Kaleidoscope

After learning about appropriation and detournement in Art and Contemporary ideas, i decided it was a practice i was very interested in and found i could relate to it in some ways with my own work.
Based on Guy Debord’s definition, highlighting the use of imagery or text appropriated from the media, then used in other forms like poetry or art. Debord articulates how subversion of original images is used to change the meaning of an image to show a politicised or social message. Using two separate images, taken from differing contexts, bringing them together, means changes in meaning occur. It is possible to discover new relationships between the elements and establish new meaning. ‘When two objects are brought together, no matter how far apart their original contexts may be, a relationship is always formed’ (Debord,1956).
When bringing these elements together, the ability to understand the new meaning is in knowing what context the images have been taken from. ‘The main impact of Detournement is directly related to the conscious or semi conscious recollection of the original contexts of the element’ (Debord, 1956). The combined imagery often critiques the source or original message that was being portrayed, knowing the origin of the image is key to understanding the works. Artists using images from the media comment both on the media and societies perception of the message the media gives. In order for detourned images to be effectively received the artist has to know what audience they are aiming for and with this more accessible art world and a subject matter seen by millions, it was ‘ a powerful cultural weapon’ (Debord, 1956), accessible by any social class as recognizable imagery was available to anyone.