The Illusion of Choice
One of the most important influences in the modern world is advertising, particularly that which is subliminal and we are not consciously aware of. We do not know it is happening, and we do not know who is behind it, but our actions are manipulated nevertheless. I was struck by the notion that the true power of advertising comes from the mistaken belief that it does not directly affect us. It is this aspect that is the most powerful for me and I wanted to portray this through my images. I have made the controlling figures anonymous in my pictures to reflect this subliminal, foreboding message, and to make my images more effective. My compositions depict the different ways that advertising can affect our society and I hope that they will make the viewer consider how the media might be affecting them.
Digital manipulation has played a large role in my project. Throughout, I have learnt and applied a variety of techniques. I have explored subjects such as conformity, manipulation and temptation in advertising and these four final photographs represent the ways in which the media effects society.
