Image Credit: Ian Meechan
Why do people want to look like cartoon characters Ken and Barbie?
For Assignment One, I originally considered the impact of perfection in the current digital climate. Comparing social media imagery to recent trends in the perfect face contrasting this and connecting it to the latest 'Barbie' movie.
What motivated me to change my theme for this assignment?
After completing the assignment, it did not fit in with the rest of my ideas for future exercises and assignments, so I decided to change this to the landscape-based assignment submission.
Working in a remote community school for over four years, seeing first-hand environmental devastation by general rubbish and plastics motivated me to investigate this subject for my assignment.
The following text and imagery were my initial ideas and final submission assignment.
People's desire to look like cartoon characters, particularly iconic ones like Ken and Barbie, can be attributed to several factors:
Idealized Beauty: Ken and Barbie often seen as idealized versions of the human form, with symmetrical facial features, clear skin, and perfectly proportioned bodies. Many people aspire to achieve this idealized version of beauty.
Media Influence: Media, including cartoons and animated characters like Ken and Barbie, can significantly impact people's perceptions of beauty. These characters are portrayed as attractive, which can influence people's beauty standards.
Pop Culture and Trends: Pop culture and social trends can heavily influence people's desires. When celebrities or influencers promote a particular look or style, it can lead to people wanting to emulate that look, including looking like famous cartoon characters.
Self-Expression: Some people may see emulating cartoon characters as a form of self-expression or a way to stand out. They may appreciate the whimsical and exaggerated features of these characters.
Escapism: Wanting to look like a cartoon character can be a form of escapism, allowing people to enter a different, often more fantastical world and help cope with the stresses of everyday life.
Childhood Nostalgia: Many people grew up with Barbie and Ken dolls, and their desire to look like these characters may be rooted in nostalgia. They may associate these characters with positive childhood memories.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder: In some cases, the desire to look like a cartoon character relates to body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), a mental health condition characterized by an obsessive focus on perceived flaws in one's appearance. People with BDD may fixate on specific features and seek extreme measures to change their appearance.
Remembering that ideals and standards of beauty can vary widely across cultures and individuals is essential. What one person finds attractive may differ from another's preferences. While some people may aim to look like cartoon characters, individuals need to prioritize their health, well-being, and self-acceptance over unrealistic or potentially harmful beauty standards.
Assignment One Submission
Title: The Devastating Effects of Plastic Rubbish in Australian Indigenous Communities.
Plastic rubbish has had a profound impact on Australian Indigenous communities, causing detrimental effects on their health, culture, and environment. The lack of proper waste management systems in remote areas has led to the accumulation of plastic waste, which poses significant health risks to Indigenous people. The contamination of water sources and food supplies has resulted in various health issues, including gastrointestinal problems, malnutrition, and chronic diseases.
The cultural impact is also significant. Traditional practices such as fishing, hunting, and gathering are deeply rooted in their cultural heritage. However, the presence of plastic waste in water bodies and natural habitats disrupts these practices, making it increasingly difficult for Indigenous people to maintain their cultural traditions. The aesthetic beauty of sacred sites and cultural landscapes is also hampered, diminishing the spiritual connection that Indigenous communities have with their land. This loss of cultural identity and connection to the environment can have detrimental effects on the mental and emotional well-being of Indigenous individuals, leading to a sense of displacement and loss.
Culturally, Indigenous people believe we are born from the land, and therefore, when we die, we return to it. When an indigenous person has, for example, a plastic bottle, they return it to the land, not knowingly recognising that modern plastic materials will not decompose in the same manner as traditional materials such as animal or plant-based.
Plastic waste takes hundreds of years to decompose, accumulating non-biodegradable materials in the environment. It affects the aesthetic appeal of the land but also poses a threat to wildlife, as animals may mistake plastic for food or become entangled in it. The degradation of natural habitats further disrupts the delicate ecological balance, impacting Indigenous communities' ability to sustain themselves.
Planning:
Part One: Cut and Paste
A Canon TS5060 inkjet printer produced prints of the landscape and found items. Cut-outs were made with scissors and arranged onto the landscape images using a glue stick to complete the task of uploading digital copies to the website.
