The Social Factor

The Social Factor is, quite simply, advertising posters of people.

This 2D project will be exhibited as part of the Bush Bounce event at the Bush Theatre London on the 14 November 2012.

Inspiration for this project came from a previous experience at advertising design. I created a poster to publicise an Art Society event at university and gave a copy to each member of the committee so that they could distribute them around town. However, one girl told me later that she’d liked the poster so much she’d put it up in her room. Of course it was a compliment, but that wasn’t the point! The poster hadn’t fulfilled its intended role of advertising the event to the public. To be promiscuous enough, for as many people to see it in her bedroom as if she’d placed it in a public building, would have been quite an achievement. I doubt she managed it.

However, this got me thinking about the line between advertising and art. The advertising world uses art as a tool to convey a message and employs many talented artists. What I plan to do is to attempt the opposite and create beautiful and intriguing artworks that use advertising tropes as part of the artwork.

Subjects will be shown as if they were events or products. If they are often to be found in a specific location at a particular time (e.g. The Whey Pat pub, 8pm), then they will be presented as an event. Their best qualities, chief characteristics or catchphrases will be included as text. Social media profiles will be a great source of inspiration here: this is a common form of self-advertising and presenting ourselves as we wish to be seen.

I would like to offer the opportunity for an IdeasTap member to be a subject and have their image displayed as part of The Social Factor at Bush Bounce. Volunteers should send me their name, occupation and discipline and favourite quote or personal catchphrase. Participants would need to send me a clear headshot of them. Participants could reproduce the artwork for their personal publicity purposes, as long as full credit is acknowledged to me as artist.