TASK
Write a short analysis (300 words approx) of an aspect of our culture that is in some way Hyperreal.
MY ANSWER
Figure One Vintage Style Luggage Tags
Figure Two - Vintage Style Analogue Photography
Figure Three -Vintage Style Photography Digital
Write a short analysis (300 words approx) of an aspect of our culture that is in some way Hyperreal.
MY ANSWER
Modern vintage style graphic design and photography is an example of hyper reality. As these pieces look like the vintage styles they were inspired by, it is hard to initially distinguish them from the real vintage pieces; this is simulacra. As technology has advanced, it has become easier to copy the old styles of graphic design. And so these images are made to look as if they are old and aging, when they are in fact modern.
The first example are some vintage style label designs, which have been designed, stained and even have pencil drawn on to them to make them look like they are old, and have been well travelled, when in reality they are new. Our consciousness makes us think that these are genuine examples of vintage graphic design, because of how they look. Without the information provided that proves that they were newly created designs, it would not be clear when these were made. These images make us forget what is real, so what reality means changes, as ‘simulation threatens the difference between the “true” and the “false.”’ (Baudrillard, 1994)
The second example is a photograph from a Diana camera, a popular analogue camera at the moment that produces photographs that look as if they were taken in the 1960’s, when the camera first became available. This shows how commodity culture has caused alternative realities, which makes the original hard to distinguish. Commodities begin to have sign values, based on what it is they connote. For example, this type of camera is sold in shops such as Urban Outfitters, and so it is aimed generally at a younger audience who are ‘cool’ and aware of the latest trends. As consumers invest in these sign values, the culture becomes less dependent on reality. As Baudrillard says, it is the ‘social standing of the object’ that is expressed. (Baudrillard, 2001)
As technology has moved on, one step ahead of the Diana camera are Iphone apps, such as instagram, that edit your photos with the click of a button, to look as if they are vintage, and photoshop filters, that make it easy for you to change the colours and style of your photograph. People are using these filters more and more, rather than leaving the photographs as they initially were taken, as we invest in false realities. This style of photography is a simulacra of reality, and this hyper real state is ‘sheltered from any distinction between the real and imaginary’ (Baudrillard, 1994) as we end up not knowing what is what. This leaves the question: do we think they are vintage because we really believe they are of this style, or because we relate this style to what we have been told is vintage?
We get lost in this world of copies from copies and repetition to the point where we find it hard to tell what is actually the original anymore. These are all examples of things that become ‘the absolute fake’ (Eco, 1986), as we end up struggling to tell the difference, as these imitations don’t just strive to reproduce what exists but to improve on it. This happens as new pieces of technology, such as photoshop filters that do the editing for you, come in to existence. It may be impossible to access the real again, as the copy has taken over reality, meaning ‘it has no relation to any reality whatsoever: it is its own pure simulacrum’ (Baudrillard, 1994). It becomes easier to believe the myth, than to try and find the reality.
Links
http://c-griffin1013-cts.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/what-is-hyperreality.html
Bibliography
- Baudrillard, J. (2001), Selected Writings, 2nd Edition: Stanford, California
- Baudrillard, J. (1994), Simulacra and Simulation, 2nd Edition: University of Michigan Press, USA [Online] < http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=9Z9biHaoLZIC&printsec=frontcover&dq=baudrillard&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ootvT426LIuq8QP7xLS_DQ&ved=0CDsQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false >[Accessed 19 March 2012]
- Lomography. (2012), Diana F Camera. [Online] Available at: < http://uk.shop.lomography.com/cameras/diana-f-cameras/diana-f-camera > [Accessed 19 March 2012]
- Oberly, N. (2003), Reality, Hyperreality. [Online] Available at: < http://csmt.uchicago.edu/glossary2004/realityhyperreality.htm > [Accessed 19 March 2012]
- Tecca. (2011), Facebook plans to add Instagram-like photo filters. [Online] Available at: < http://www.tecca.com/news/2011/08/25/facebook-photo-filters > [Accessed 19 March 2012]
- Transparency. (2011), Umberto Eco and His Travels in Hyperreality. [Online] Available at: < http://www.transparencynow.com/eco.htm> [Accessed 19 March 2012]
- Vintage Me Oh My. (2012), Modern Vintage Style. Available at: < http://vintagemeohmy.com/ > [Accessed 19 March 2012]
- Wallace Design. (2012), Luggage Tags. [Online] Available at: < http://dribbble.com/shots/440220-Luggage-Tags > [Accessed 19 March 2012]
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