Art and Advertising

Art and Advertising

In the world that we live in, visual art has played and continues to play an important factor in our daily lives. We are creatures that watch and see everything, and then interpret what we see based on our experiences and personalities. Everyone takes something different away from what they see. Because of this, visual art and advertising are intertwined. Advertisements want to draw people in, therefore there has to be visual attraction and relation.

In Ways of Seeing by Berger, chapter 7 speaks of art and commercialism. It says that “Publicity images often use sculptures or paintings to lend allure or authority to their own message” (135). The John Wayne statue piece of art by Marisol was made in 1963. The point of this piece of art was to both celebrate John Wayne and also to be a bit humorous. John Wayne was and is such an American icon that this artwork not only brings attention to the western media, but it also makes the viewers feel like they can enjoy and relate to the piece of art.

                Part of the reason why I found the John Wayne artwork so interesting was because I automatically knew who it was and what the horse represented. Commercialism is all about relating to the audience in a way that they will not have to think too much about the product, in this case the art. If the audience does not have an artistic eye or the desire to sit and think about what the hidden meaning is, then they are going to be attracted to what they can easily understand and comprehend. For me, this piece of art was easy to look at and enjoy.

                The piece had multiple images of John Wayne’s face to give an idea of what all he did and who he was in different images. It had him holding up a gun, wearing cowboy boots, a cowboy hat, and riding a horse. This shows his western self. It is advertising for several things. The first is obviously John Wayne. The second is western culture in general, whether it be western film or western people. The third is the portrayal of John Wayne. The art is very colorful and fun. It catches your eye and automatically puts you in the position to think of him as an exciting character.

                I believe that the presentation of artwork is very important when it comes to advertising, or even to relating to an audience or viewer. The people determine the meaning of the artwork, but the artwork itself is what gives them the ability to develop a meaning. It is easy to advertise using still images because they can represent so many different things. The interpretation is in the eye of the viewer.

Berger, John.  Ways of Seeing. London: Penguin Books, 1972. Print.