noticing

The idea of noticing media was discussed this week. To bring this into practice we broke up into groups and wandered the city, making a point to note as many different forms of media around us. I took a walk through Melbourne Central (which i might add is my least favorite place in the city) and took time looking places I usually wouldn’t- up above, on the floor and listening.

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As expected, most of the media spotted or heard was forms of advertisement. Whether they were hand drawn, moving screens or stickers on the floor advertising was everywhere. When i picked up my phone to check Facebook there were posts encouraging me to download the ‘Kim Kardashian Hollywood’ app. When i went to roll a cigarette there were warnings plastered on the packet. On the train platforms there’s  TV screens playing advertisement in a loop. Even when i would just stop and listen to nothing in particular I could pick out different types of music playing from stores, people talking on their phones, the chant of a protest outside.

In the lectorial John Cage was mentioned. He was a composer who is famously known for his piece 4’33”, where he simply sat at a piano for 4 minutes 33 seconds without playing or saying anything. Although the audience were inevitably confused initially ,it encouraged people to listen to the world around them. Just because there isn’t a song playing or a conversation going on it doesn’t mean there isn’t something to be heard. It’s an interesting idea, and one I may utilize in my self portrait assignment.

hayleemccormick

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