Part Two: Digitally Manipulated
Using the Goodnotes app and an iPad Pro has helped conceptualise ideas and workflow. Arranging a shooting schedule for digital capture and importing images on the iPad are reviewed via Photoshop 2024 contact sheets, marking only the most appropriate images. A combination of a Canon R6 and iPhone SE for video content enhances the visual content design of the website.
Conceptualisation:
After ingesting the favoured images, the background is erased in Photoshop, prepared, and combined with the background file. Images are duplicated and arranged to represent the position of animal tracks on the ground, representing the juxtaposition of manufactured and nature.
Assignment Design (Header). "It's only one piece of rubbish" x 1,000,000
Looking at ways to improve the website's visual aspect prompted the consideration of a video title design for each assignment and coursework. The following are experiments in the design workflow and the final result.
Considering how I could visually show the quantity of plastics on country, I used minatures of household items. Coles supermarket in Australia poduced two series of collectables for customers. Although very successful it contrasted their enviromental efforts banning the use of plastic bags, replacing them with an equivilant giving free plastic toys with purchases over 30 dollars. The final video showing how one item becomes quickly two four eight and eventually covering the screen.
A two light setup lit the subjects however it needed a pop of light to retain the detail from below the camera which improved the depth of the subject making it look more realistic.
Fig 1. The first experiment was too fast for the shutter to record properly.
Fig 2. Items moved out of frame distracting from the point of the imagery.
Fig 3. Entering from a differnt angle improved the desired effect but shooting at 240 fps was too slow on this occasion.
Fig 4. Reducing the shutter speed to 60 fps improved the video and it was this combination used in the final edit. The video was cropped which also highlighted the items and made them look almost lifesize not minatures.
Conclusion:
The effects of plastic rubbish in Australian Indigenous communities are far-reaching and devastating. The health implications, cultural impact, and environmental consequences are significant and require immediate attention.
Footnote:
I acknowledge the Wangkatjungka people, the traditional custodians of the land on which I work, and pay my respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
After completing this assignment the school created a regular clean-up sharing their knowledge about the dangers of plastic to their Elders and community. (Permission was granted for all images of students and staff used).
Image Credits - Amanda (teacher) via What's App
References:
“Barbie on the Brain? Here Are 7 Artworks Featuring the World’s Most Famous Doll as Model and Muse.” Accessed October 21, 2023. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/barbie-in-art-2339022.
“Doll Drama! Human Ken Disses Human Barbie.” Accessed October 21, 2023. https://www.eonline.com/news/529381/human-ken-disses-human-barbie-i-don-t-get-why-people-think-she-s-so-interesting.
Environment, U. N. “Plastic Pollution.” UNEP - UN Environment Programme, August 2, 2022. http://www.unep.org/plastic-pollution.
“ISBN 9781350092075 - Reading Photographs: An Introduction to the Theory and Meaning of Images (Basics Creative Photography).” Accessed October 22, 2023. https://isbnsearch.org/isbn/9781350092075.
“Meet the Human Barbie | GQ.” Accessed October 21, 2023. https://www.gq.com/story/valeria-lukyanova-human-barbie-doll.
“New Barbie Movie 2023 Dolls - YouLoveIt.Com.” Accessed October 21, 2023. https://www.youloveit.com/dolls/2839-barbie-live-action-movie-2023-dolls.html.
“Photos Merge Barbie with Real Women | Stuff.Co.Nz.” Accessed October 21, 2023. https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/9493417/Photos-merge-Barbie-with-real-women.
“School Overview Wangkatjungka Remote Community School.” Accessed November 26, 2023. https://www.det.wa.edu.au/schoolsonline/overview.do?schoolID=5101&pageID=SO01.
sheilapreebright. “Photographic Artist.” Accessed October 21, 2023. https://www.sheilapreebright.com.
Unforgettable Labs. “Unforgettable Labs.” Accessed November 26, 2023. https://unforgettablelabs.com.
“Von Wong.” Accessed November 26, 2023. https://www.vonwong.com.
Wicaksono, Louis Lugas. “Which Countries Pollute the Most Ocean Plastic Waste?” Visual Capitalist, February 17, 2023. https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/visualized-ocean-plastic-waste-pollution-by-country/.
NOTE: Permission was granted from the elders, parents, staff and pupils of Wangkatjungka community and school for use of any images.