Cutting up the Dadaists
There is more of a political critique of the money and power at play in some corners, as well as the signifier “copy past” (upper right). This specifically is aimed to comment on the replicability of such a figure, similar to Andy Warhol's “Marilyn Diptych,” (often considered a Neo-Dadaist himself), as he comments on how Marilyn Monroe was a product made for society, and one that can be continually remade, seen in the case of Kim's family raising to fame. I used more “loud-mouthed” aspects, like a bloody font, which I found to go well with the critique on the effect that such a figure has when society sees her as an idol (people are willing to literally cut themselves). The greater aim of this collage was to replecate the Dadaist method of using the form of creation, cutting, in the nature of the argument. Overall, these aspects culminate to make a social and political statement that ideologically and structurally embodies the work of the Dadaists.
Click on image to see more of its parts.
Both image projects do well in proposing a critique to some part of society, but in moving forward with exploring the Languages of Digital Media, my Video Remix serves to incorporate Gunther Kress's argument (1999), that “in times of sweeping technological change, critique is not a prime academic activity; critique is still necessary, but scholars must do more than simply act as critics.”
While choosing a more playful tone, this Digital Argument has a clear call to action. Similar to both the work of the Dadaists and the Vertical Cinema Manifesto (which this video primarily draws inspiration from) is that while the tone is playful, the piece can still do serious work, both in drawing attention to a major issue and presenting an argument of what the viewer should change in their behavior. Like the Vertical Cinema Manifesto, the topic used (in this case, food photos) serves as a mechanism to talk about larger social problems (this time materialism and social media), and uses the tone to retain attention and effectively communicate the creator's argument.