Category: BCM110

In this weeks lecture, we were introduced to the concept of a public sphere. An 18th-century coffee house was used as a metaphor to describe a space where people could talk openly and freely about their ideas, issues of the day and debating topics. This metaphor was first introduced by Jurgen Habermas whom in his book ‘The Structural Transformation of The Public Sphere’ (1962), spoke about himself ‘imagining’ a public sphere. Which, in his case was like an 18th-century coffee house.

We were asked to imagine what our public sphere would be. I thought back to the coffee house metaphor. I related to the concept of people coming together over a cup of coffee and some tasty food. With a love for coffee and all things social, there’s nothing I love more than sitting around a table with friends or family and talking for hours. Whether it be at a café, at a park bench, in a lunchroom or even sitting at home with a freshly made cup of coffee, I always find myself engaging in the most interesting conversations. Somehow, I can speak freely and openly in these situations. There’s joy in the openness to freely speak about our thoughts on certain topics in a friendly manner not to offend or upset.

These conversations usually stem from a simple information swap. Controversial topics can easily come up in one of the conversations and can span from political, cultural, legal, and social matters. However, with the people I surround myself with and, the environment I’m in, I know I can express my feelings openly and where we can enjoy engaging in debates.

I do not agree with the exclusion of others. However, in my public sphere, I would exclude those people I don’t feel comfort in sharing my ideas with.

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It’s easy to misconstrue information we see on the media. As mentioned in my last blog ‘Can we trust our media?’, we have to be careful of what information we take away from our media. Not all information is reliable and across the many media platforms, information can be altered and changed. Therefore, each individual depending on what app, website, or article they visit, is given different information and in turn alternative opinions.  

So, whether it be about a new Kardashian/Jenner scandal, a family issue, issues people face regarding culture, gender, or race, or even over political matters and opinions, I can do so in my public sphere freely and openly. All while sipping on a nice hot coffee surrounded by friends, family, co-workers and sometimes even strangers. It’s a coffee talk.

-T

Every morning, I start it off by having a scroll through my social media for a few minutes. In these few minutes, I’m introduced to new scandals, new headlines and new ‘fake news’. I am given these stories supported by ‘compelling evidence’ of photos, quotes, video footage, and the pure belief that these stories are in fact reliable. But are they really? How can I be so certain of where this information is coming from and how much of the story I’m being given? Never do I stop and think about who owns the media I use.

The most frequently used media of mine is Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. Which I believe are the three most used apps by people my age. Most users, like myself, on Facebook, know Mark Zuckerberg as the founder and owner who created it in 2004.

I couldn’t wait until the day came where I turned 13 and my parents would finally let me sign up…. It wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be. It was just like another app I had called Instagram, where I could see what friends, celebrities, companies, and my favourite clothing brands had going on. The main difference being Instagram is predominantly focused on the aesthetic layout of your photos followed by cute captions, a thousand emojis and hashtags. Whilst Facebook is less about the aesthetics and more about the humorous and family orientated side of our lives.

I love hearing the newest scandals of celebrities, just like any other teenager. I read the articles that people share, and I am entranced in the information presented in front of me. However, I’ve recently learnt that the information, photos and ‘evidence’ we’re all shown, might not be as accurate as we are led to believe. Personally, I had no idea how limited my information source through the media actually was. That was until I discovered Instagram is now also owned by Facebook and has been since 2012 when Instagram was bought for the sum of ‘$1 billion’, stated by Alyson Shontell, on the site ‘Tech insider’ (Shontell 2013).

The reality is that the majority of us don’t realise how small our stream of information is. We are getting only a small fraction of the details. It matters to me mainly because the two apps I get my information branches from one source, one insider. It’s important to know just how influential the owners of our media are controlling our sources of information. By learning this, I am now careful of what I now believe to be reliable or unreliable sources. I suggest next time you do the same.

-T

Shontell, A. (2013). How Instagram Co-Founder Kevin Systrom Spent His Year After The $1 Billion Facebook Acquisition. [online] Business Insider Australia. Available at: https://www.businessinsider.com.au/its-been-1-year-since-facebook-bought-instagram-for-1-billion-heres-how-co-founder-kevin-systrom-spent-it-2013-5?r=US&IR=T#about-one-month-after-the-facebook-sale-systrom-and-krieger-took-their-team-on-an-off-site-spring-trip-to-team-to-napa-1 [Accessed 6 Apr. 2019].

When I was given this weeks topic, I was confused. A fair few too many google searches and I still only had a few small ideas on what complex image I could choose to discuss. Then a conversation with a friend brought up Banksy. Banksy is an anonymous street artist, who is well known for his complex graffiti and artworks. He’s done a number of artworks, all with underlining meanings and messages, however one in particular stood out for me.

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This image to me represents the balance between love and war (violence). It’s an image that can be interpreted in different ways depending on the persons views. His dark clothing in comparison with the colourful bouquet of flowers, is powerful on its own as it shows the contrast of light and dark; good and bad. His stance and the angle of which he holds the boutique suggests a motion of war or violence. Usually this stance is accompanied with a weapon, a grenade even, but is swapped out for a bouquet of bright, yellow flowers. This artwork can be taken as a symbol of a tough exterior with a soft interior. A man who seems tough, is actually acting in love. Trying to portray an act of violence which ironically reflects his true morals of respect and love.

Building off that interpretation, the image can also represent a man that hopes for love and peace, instead of the lifestyle he is given. It can represent a man who has grown up in the lifestyle of violence and danger. A man who only wishes to act in love and peace, instead of the violence best known to him.

These two interpretations stem from the same idea, the idea of ‘love in war’. They demonstrate how a complex image may seem simple at first glance, however, when building a backstory, this image can be interpreted in many different ways.

Banksy is successful in creating a piece of art that’s open to interpretation. The mind sees what we or what the artist wants us to see. It’s up to our imagination to interpret what we want from this complex image.

-T

Dhar, S. (2018). The Art of Banksy and more: Celebrating street art across the world. [online] Indulgexpress.com. Available at: https://www.indulgexpress.com/cover/2018/jul/13/the-art-of-banksy-and-more-celebrating-street-art-across-the-world-8805.html [Accessed 26 Mar. 2019].

An introductory of who I am and what I set out to achieve through these blogs is supposed to be easy. Simple even.

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An introductory blog is one that points out the basic facts about myself. That I’m an 18 year old girl, studying a bachelor in communications and media at university. But what will these facts achieve but to let you in on the smallest details of my life? Although a blog is necessary for my course, I want to take this opportunity to really portray my views as a way for you to fully understand the finer details of who I am. A girl with not only a passion for creating and sharing, but a girl who has depth, opinions and perspective on matters that inspire me the most. My love for all things music, film, and fashion as well as my love and fear for the ocean. Travelling is my biggest passion, but reality of money kicks in real fast once I start organising where I want to go. I share these passions through film, and that’s what I plan to create.

-T