Design Proposal
Collective Memory is a result of culture. It is where two or more people, belonging to large or small social groups, share a pool of knowledge. It is shared, passed on or constructed over “Time”. Groups henceforth acquire more knowledge than individuals alone.
An archetype is a primordial abstract figure that is common to all humans. Over time, they are inherited or learnt. Similarly, Collective Memories are like Archetypes of a different kind, this is my analogy; where the spread of Mass media in the 1950’s -60’s across world wide “Distances” proves this.
Mass Media through Collective Memory is a cultural phenomenon, which is a combination of the past and growing present. With the growth of Mass Media, television, newspapers, advertisements, posters, logos and magazines were highly broadcasted. This resulted in collective memory to expand to movies, songs, objects, catastrophic events and socio-political problems everyone could relate with. To name some, The Wizard of Oz, King Kong, Tom and Jerry, Coca Cola and the Assassination of John. F. Kennedy or catchy commercials. With the coming of the Internet, DVD players and YouTube, music videos such a Michael Jacksons Thriller became famous.
This highly broadcasted popular culture or “Pop culture” was, represented/depicted by famous artists such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. From Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Queen Elizabeth, Campbell tomato soup logo and paintings on Coca Cola; to Lichtenstein’s “Whaam!” Drowning girl, Look Mickey and Women with a flowered hat in comic style.
Today, all these examples are referred to as “classic” or “iconic”; where they have been shared and passed down into our collective memory. Without prompt, when one refers to these, or we see them around us, we know what it is. Be it, hearing or reading a quote from a famous movie or even a poster, the Tom and Jerry soundtrack, drinking Coca Cola, listening to Michael Jackson’s thriller beat or buying merchandise inspired by Andy Warhol’s creations. We never learnt these things; they just became a part of our collective memory even if they happened way back in “Time”.
Past artists used their present pop culture to be depicted in paintings; today these paintings are considered “classic” or “iconic” examples. Similarly as time passes and our culture develops around us, it will be considered “classic” or “iconic” in the future.
Growing up, I was influenced by this Pop Culture as a 90’s kid. I watched Tom and Jerry, drank Coca Cola and listening to my parents old music. Therefore these as a consequence became a part of my collective memory that I share with others my age. At that time, mass media was so widespread that what was there in America was in India. It travelled “distances” in various forms to create a collective memory across the world in different societies.
Therefore the objective is to trace the influence of mass media over “Time” and “Distance” on our collective memory, including examples pertaining to art and design such as logos, advertisements, comics, music and films. As mass media grows, our collective memory will expand as well over time and distance and this is what I wish to represent creatively.
To Summarise :
Over time our collective memory has grown to incorporate all classic and iconic elements of mass media in the past and will continue in the coming future. This influence of mass media on our collective memory has spread across the world (distances), as it has impacted my generation as well. My objective is to trace the influence of mass media on our collective memory and represent it creatively. Like me, others by seeing my work will relate to the popular culture of the past (classic and iconic examples) and the present. Thus proving my concept or core area where mass media can be passed down and shared through collective memories. Growing up I was influenced by this Pop culture and it became an intrinsic part of my memory, like others in my generation.
© Sanah Devika Rao
