the impact of archetypes in visual communications

88 Pages·2016·10.61 MB·English

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Theses
5-1-1999
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Martha M. Torres Donovan
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Torres Donovan, Martha M., "The goddess sells: the impact of archetypes in visual communications"
(1999). Thesis. Rochester Institute of Technology. Accessed from
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AThesis submittedto the Facultyofthe College ofImaging Arts and Sciences
in candidacyforthedegree ofMaster ofFineArts
The Goddess Sells The impact ofarchetypes in visual communications
byMartha M. Torres Donovan
May 1999
Rochester Institute ofTechnology
College ofImaging Artsand Sciences
School ofDesign
DepartmentofGraphic Design
Approvals
ChiefAdvisor Deborah A. Beardslee
Associate Professor
SchoolofDesign Date
AssociateAdvisor Joyce S. Hertzson
Professor
SchoolofArt Date
AssociateAdvisor Dr. Kijana Crawford
Professor
College ofLiberalArts Date
Chairperson Nancy Ciolek
AssociateProfessor
5'/7·19
SchoolofDesign Date
I, Martha M. Torres Donovan, herebygrant permissionto the Wallace Library
ofRITto reproduce mythesis in whole or in part. Any reproduction will not
be forcommercial use or profit.
Martha M. Torres Donovan
Date 5· 11· qq
Special thankstothe many people who supported andencouraged methroughout
this process. In particular. Prof. Deborah A. Beardslee, Prof. Joyce S. Hertzson,
and Dr. Kijana Crawford,mycommittee members,fortheirenthusiasm and
participation. Dr. RichardZakia, foropening myeyesand introducing meto
semioticsandarchetypes.And especiallyto Ken, myhusband,for hisquiet
patience, encouragement, and unconditional love.
Table of Contents
The Goddess Sells The impact ofarchetypes in visual communications
Thesis Project Definition 4
Precedents 6
Research and Analysis 8
Synthesis 19
Ideation 22
Evaluation 26
Implementation 28
Dissemination 30
Retrospective Evaluation 31
Conclusion 33
Glossary ofTerms 34
Notes 35
Selective Bibliography 36
Appendices 37
Wisdom, Thunder, Perfect Mind
ForIam the firstandthelast. I'mabitch. I'm alover.
Iam thehonouredone I'm achild. I'm amother.
andthescornedone. I'm asinner. I'ma saint.
Iam the whoreandtheholyone. Idonotfeelashamed.
Iam the wifeandthe virgin. I'm yourhell. I'm yourdream.
Iam themotherandthedaughter. I'mnothinginbetween.
Iam themembers ofmymother. Youknowyou wouldn'twantit
Iam thebarrenone anyotherway.
andmanyarehersons. I'm abitch. I'm a tease.
Iamshe whose weddingisgreat, I'magoddesson myknees.
andIhavenottakenahusband. When youhurt, when yousuffer
Iam themidwife I'm yourangelundercover.
andshe who doesnotbear. I'vebeen numb. I'm revived.
Iam thesolaceofmylabourpains. Can'tsayI'mnotalive.
Iam thebrideandthebridegroom, Youknowyou wouldn't wantit
anditismyhusbandwhobegotme. anyotherway.
Iam themotherofmyfather
Lyricsandmusicby
andthesisterofmyhusband,
MeredithBrooksandShellyPeiken,
andheismyoffspring... NorthAmerica, 1998.
Giveheedtome.
Iam theone whois disgraced
andthegreatone.
Textfrom Gnosticscriptures
writtenin2ndand3rdcenturiesA.D.
discoveredinEgypt, 1945.
Project Definition
The Goddess Sells: The impact of archetypes in visual communications
Problem Designers make decisionswhen selecting an image, choosing type,and
composing a pagethat havethe potential to educate, persuade, orinspire an
audience. El Lizzitskyoncedescribed effective advertising design as having
the powerto "firstseducethe eyeandthen addressthe intellect."'The
discipline ofgraphicdesign iscentered aroundthis notion ofbalancing
aesthetic decisions with communication. Itisthe process ofconnecting
with an audience bycreating visual communication thatappealsto a
viewer's intellectand aestheticsensibility. Howcan one learn to connect
with an audience?Arethereany methods ortheoriesthatcan makethis
connection stronger?
Archetypes Carl G. Jung contendsthat "a word oran imageissymbolicwhen itimplies
something morethan its obviousand immediate meaning.Asthe mind
exploresthesymbol, itis ledto ideasthatlie beyondthegrasp ofreason."2
Forexample,within religion, images likethatofthe Madonna orthe
goddesses ofGreek mythologycan possess a collective, ratherthan
individual, nature, and origin.Tothe believer,these images ofthe "goddess"
are understood as having been revealed bysome higher being. Theyare a
source ofmysteryand connectiontothe pastthatJung believesare
manifestations ofprimevaldreams andfantasies inherent in all of us.
