Consumerism.

Consumerism can be translated as the act of consuming products or services without the need.

Since the industrial revolution of the XVII century, the products are produced so quickly (fast) and in much quantity. The society through, for example, advertising is attracted by advertisements of all media (newspapers, television, cinema, ...) and eventually consume products that are sometimes unnecessary, without interest and need.

The definition of need superfluous, can be subjective, not everything is redundant or are no products that meet the need of people, but most times not all people.

I leave here a rhetorical question: "Who has not consumed anything that after you saw taht it was unnecessary?"

Everybody as well as me (I think), we are consumerists (but I am not compulsive and extremist). We are immersed in a society that interacts with and propagates the "fever" of alienated consumerism. This is the effect of Capitalism.

Here's some more ideas and definitions, purpose of this theme through these websites dedicated to these two philosophers: Gilles Lipovetsky

( http://www.phease.org.nz/~leon/oldsite/history/commodities.htm )

and Jean Baudrillard

( http://marginalutility.blogspot.com/2005/05/notes-on-jean-baudrillard-consumer.html ).

Consumer Culture.

Professor's questions:

(On his blog - http://web.mac.com/paul_driver/Soapbox/English_Culture
/Entries/2010/4/13_Consumer_Culture.html)

1. Consumer is someone who adquires a product, a property or services to meet their "needs", in exchange of the payment (cash, product or service). However, the act of consume in the society, of our times, has not been so. Consumers, some time ago, more and more buy, acquire without that need, just because it is aesthetically appealing, or because their "neighbor" has, or ...

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2. Materialism is designated by the attitude or behavior of a person who cling to the property, values and material pleasures.

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3. Consumer choice often involves what is more at hand, closer, easier or more beautiful. Sometimes the consumer is not aware of the characteristics of a product to see if it will be more appropriate or adequate, limited so buy (consume) the product that has a more beautiful design, or colors that suit they…

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4. When buying, I tend to look for the specifications of the products I am purchasing to see if it matches my expectations. But not always been so. I have already been taken in the “wave” of consume products that was not appropriate for me, because was attractive, beautiful ... However, I learned from some time to look what I really want.

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5. Consumerism affects our life, as well as any other “variable”, in other words, if we buy something we want to be cool, we were pleased and put ourselves and for others. If we cannot buy anything we want, we get angry, upset, bitter, humorless ...
Sometimes, consumerism may affect people not only in sentiment, but also the financial situation, as in the case of people who get into debt even able to buy what they want.

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6. As well as between people, objects are also capable of changing ideas, attitudes ... people who consume. As for me, I do not know, I think I am always, buying or not buyling, I try to follow a life without hallucinations, great costumes, limiting me to be weighted and tolerant.

Keith Haring

Keith Haring, a graphic artist of 80s.

This site can speak better than me, who it was Keith Haring: http://www.haring.com/home.php.

Haring was born in the United States. He was an artist and his activist reflects the culture of New York. His art was, on everything, influenced by the graffiti. He applied it in the streets, in subway stations, vases, posters and even a piece of the door. At the beginning of his career artist, he drew with chalk on the subway stations of New York.

His work also reflects a set of homo-erotic themes, with varied colors, shapes and themes.

Undoubtedly a unique art, interesting and sometimes bold. An artist who became an icon of pop art to have innovated the language and aesthetics of the drawings.

Still you can see exhibitions of the works of Haring at Woodward Gallery - New York.

So, here, some works of Haring, look and comment.

William Morris

For my new work, I selected William Morris and I will present you this artist and designer.

I cannot describe William Morris better than this Web site it has a society dedicated to him, with his biography. Therefore if you want to learn more about Morris (life, works, …) enter in this sitehttp://www.morrissociety.org/.

Therefore, I'll just talk here's my opinion, making reference to one or other of life, ideologies and work of William Morris.

William Morris, XIX century (1834-1896), an artist, a designer, a leading opponent of the industrial revolution, a developer of the Movement of Art & Craft.

Knowing the history (space, location) that lived in Morris, I can understand the concern he had for that Art does not "fall" into a mechanized concept. He appreciated and encouraged the Art manual, custom, sometimes a unique Art.

