During this class we were made to select a symbol of oppression or something that symbolized a social movement. We were to look up their backgrounds and contexts. After understanding the symbols, we stripped them off their texts and used them solely as aesthetic motifs to create patterns. This exercise gave rise to questions relating to the ethics around using an image in this way. How appropriate was it to trivialize an image in this fashion? How do ethics change from the context of a classroom as opposed to a professional setting? In the second part of the assignment we were to look further than just the literal symbolism of the image chosen, to construct or imply a deeper meaning visually and contextually by creating a form of narrative. The narrative was then to be composed into a pattern. These were called conversing patterns. Most of the patterns we generated became provocative as we placed them in relation to other relative symbols. We made the imagery more open by diversifying the associative quality of the patterns thereby leaving them open to interpretation. Changing meaning plays a large part where ethics are concerned.
The pattern i was working on actually stemmed from the Jolly Roger as a symbol of oppression toward the merchant navy during the elizabethan era. It allowed me to have a little more fun with the constrcution of the pattern as opposed to many other selected symbols (free trade, copyright, black power, the jewish star) The jolly roger, pirate flag was commonly associated with fear and death. The simple symbolism on the flag portrayed death and instilled fear in the minds of sailors. Commonly associated to sadicism, the visuals pirates incorporated had a lot of perverse connotations. The flag in itself being a strong sumbol to matk out territory, it was part of what was called 'psychological warfare'. The imagery changed from one pirate to the next.
Sing a song of sixpence a pocket full of rye,
Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened the birds began to sing,
Oh wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the king?
The king was in his counting house counting out his money,
The queen was in the parlour eating bread and honey
The maid was in the garden hanging out the clothes,
When down came a blackbird and pecked off her nose!