Hecallsthese manifestationsarchetypes. Byinterpretingthese manifestations
one can begin to understand, identify, and classifythe characteristics ofthe
goddess archetypes. This activitytermed semiotics, is a theoryin which
differentsigns,verbal and visual, are constituted andclassified according to
their uses and interpretations. Designerscan helpanalyzewhatarchetypes
communicatethrough the application ofsemiotictheory. Can one drawfrom
these archetypes andfrom a collective unconsciousto connectandcommunicate
with a diversegroup ofpeople? Howdoesthecomprehension and use of
archetypesaffectthedecisions made bygraphicdesigners? Could a better
understanding ofthe relation ofthe semiotic principlesto goddess archetypes
enhance the communication potential ofgraphicdesign?
The use ofarchetypesas aform ofconnecting to largeaudiences is not
unfamiliar. In fact,thevery nature ofcommunication relies on peoplesharing
common experiences. The process ofunderstanding the experiencesthat
connect us isfacilitatedthrough a common languagecomprised ofspeech,
gestures, imagesandwritten words, all ofwhich aresymbolswith a culturally
definedand agreed upon meaning.The definition ofarchetypes, which Jung
describesas inherited ideas derivedfrom the experiences ofa race orculture,
positionsthese shared experiences as essentialto cultural identity. For
Botticelli's "BirthofVenus,"
1445-1510,hascometo centuriesthe disciplines ofliterature, art, religion, and philosophyhave
representthearchetypeof embraced archetypal aspects ofhuman existencesuch as birth, death and
thegoddessoflove. loveas fodderforstories, scriptures, paintings, andtheorieswhich attemptto
rationalizethe nature and reason forourexistence.
Project Definition
continued
ArchetypeswithinAdvertising Archetypes have also served as inspiration for manyofthe images usedto
persuadea target audienceto buya product.Within advertisingthe messages
thatare mostsuccessful arethosewhich appealtoan intrinsically shared
experienceamongthe viewers.JamesTwitchell, author of"Adcult USA,"
explainsthatadvertising isa "language notjustabout objectsto be
consumed butabouttheconsumers ofobjects."3With this definition in mind,
advertising becomesa medium which can reflectthesituations,thoughts,
dreams, and anxieties ofthe intended audience. One ofthe earliestexamples
thatsupportsTwitchell's opinion isthatofparisian designerJules Cheret.
As a graphicdesignerworking attheturn ofthe century, Cheret's workwas
feltto have inspired women's liberation because itintroduced images of
fun-loving, independent, beautiful,young women tothe more repressed
female ofthe Victorian age. His representations ofthe modern woman
inspired a generation ofwomento dress and actdifferentlythan the
convention (see Precedents, pg. 6).
TheBeauty Myth Howimages ofbeautyare used againstwomen, byNaomiWolf
Contemporaryfeministissues While Cheret's workwas a catalystforthe liberation ofthe Victorian woman,
feminist NaomiWolfexpresses herconcern thatadvertising has created
images ofwomenthatthreaten the independencethat has been achieved by
the modern woman. Some ofthe mostvisible examples ofgraphicdesign can
befound within advertising. In fact,theAmericanAssociation ofAdvertising
Agenciesestimatesthatthe average adult is exposedto overthreethousand
ads perday.As consumers, itisattimes easierto recognizethewaif-like
model featured in the Calvin Klein ads as Kate Mossthan itisto remember
the name ofthefirstwomanto reachthe summitofMt. Everest(JunkoTabei
ofJapan). The Beauty Myth,asdefined byWolf, is not based on evolution,
sex, gender, aesthetics, orGod. Insteadthe "myth" isa result ofan ongoing
powerstrugglethatexists aswomen continueto redefinetheirroles in
CalvinKlein,2pageadplacementfrom society. Once defined bytheirworkskills, economicshrewdness, physical
Vogue, February1999
strength andfertility, today'swoman is assaultedwith images,facilitated by
photographyand mass production technologies, which redefine an ideal
thatis projected ontotheir bodiesandfaces. Fueled bya $33-billion diet
industry, a $22-billioncosmetic industry,a $300-million cosmetic surgery
industryand a $7-million pornographyindustry,the "myth" continuesto
exist byfeeding offofwomen's unconsciousanxieties regarding appearance.