Around of the 60s (this XIX century), Morris founded a firm with more other persons of British Art. This company produced works of art, like: Stained glass, textiles and wallpaper Printed, Woven Textiles,Embroideryand Tapestry. Are some of those jobs that can be seen here, and I see that my opinion as an art careful with technique, single ...

To think that Art should or must be for everyone, he did not think the fact that works of art took the time and costed money, his time, meant that the pieces of art proved to be expensive. He had to admit that.

These are some works of Morris.

Morris brought a shift upon another change. In other words, Morris managed to halt the trend of the industrial revolution, creating a diverse Art, but a standard personal and unique.

Morris was a great proportion designer, since he advocated the creation of valuable artist's imagination. The artist imagines and creates, produces and understands the industry. And, therefore, that was why I chose to speak about William Morris.

Appreciation of an artist - Julian Beever -

Julian Beever

Julian Beever is an English artist a little unusual.
Beever presents his works of art to the public in "screens" usually seen and stepped for us, in other words, on pavements of streets.
Beever presents his art, based in Chalk art. Their illustrations are carefuly designed and executed to the millimeter, to be perfectly three-dimensional, using only chalk like material.
This technique creates an optical 3D illusion, when the image is viewed from an specific angle. An art with "pure" mathematics.
On average, the artist takes about three days to complete a work.
He has worked in the UK, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Dennmark, Spain, the U.S., Australia, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Russia and Portugal.

I personally like the work of Julian Beever. I like this art that makes us see something different then the standardized enviromment that we see everyday. Therefore, Beever introduces "colour" to the scenario that we usually see and which we walk through.

Here are some Beever's works.

Please, make your comment, here.

This is official web site of Julian Beever: http://users.skynet.be/J.Beever/pave.htm

Personal Museum

Personal Museum

1. Photo 1989. In this picture I had a year. My mother liked to take me and my brothers a photograph to record our ages.
2. My favorite cartoon, the famous Zé Carioca. A figure (character) that represents well the way of the Cariocas (people born in Rio de Janeiro).
3. The knights of the zodiac. A cartoon that went from the television screens into the hands of their fans. This is a model of one of the dolls that list. The first I got was at Christmas 1995.
4. My first guitar (Golden). I bought it with my own money, at the age of 15. It has a typical form of the famous guitar Guibson, with a drawing of the flag of Brazil.
5. My first show with my first band (Mahalo). Formed by a group of friends, this garage band played since rock untill Brazilian Popular Music (MPB).
6. The Motorola. The first cellular phone that I had. I called it the "brick" because it was big and heavy. My parents bought it for me and for my brothers in 1999.
7. Oasis. I remember the day of my birthday, my Uncle Julius brought me this CD. Since then, I never stopped listening to this great band.For me, one of the best in the world.
8. This is the passage of aircraft that brought me the first time to Europe, more precisely to Portugal in 1997.
9. The tennis has always been one of my favorite sports. This is my racket Prince. I participated in some tournaments of tenis, in Brazil, but I didn't win none.
10. This film, brings me good memories. It is one of the movies that my mother likes, and I also. My mother always admired very much this great actor, who is Johnny Deep. I remember seeing often on Sundays with my mother that movie (Edward Scissorhands).
..
The concept of a real museum:
The museums are the ways of human societies explain the past and present, how to have their material culture, the processes of preservation and conception of public property, and represent choices among infinite possibilities and shortcomings. Spaces which are finally seeing through the objects, collections and various collections, the social relations that men establish among themselves and with nature, with different cultures and over time.

A museum is the institution par excellence that has a function to conserve the cultural heritage of a people, the maintenance and enhancement of its identity. Save, preserve is something it is not trance, but to ensure it can see it and admire it by more time.

Graffiti

The graffiti, can be seen as vandalism because people, in general, think that all graffiti are made by vandals.
I believe that the graffiti (as design, not scribble) is an art, because it is a typical "street art".
But as all art, should be made in suitable places and allowed.
Thus, the governments of counties, can and should have influence in this matter, by providing appropriate places and encouraging this art.