“The situation into which the product of mechanical reproduction can be brought may not touch the actual work of art, yet the quality of its presence is always depreciated.” (Walter Benjamin, “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction," Section II)
The Mona Lisa (Leonardo Da Vinci, circa 1503) (and its circulation in popular culture) is illustrative of Benjamin’s argument regarding the status of the artwork in the age of mechanical reproduction. I’ve posted an image of the original painting along with one of its more recent cultural manifestations.* Describe one way the meanings associated with the original painting effect the product being sold. Provide one example of how the ad’s use of digital technology changes the meaning of the original (for instance, in this ad, how do we interpret her famous smile?) Comparing this advertisement to the Mona Lisas made by modern artists of the Dada and Surrealist movements (Below Marcel Duchamp, L.H.O.O.Q., 1919), what does the ad suggest about our society’s ideas and beliefs about beauty?
*The text at the bottom of the ad reads: “Pantene Time Renewal. Restores age-damaged hair.”
The Mona Lisa is a painting which conveys a sense of overall happiness and well being. This can be inferred due to the warm colors in the background illustrating a peaceful landscape and the smile upon the subject’s face. Because the company wants to market their product as satisfying to customers, the painting’s original meaning of general happiness is ideal to communicate a new but similar message of satisfaction from use of Pantene’s Time Renewal Shampoo. The ad’s use of digital technology changes the interpretation of the image because of the addition of refreshed, modern hair. In the advertisement, one might interpret Mona Lisa’s smile as joyful resulting from the shampoo’s effect on her hair. When comparing the advertisement to the Mona Lisa’s made by the modern artists of the Dada and Surrealist movements, the ad suggests that our society’s beliefs about beauty can be somewhat humorous and based upon juvenescence and modernistic style. When the Mona Lisa is featured with facial hair in the piece by Marcel Duchamp, we can conclude that the parody of this classic piece of art shows that society can light-heartedly poke fun at fields usually regarded in a more serious fashion. The fact that a comical effect was added to such a renowned painting reveals a cultural need to occasionally approach artwork in a more relaxed fashion. Furthermore, societies idea of beauty proves to be revitalizing a person’s appearance. Pantene adjusted Mona Lisa’s hair to “renew” it; this change suggests that society believes that beauty is present in new, modern state of being. When something is “renewed” it is restoring it back to an earlier form or making it like-new; therefore, by renewing Mona Lisa’s hair, Pantene has in fact made her more beautiful.
ReplyDeleteOlivia Gilbert 40302
The Mona Lisa is one of the most well-known pieces of artwork in the world. It is commonly known for its beauty and the Pantene advertising with that in mind. They also know that it is an old piece of art so by saying that it is a renewing shampoo, they are also renewing the beauty of the Mona Lisa and adding their own twist of modern beauty to it. This changes the original aura of the piece because it adds a modern beauty to it. But because they add a modern beauty to it takes away from the original beauty of the piece.
ReplyDeleteIn our culture, the understanding of Mona Lisa painting is simple and straight forwarding. According to S and C, " we use many tools to interpret images and create meanings with them, and we often use these tools of looking automatically, without giving them much thought. Images are produced according to social and aesthetic conventions" (p. 26). The value of the painting affects the way we consider the product being sold. We are aware with the fact it is famous painting by Da Vinci. We know the value of the painting is very high and that affects us when we see it. For example, whenever a person see the painting, that person automatically know about the painting without giving much though. The ad used the painting to emphasis the value of the product being sold. "If you value about your beauty and your hair, you should buy pantene shampoo." People in our culture do not bother giving our ads much thoughts, which explains why most of the ads are simple. The purpose of the ads is not to make you think too much, they just want to convince you to buy their product without giving much thoughts.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of beauty in our society in America has not changed much for at least a century. America is still very young in our history but our beliefs has not changed dramatically. With Mona Lisa painting, we can detect simple beauty with her face (smile, seductive look eyes, clean smooth skin). If you have the beauty, then your value is high like Mona Lisa. The ideology of beauty in America domains our society, and how we perspective others. We, americans, learned to focus on beauty and will do whatever necessary to have the beauty in their life. When we see the ad for Pantene, we want to feel like we do value our beauty like Mona Lisa.
Catie Eller 40302
It would probably be a very rare occasion if someone didn't recognize the Mona Lisa. They may not know the whole history behind it, but they know that its old and one of the most celebrated pieces of artwork of all time. By using this portrait as an advertisement, your getting people hooked on it. They know what the Mona Lisa should look like and they see that it's different. It's intriguing to see these changes and how they make something like this portrait into something that will help see their product.
ReplyDeleteAfter the digital effects were added to this painting, it seems like her smile is more distinct. Her flowing her and tan skin change what the original Mona Lisa was all about. Now the focus is more about nice her hair looks while the original was about natural beauty. In the original, she had fair skin and normal hair. After using the shampoo, she now has flowing and beautiful hair, but maybe before her hair was just as beautiful. Its all about the time that you live in and how such and such is perceived at that period of time.
