Idea for my work

In a previous post (Sunday 13th November) I explained that I wanted my work to focus on materialism and money. My research has led me to focus on a notion that much of society has grown tired of religion and has begun to worship money and fame. It seems that super star celebrities have become the new `gods' to be worshipped and adored by vunerable television viewers. These television `disciples' listen intently to the sermons delivered by celebrities about what we should be wearing, eating, looking like, listening to and thinking. My piece for this year is going to be a multi media installation that hopefully will link to this notion. I hope to create an installation that has a dual or hidden meaning; at first glance I want it to be seen as art that depicts a religious viewpoint using religious iconography and traditional materials and processes. I want to offer the viewers who choose to look a little closer, clues to an alternative way of viewing the piece that will give them an insight into a social viewpoint of the artist.

Whilst researching for my work I came across this article and thought that it summed up nicely what I am trying to say...

X Factor judge Simon Cowell is more famous than God or The Queen according to a survey of children under 10. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/6849184/Simon-Cowell-more-famous-than-God.html

quick quote !

I have just finished watching some videos on youtube of Jake and Dinos Chapman. Dinos gives a great viewpoint on art that sums up the previous post about art being about thinking. He states `the problem with art is that it seems to be reducible to eyes, to looking, which really it's not. It's nothing to do with looking, or it's a very small part of it that's to do with looking. It's mostly to do with thinking, I think.'

Here's the video ... 6 minutes in is the quote...

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzWqrwDYR5E&feature=related

3rd year focus

As mentioned, for year 3 I want to create something that gives the viewer an insight into who I am as a person. I have sat and thought about things in life that make me happy, sad, angry and confused and tried to think of ways of transforming those thoughts and feelings into art.
The theme that causes me the greatest stirring of emotion (after family) is money and material wealth and its importance in much of society. Money, it seems, is the only measure of success for many people; most would explain success in terms of job status, the accumulation of possesions and of monetary wealth. People are given status according to the clothes they wear, the car they drive and the post code that their houses fall under. This has been the case for a long time; reading John Berger's `Ways of Seeing' (1972) there is a chapter that talks about happiness being gained by buying products. He explains it as the happiness of being envied by others, which he labels as glamour.
I shall try to create art that highlights my views on how people's desires for money and material wealth is eroding society's moral and ethical values.

Reference:
Berger, J. (1972) Ways of Seeing. London: Penguin Books