Around three years ago, I came across with series of videos on YouTube called Nature Is Speaking. These videos are voiced by famous people such as Julia Roberts, Harrison Ford, Kevin Spacey and many more, as if they are the nature itself. (I’ll put a link down below.) these videos were telling the viewer how we were destroying the nature but also reminding that mother nature has harbored way more powerful creatures than humans in the past. The video made me think what have I done in my life for nature as a product of commercial society. Of course, because I live in the boundaries of a social group and use social media, I was thought to believe that some products are better than others.
In the current years, there has been a social awareness around the world for natural issues. People realize that all the harmful and chemical products they have been putting in to their bodies have a side effect. For this reason, there has been a switch from chemical to natural sources. For instance, in beauty industry while for many years in most of the creams, shampoos and other indulgences paraben was a highly used product, there is a shift to palm oil. So, in my Hijack, I wanted to hijack the promotion of this change from chemical to natural. Although I cannot deny, it is a good thing for our body, and health, I am against the publicity of these products as if it is not destroying the nature and the habitat of animals.
For the first class I had a sketch of a face something similar to a face filled with worms and leaves. I was inspired by Italian painter Arcimboldo’s Spring. However, in the class discussion I heard very encouraging comments My classmates made me realize that my draft wasn’t actually hijacking the image but almost empowering the product. Then while discussing my product in the class someone brought the idea of YouTube videos where beauty gurus (using this term loosely) review beauty products on their channels.
So, for the second week, I actually created a product with food coloring, oreos and parsley trying to make it look like an “organic” product. In the cream I created, the red food-dye represents the blood of the animals that die because their habitat is destroyed. Oreos and parsley symbolizes the nature.
For the design of the product, I chose simple colors white cream boxwith pink sticker. The name of the brand is italicized to represent the elegance of the company and put few leaves to show that it is eco-friendly. To emphasize the elegance of the company, instead of choosing an English name, I chose a French name, Crème de nature.
For the video, I met with a friend of mine, Cristina, while I was introducing the cream, saying how eco-friendly it was, Cristina was putting on the cream on her body. Since the cream was red, the spectator could see the effects of the cream at that instant. So, I believe my cream does make people more aware (I hope) by using shock and disgust.
When I showed my product to the class, the class mainly liked it (I hope) Angela suggested that I should also have a design for the lid of the cream as well, and have a fancy decoration for the presentation. So, for my final presentation, I brought up some glitters and a panel, that looks like mirror.
Overall, I really had fun while doing this project. I think I really had chance to express my thoughts on industry by doing art.