AsWolfstates, "where modern women are growing, moving and expressing
theirindividuality, beautyis bydefinition inert,timeless, and generic."1
Wolfconcludes bystating thatthis passivedefinition ofbeautycontradicts
the more complexandfluctuating identityofmodern women. The resulting
contradiction weakensand divides women from each otherandfrom a
cohesivesense ofselfthatembraces powerand confidence aswell asfemale
sexualityand sensual pleasure.
Duetothe divisive nature ofthe "Myth," Wolfconcludes thattrue
freedom (forwomen) can onlybe achieved bytaking control overthe
definition ofbeauty. Wolfcontendsthat, "ifwe areto free ourselvesfrom
thedeadweightthat has once again been made outoffemaleness, itis not
ballots or lobbyists or placardsthatwomen will needfirst, itisa newway
to see."5
Project Definition
continued
Thisthesiswill attempttotake control and redefine beauty byfocusing
on the more positive characteristics ofpre-hellenicgoddessarchetypeswhere
theverysamequalitiesthatWolfdescribes as currentdividingfactors among
women were seen as qualitiesthat are desirableandvenerated as powerful.
Pre-hellenic mythology, which describesthetime precedingthe conquestof
Rome overGreece (7th and 8th centuries), wasa periodwhenthe myths ofthe
goddesses reflected a strong matriarchal ratherthan patriarchalfocus. The images
and symbolism represented bythegoddesseswere indicative ofthe powerand
fortitude ofwomen.These mythsdescribed atrue respectforthewoman in all
stages ofher life.
Application Thisthesistargetscommunication professionals orstudents interested
in learning howto identifyand developthe semiotic potential of
archetypeswhen used in visual communication.The application will
consistofclassifying existing advertising examples bythegoddess
archetypetheyinclude. Thethesis design application involvesshiftingthe
original intentions ofthechosen examples bychanging these archetypes.
The resulting designswill explorethe possibilitiesthatare afforded bya
juxtaposition ofcharacteristics represented bythe archetypesembodied in
thetriple goddess: Virgin-Maiden, Mother-Matron, Crone-Elder. Thisstudy
borrowsfrom existing advertisements placed in popularwomen's magazines
including Elle, Vogue, VanityFair,and Harper'sBazaar. First,the images
collectedfrom fashion advertisementswill be analyzed andclassified
according to criteria based on goddessarchetypes. Subsequently,these
images will be manipulatedto challengethe initial archetype represented.
The resulting solution will providea forum to bring awarenesstothe
problematicaspects ofimages ofwomen in advertising. This studywill be
designedto persuade communication professionalsand students ofthe
importance ofunderstanding howtheanalysis, use, and interpretation of
archetypescan bevaluabletothedevelopment ofeffective and responsible
graphicdesign solutions.
Precedents
To understand the differentaspects ofvisual communicationswhich are
involved in thisthesisstudy, itis importantto observe exampleswhich have
precededtheworkthatis being proposed. This studyis based uponthree
crucial factors:
1) defining archetypesastheyrelateto visualcommunication
2) interpreting the significance ofarchetypesthrough semiotics
3) influencingthe interpretation ofthearchetypes oncethe signifiers
orsignsare understood
Thisthesis referstothe following examples ofworkwhich serve as precedents
forthe differentcomponents ofthis study.
Archetypeswithin As a graphic artistworking in Paris,Jules Cheret(1836-1930), consideredthe
VisualCommunications fatherofthe modern poster, produced largeformatimagesfor music halls
Jules Cheret andtheaters, beverages and medicines, entertainersand pubs. These
eightfootimagestransformedthewalls ofParis with a cacophonyof
animated gestureand primarycolors. Cheret'scentral figureswere usually
beautiful young women thateventually becamearchetypes notonlyfor
the idealized presentation ofbeautiful women in mass media, butalso for
a generation ofwomen who were inspired bythedressand lifestyle of
Cheret's representations. Through graphicdesign andthe poster, Cheret
introduced a new role modelfor women in the latevictorian age. His
depiction ofwomen transformedthe properladyofthedrawing room into
a self-assured happywoman who enjoyed lifetothefullest.
As a precedentforthisthesis study, Cheret'sworkdemonstrates graphic
design as a communication vehiclethatwas ableto satisfythe promotional
requirements ofthe piecewhile still connecting with a much largergroup
ofpeople, in thiscase, women in need ofrole models. Cheret's representations
ofan "archetype" offemale beautyand hisapplication ofthese representations
provide historical examples ofthe use ofarchetypes in the process ofvisually
communicating messages.
The "Cherettes"represented
POPULAR anarchetypalformofbeauty
thatwasdesiredduringthe
FRENCHTONICWINE
turnofthecenturybecauseof
MftthtrimtfaltoaM/tuiMtunit theirdemonstratedexuberance
forlife.