The relationship between art and advertisement

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ART AND ADVERTISEMENT
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(11th July, 2012)
The Relationship between Art And Advertisement
The ways of interpretation of texts and image and texts are based on interpreter`s interpretation of events, past history, belief and perception. In his book, ‘Ways of Seeing,` john Berger explores the way we interpret and view the art. The writer`s message relates to the message interpretation.
The term ‘publicity images` for Berger, has a similar meaning to ‘advertising images`. He points out that they are merely visual messages last momentarily, both in terms of how frequently they need to be updated and how long we look at them. Despite this, they do not refer to the present but to the future. He adds on that these images can only and are mostly justified in the economic system terms. Their underlying theory is that they benefit the consumer, by raising the level of consumption and as a result, the economy. He goes on to remind that the whole system of publicity is based on the proposal that lives can be changed for the better if we spend more and despite having spent, our lives will be enriched even further by possessing more.
According to Berger, publicity also works by peddling glamour whether false or real. When we look at a publicity image (advert) we are usually drawn to reason that that a person`s life will change when we spend more and thus end up envying the ‘person in the picture`.
The direct relationship between oil painting and publicity images (advertisement and art) has been obscured by cultural prestige. Advertisement will often make some direct reference to past art, either by incorporating the art into the publicity image or by copying it in some way. This kind of art ‘quoting` according to him achieves two things. Art is associated with beauty and wealth and the advertisement benefits from this. Art is also superior to mere materialism and thus, has cultural authority. This use of art allows the advertisement to promote two contradictory things, consumerism and cultural or Spiritual refinement.
Public advertising is the culture of today`s consumer society in Berger`s view and there are reasons why it draws on art: Firstly, art expressed the idea that you are what you have and thus it celebrated private property. For this reason, public imagery has not replaced post-Renaissance art, it is merely an extension. Secondly, it is nostalgic effect. Because of its references to quality being bound to the traditional past it would be neither credible nor confident if it spoke in contemporary terms and the advertisers love this. Thirdly, the traditional education of the spectator-buyer is exploited. Advertisements do not need to make accurate or specific historical references; in fact it is preferred that they don`t. Fourthly, oil painting and colour photography are very similar in their ability to produce a sense of tactile reality to the spectator, boosting the sense of the possibility of owning or that of actually owning something, in the case of the spectator-buyer and owner respectively.
Artwork starts with facts, just by the fact that the Spectator-owner owns what is shown, it confirms his status and boosts his ego. Advertisements on the other hand, make him dissatisfied with his life and diminish his ego. The spectator-buy...