THE RESEARCH - DOCUMENTARY

John Berger:

"My political views are an intrinsic part of my view
of the truth and of how I see life."

(A Fortunate Man, 1972)

Berger is a Marxist and just as his views become his reality, we are exploring how the power's views become our reality. We are trying to change how the viewer sees and forcing them to unlearn all the conventions that they know to be so true. We are translating Berger's view that art and life are one and the same into our film by showing the everyday.

The concept of a false consciousness indicates that there is no fight, it's not debatable that those that are numb are worse off than those who can see truth. We want to educate the truth.

Barbara Kruger:

"In recent large-scale exhibitions, (she arranged) her statements in typographical blocks extended across walls, ceilings and floors... She generates powerful mental spaces which above all may be entered."

Kruger is using size and scale to encourage the viewer to be consumed entirely by the work. we do not have a say in the scale of our outcome, and although we want the viewers to be aware of the overriding power of the entity, we plan to do this in a more Brecht style by doing the opposite in a jarring manor.

Video Installation 12: Multiple screens of larger than life people talking. The information shared between the screens literally goes straight over the heads of the viewers. New York Times described it as 'agitating'.

I shop therefore I am (1987) - 'I am' is a recurring phrase in Buddhist teachings in relation to I am therefore I am being, I am God. to me this piece looks like a comment on how commodities are the highest Devine entity and buying is a religious practice - or at least that is what the power is trying to convey.

Buy Me I'll Chance Your Life - Kruger talks a lot about the power of both images and words as a kind of combined super force that cannot be second with.

Quote on Baudelaire - It might be beneficial for us to quote not only our interviewees but also the theorists.

Desire exists where pleasure is absent - focused on the social-psychological structures with behavioural patterns which are marked by monetary rationalism.

Rachel Maclean:

A Fortunate Man. (1972). [video] Directed by J. Parks. UK: British Film Institute (BFI) Production Board.

Merrifield, A. (2013). John Berger. London: Reaktion Books.

Kruger, B., Görner, V., Wagner, H. and Moll, F. (2006). Barbara Kruger. Bielefeld: Kerber.