Propaganda is a powerful tool for politicians. Corporations, advertisers, cultural institutions and anyone who is looking to manipulate a story, but it is also the starting point for acts of subversion, humor, and creative resistance. Early examples of video art often featured the appropriation, deconstruction and manipulation of mass media and culture as a form of social critique. For this project we will attempt to find political and imaginative expression in re-editing and re-interpreting material  “harvested” from YouTube. Students will come away well-versed in the techniques and tricks used in remix works, including ripping videos, sampling and audio/video cut-ups.

 

This work will be uploaded and published to student websites or posted on a video-sharing website such as YouTube or Vimeo with a link on the student’s website.

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But wait… so Its OK to “steal” videos and use this material in my own work? Isn't this illegal and a form of plagiarism? Is someone going to prosecute me???

 

At this juncture we need to offer some perspectives on the surprising and exciting directions that art (music, video, web sites, etc.) and technology are taking in the world today, and how this new explosion of creativity is colliding with our sometimes-outdated copyright laws. - Copying has gone on in art and music throughout the ages, from “quoting” in classical music compositions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composer_tributes_(classical_music) to homage and parody. (J. Swift 1700 ) http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-parody.html, 

 

In much of the last century, these “appropriation” practices were the province of the avant-garde and the fine art world. But with the Internet, the ever-growing speed of computing, YouTube, MySpace, file-sharing, and other recent developments "Appropriation" has have now moved wholly and firmly into the mainstream.

 

So, if you’re going to be appropriating material from the Internet you need to read and understand the “Fair use Doctrine”.

https://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/more-info.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use

 

What is absolutely critical is that you re-edit and re-interpret ripped material as a means to create a NEW WORK that is an entirely unique form of imaginative expression.

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Examples:

 

Culture Jamming refers to the transformation of mass media to produce ironic or satirical commentary about itself, deconstructing and reconfiguring the original medium's communication method.

 

Subvertising is one form of culture jamming that subverts the practice of advertising by altering existing ads in ways that call attention to and critique social behaviors and consumerism.  A subvertisment can take many forms including the adulteration of advertising in public spaces, the mimicking or co-opting of public signage, and the staging of media hoaxes, web interventions, and activist performances. Some of the better-known practitioners include Shepard Fairey, Bansky,and Adbusters (adbusters video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V413pjEj17Q)

 

Notice how in the following examples of TV commercial subvertisements the visual and textual language is consistent with the original ad’s ‘language’ (communication method, visual style etc.) The ads are altered in such a way that they subvert the ideological message they promote.

 

Jeep

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnmbbcC1UXI

 

CocoCola

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM38FBxQyIo

 

Hummer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWzpDWW-vhw

 

The following examples of culture jamming go further than Subvertising in that they are intended disrupt or subvert mainstream and political and cultural institutions - mindsets.

 

This more “Avant guard” form of culture jamming is most successful when the intention is not simply parody – but to push for a newfound awareness and eventual progressive change.

 

Ant Farm - Media Burn (1975)

Classic pseudo media event (Appropriation of the media event, officidum, facts, television, the automobile... play till 7:22 - anyone watch the debate last night?)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U53-Sfnqwss

 

Dara Birnbaum

Wonder Woman (1978) Repeated transformations expose the illusion of fixed female identities in media and attempts to show the emergence of a new woman through use of technology

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhMG-QCJVsE

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Negativland – Originated in San Francisco in the late 1970s.

Negativland was famously sued by the band U2’s record labels, which brought them widespread publicity and notoriety. In 2003, members of Negativland contributed their efforts to Creative Commons, a non-profit organization devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to legally build upon and share by providing alternative copyright licenses.

 

Stealing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxGo771vml0

 

The Gun & The Bible (1993) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF8vgDfC8d4

 

Truth in Advertising  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQqWh8xfLgg

 

Greatest Taste Around - by Negativland (1997) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4MAYyM_wh0

 

EBN Emergency Broadcast Network (1990’s)

A multimedia performance group formed in 1991 that took its name from the Emergency Broadcast System. The founders were Rhode Island School of Design graduates Joshua Pearson, Gardner Post, and Brian Kane. 

 

Documercial (show first) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5KawIf6Vzs

 

Electronic Behavior Control System https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQZsKWV4mDo

 

Get Down - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuVd8k3QFP8

 

Addictive TV (1998 - present)

Employs similar technique of EBN and Negativeland - but without the substance

 

Hypno vistas - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovQUNX5xs4s

 

Star trek - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K64Kb9cHI-U

 

Kate Bush - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxGo771vml0

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Finally, Here are some examples of Student Work

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