the subtle changes of music and how they have blended them all together, I even point it out to my family and friends when they pop round.  It's a crime not to notice all of the elements that makes this piece of design truly beautiful, especially in a world where we have seen and heard everything.

There you have it, within seconds of the promo starting Sky have me hooked, the perfect advertising campaign.

The above makes me hopeful 'it's all here in your head' (3) now just to use it already!
I am a certifiable Harry Potter fan, but enough said about that.
Sara.

    
References
1. Horcruxes are dark magical objects that hold a piece of a soul (J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince).
2. Sky 360 - http://www.moving-picture.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1045&catid=38&Itemid=873
3. 'It's all here in your head'.  Quoted by the sorting hat when sorting Harry into his house (J.K.Rowling - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone).