After our field trip to the Tate, I was most inspired by the artist Ellen Gallagher, who manipulated racist and sexist advertisements from the 1930s-1970s.
Gallagher’s work is relevant to what my group is doing for our Manifesto Project (Psychological manipulation in the media). The advertisements are geared at the African American Community, and promote products such as: slimming aids, underwear, feminine hygiene items, skin treatments, and bleach creams. Gallagher then manipulates the original advertisement in a variety of techniques, often disrupting the original meaning. I enjoy the complexity and irony that Gallagher employs. Her work emphasizes and juxtaposes the original messages and ideas of the advertisements.
Also, Gallagher often whites out the eyes and covers faces of the people in the advertisement; this reflects the struggle with identity (gender or race). I found this very relevant to my group’s manifesto because we have often discussed how advertisements take advantage with our sense of self identity.
Samantha's RCA Process 