After looking at the painting with of Mona Lisa with a mustache, you get the feeling that the artist was poking fun at beauty. I believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Like I said before the ideas and beliefs about beauty come from our culture. And these beliefs are shaped by television and advertisements such as this one.
Tyler Kozlowski 40302
The portrayal of the original artwork of Mona Lisa has been so exhausted that you would need to be from another planet to not even know what it is. Practically everyone knows that history behind the piece of art, and knows its creator. The sheer popularity makes the advertisement function because so many people know the original already. Without this prior knowledge the advertisements manipulations to the original would fall flat.
ReplyDeleteThe advertisement uses digital manipulation not only to the hair of the Mona Lisa but to the whole work of art. Comparing the original to the new digitally rendered advertisement it it’s interesting to not how much cleaner the image looks and how much revived the whole piece looks compared to the original. The piece suggest that not only does it drastically revive the way your hair looks but everything around you is also becomes fresh and new.
Given the history behind what Marcel Duchamp strived for, he definitely made a statement regarding what we perceive to the beautiful or important. The power behind the Dada movement is to make the viewer question art. Duchamp often manipulated his art to create a sense of irony or juxtaposition so that he leaves the stuffy museum art ideals stripped bare for everyone to see. In this particular manipulation he playfully changes the gender and almost makes the piece seem more sinister than pretty and nice.
ROB NIESEN
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ReplyDeleteThe Mona Lisa is probably one of the most recognizable pieces of artwork to date, and Pantene is a leader in hair products which make this association of products compatible. The Mona Lisa, produced by DaVinci, is a very simple yet complex painting, which has very specific meanings behind it. The product being sold is Pantene shampoo, hair renewal. The Mona Lisa is a great platform for the marketing of this product, for it has been seen by most everyone. It shows that the product can relate to a lot of people.
ReplyDeleteThe mechanical reproduction of the Mona Lisa is a very bold marketing strategy. The amplified colors and details catch the viewers’ eye, and is very vibrant. The hair is what stands out the most, which is the point of the advertisement. Anyone who has seen the original piece of artwork knows that Mona Lisa has very flat dark hair, but in the mechanically reproduced painting the hair is very wavy and glossy. This is meant to relay that the product can transform even the most age damaged head of hair. This changes the meaning of the original painting; Da Vinci wanted to show the beauty in even the most plain of people, but this advertisement expresses the product will bring out beauty all around. Notice that the hair isn’t the only thing that stands out, her smile and eyes seem to pop out as well. This is a very risky use of mechanical reproduction but it seems to not take anything away form the original piece of artwork yet transform it into an elegant more present portrait.
Josh Long 114-803
The Mona Lisa is probably the most recognized piece of art in western culture, which is a blessing and a curse in the age of mechanical reproduction. On one hand many people see it and can recognize it. On the other hand it lends itself to be used in advertising. Like the example of the pantine ad. The ad goes well with the painting but the ad also ruins the status of the painting. Now all of a sudden Mona Lisa is in the same category of Wendell, the Miller High Life personality. The painting also represents how our society views beauty as constantly changing. People always need the next shampoo or beauty product. Mona Lisa is what beauty was in 1503 now we define beauty as something completely different. Its turned from being natural to now being mechanical. Kind of like the change in art I feel that they go hand in hand with each other.
ReplyDeleteThe brand Pantene, used something as universal as the Mona Lisa in order to advertise their product. Their slogan,”Pantene Time Renewal. Restores age-damaged hair,” says it all. They took the Mona Lisa’s hair which was drawn in 1503, and with digital technology they restored it to darker, more fuller hair. This suggests to the audience that no matter how “age-damaged” your hair is, Pantene will be able to “restore” it. I think the Mona Lisa is perfect for this advertisement. She is such a cultural icon, almost everyone knows who she is and how old the painting is. I think the ad suggests that in our society women with fuller hair, are more attractive to the eye. It is kind of making a stereotype that say if you have dull hair, you are old. Looks are a huge part of our society. Nobody, especially women, want to look old, or ugly. We try every surgery, product, or exercise that will help them avoid it at all costs. I think that is what this advertisement is trying to convey.
ReplyDeleteStephanie Bane
The hardships and deterioration of the painting are a large part of The Mona Lisa. The Mona Lisa has been doused in acid, had a rock thrown at it, been stolen, and just the fact that it is nearly 500 years old. It is withered and worn down. But, the fact that all of these things happend to it is the reason why so much attention was called to it in the first place. But, the advertisement takes away all of the hardships and suffering that the painting has endured, which have become such a large part of her history. The advertisement uses digital technology to refresh the colors and values and make them more vibrant. But, in the process they take alot away from the painting. They use this concept of refreshing the painting to in turn effectively market their product. Not only does mona lisa have a much more modern hair cut and a shinier healthier looking head of hair. But her entire presence and environment are completly renewed as well.
ReplyDeleteJeremy Wuerch
The Mona Lisa is perhaps most famous for being an example of Renaissance portraiture in which subjects were framed waist up, enabling the viewer to interpret the subject’s form and facial features. In the Mona Lisa’s case, its particularly indistinct expression against a similarly ambiguous background. For one, the artwork is usually associated with the depiction of contemporary life in the 15th century expressed through the popularity of portraiture. Taking into consideration Pantene’s taglines, “Time Renewal” and “Age-damaged,” and the superimposition of the Pantene’s product image on that of a 15th century representation of life, the viewer is forced to accept the passage of time, as well as the inevitable changes that now represent our own contemporary life. The product therefore becomes more reliable because the viewer sees the Mona Lisa’s luscious hair as a representation of its power, its ability to transform age-old beauty into the more familiar present.
ReplyDeleteSuch features as the painting’s tonality or the subject’s expression can represent something totally different when placed in the context of Pantene’s product. Color correction changes the subject’s stark complexion into a frankly pleasant tan and the expression on the subject’s face may now seem to show a smirk; a satisfaction from using the product. The original’s ambiguity is replaced by a clear meaning: a happy consumer, posing for a portrait. Going along with Benjamin’s argument, the artwork’s aura is no longer maintained, as the reproduction fails to capture the artist’s original intent. The viewer, instead of being removed from the artwork, is being encouraged by Pantene to relate to the image; to interpret what the product can do for them.
Brian Lis
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ReplyDeleteKate Going
ReplyDeleteAs one of art history’s most iconic paintings, the Mona Lisa has been subject to exponential reproduction and many transformations. Dadaists like Marcel Duchamp conceived crude reinterpretations of the work – lewd and highly irreverent – perhaps to suggest that enjoyment of (and respect for) the Mona Lisa had become cliche. Andy Warhol also reinvented the image – further demonstrating the popularity and celebrity of the Mona Lisa. In today’s graphic world, this Renaissance masterpiece has been swept into the capitalist media scheme and appears in public advertising campaigns for products like shampoo. The shampoo advertisement, like the artistic interpretations of Duchamp and Warhol, serves as a commentary on the Mona Lisa’s popularity and widely perceived beauty. Unlike the artist’s representations of the Mona Lisa (which demonstrate the irony of the image’s popularity) the advertisement takes advantage of the largely positive societal reaction to the Mona Lisa and uses it to sell a product. If the Mona Lisa was not widely recognized or considered attractive, she would not sell any shampoo – after all, consumers buy from familiar and beautiful faces. In this, the Mona Lisa becomes a spokesperson for the product, silently endorsing time-renewal shampoo – smirking in her way, perhaps, because she knows the Pantene secret. In light of the Mona Lisa’s Dadaist and Pop interpretations, the use of the image as an advertisement seems a statement of modern society’s contentment with cliched and widely accepted perceptions of beauty. Why challenge popular concepts or hackneyed reverence of the Mona Lisa when these same qualities could be used to sell shampoo?
The original Mona Lisa masterpiece by Leonardo Da Vinc has an overall spirit of contentment surrounding it. Her face gives off a sort of warm, welcoming vibe. She seems to have a healthy body, and is dressed quite well. Her beautiful complexion, her long hair and her soft, delicately placed hands are attractive and easy on the eyes. The background, though a bit elaborate, does not distract the viewer from the focal point of the painting, Mona Lisa. Her smile is that of a young, humble woman who feels blessed. She is content in this moment and gives off a smile of graceful happiness. Women long to feel contentment and happiness, they want to feel beautiful and be confident in each step they take. Mona Lisa seems to be 'comfortable in her own skin.' Many women strive to feel this way as well and the media and popular culture know this (because they are at the root of it). Pantene knows that they can sell this 'rejuvenation' ideal. Women are subject to a culture where many around them are continually attempting to beautify their hair, face, or whatever it might be simply because of the overwhelming pressure to do so. The buttered up version of the Mona Lisa is laughable. In the ad, Mona Lisa is now a tanner woman with thick, curly hair and make-up. Not to mention the full on digital color enhancement of the entire work of art. This is speaking especially to those woman who are growing older and wish for a Mona Lisa style makeover. The meaning drastically changes with all of these enhancements. To put it simply, the original work of art portrays a woman who is seemingly content in her own skin, and the next is a woman who is experiencing contentment (short term, I believe) because of the great facial and hair products she acquired and used.
ReplyDeleteMarcel Duchamp's version of Mona Lisa implies a frustration with the established art scene. He shook others out of their art viewing comfort zone and made them question their motives. The gender is ambiguous and the handful of translations of the painting's name have a good dose of shock value. This version is intended in an entirely different way than the Pantene ad's intention. The rebellion behind Duchamp's piece is so brilliantly apparent. Learning about these historical facts has brought about a strong sense of intrigue in regards to art history. I hope to learn much more about these interesting ideas.
Benjamin Fisher