A reflective essay to accompany the thesis exhibition, the Wanderer, installed in the Gordon Snelgrove Gallery, 2013. An exploration of the questions and concepts informing the process of developing and refining the visual vocabulary of my practice. Images of women, topographical maps, floral imagery and astronomical maps provide the vocabulary of the language and syntax that I am developing to enunciate the interrelationships between the construction of self and lived experience, with concepts of identity, body and gesture, history and place.

La recerca en ciències socials desplega un ampli ventall d’aplicacions sectorials per a les quals el màrqueting i, en concret, la comunicació, es posen en pràctica a una multiplicitat de camps. La present investigació se centra en com la comunicació pren sentit al servei dels grups de música, en tant que creadors i responsables d’una obra que desitgen que arribi als públics. Es basa en una escena musical concreta, que engloba els grups de pop i rock que canten en llengua catalana. El producte que aquestes formacions ofereixen al mercat està marcat per la seva característica lingüística, i això condiciona les estratègies de comunicació que se’n deriven. La tesi té tres parts diferenciades. La primera i més extensa desenvolupa teòricament les bases de com la comunicació, com a política de màrqueting, té capacitat per aportar uns beneficis als grups de pop i rock en català. L’objectiu és unir dues disciplines que no han estat abans tractades conjuntament: la comunicació, d’una banda, i la música popular d’un territori concret (el català), de l’altra. A continuació i, abans d’iniciar la part central del treball de camp, basada en el mètode qualitatiu, es confecciona un model que, a partir de l’establiment de set grans categories i múltiples fonts d’informació, permet esbrinar els grups de música pop i rock en català que al llarg d’un període de temps concret han obtingut majors nivells de consum de la seva música i rellevància, en el territori català. Aquest sistema, pretén quantificar quelcom que no es troba documentat de cap altra manera i possibilita definir la mostra de grups de música a entrevistar posteriorment. La part central del treball empíric s’ha basat en entrevistes en profunditat a les formacions musicals que durant l’any 2010 van assolir majors nivells de consum i rellevància, i a professionals i experts del seu entorn: empreses del sector –discogràfiques i de management–, directors artístics de festivals, fires o mercats, periodistes especialitzats, representants de l’àmbit associatiu i l’Administració, etc. Aquesta etapa ha permès resoldre les incògnites que la investigació plantejava, és a dir, sobre el coneixement i actitud que tenen els grups vers la comunicació i el màrqueting, el grau d’ús i aplicació que fan de les seves estratègies, i com, en la seva activitat, estructuren el desenvolupament de la gestió d’aquestes àrees. Finalment, també s’han visualitzat els recursos i tècniques de la comunicació que aporten uns majors beneficis al col•lectiu de grups que conformen la parcel•la estudiada. / El estudio en ciencias sociales despliega un amplio abanico de aplicaciones sectoriales para las cuales el marketing y, en concreto, la comunicación, se ponen en práctica para una multiplicidad de campos. La presente investigación se centra en cómo la comunicación toma sentido al servicio de los grupos de música, en tanto que creadores y responsables de una obra que desean que llegue a los públicos. Se basa en una escena musical concreta, que engloba los grupos de pop y rock que cantan en lengua catalana. El producto que estas formaciones ofrecen al mercado está marcado por su característica lingüística, y esto condiciona las estrategias de comunicación que se derivan. La tesis tienen tres partes diferenciadas. La primera y más extensa desarrolla teóricamente las bases de cómo la comunicación, como política de marketing, tiene capacidad para aportar unos beneficios a los grupos de pop y rock en catalán. El objetivo es unir dos disciplinas que no han sido tratadas antes conjuntamente: la comunicación, por un lado, y la música popular de un territorio concreto (el catalán), por el otro. A continuación, y antes de iniciar la parte central del trabajo de campo, basada en el método cualitativo, se confecciona un modelo que, a partir del establecimiento de siete grandes categorías y de múltiples fuentes de información, permite conocer los grupos de música pop y rock en catalán que a lo largo de un período de tiempo concreto han obtenido mayores niveles de consumo de su obra y relevancia, en el territorio catalán. Éste sistema pretende cuantificar algo que no se encuentra documentado de ninguna otra forma y posibilita definir la muestra de grupos de música a entrevistar posteriormente. La parte central del trabajo empírico se ha basado en entrevistas en profundidad a las formaciones musicales que durante el año 2010 alcanzaron mayores niveles de consumo y relevancia, y a profesionales y expertos de su entorno: empresas del sector –discográficas y de management–, directores artísticos de festivales, ferias o mercados, periodistas especializados, representantes del ámbito asociativo y la Administración, etc. Esta etapa ha permitido resolver las incógnitas que planteaba la investigación, relacionadas con el conocimiento y actitud que los grupos tienen frente a la comunicación y el marketing, el grado de uso y aplicación que hacen de sus estrategias, y cómo, en su actividad, estructuran el desarrollo de la gestión de estas áreas. Finalmente, también se han visualizado los recursos y técnicas de la comunicación que aportan unos mayores beneficios al colectivo de grupos que conforman la parcela estudiada. / The social science research spreads out a white range of applications for which marketing and, specifically, communication, are applied to multiple fields. The present investigation is focused on how communication gets sense to the music bands’ service, as creators and responsible ones of a work who wish that it arrives to the public. It is based in a concrete musical scene, which includes pop and rock bands that sing in Catalan. The product that these groups offer to the market is marked by its linguistic characteristic, and this determines the communication strategies that are derived from. The thesis has three differenced parts. The first one and the lengthiest develops in theory the bases of how communication, as a marketing politics, has the capacity to contribute benefits to Catalan pop and rock bands. The point is joining two disciplines that have never been put together: communication, on the one hand, and popular music of a concrete region (Catalan), on the other hand. Then, and before starting the field work central part, based in the qualitative method, drawing up a model that, from the establishment of seven major categories and multiple sources of information, allows to find out the Catalan pop and rock music groups that during a concrete period of time have got higher levels of consumption of their music and popularity, in the Catalan region. This system, aims to quantify something that is not documented in any other way and making possible define the sample of bands in later interviews. The central part of the empirical work has been based in interviews to the groups which during 2010 achieved the highest consumption levels and popularity, and to professionals and experts of their business environment: companies in the sector –discographies and manager companies–, festivals’ artistic directors, fairs or markets, specialized journalists, representatives of an association and the Administration, etc. This phase has allowed solve the unknown that the investigation had set out, that is to say, about the knowledge and attitude that the groups have from communication and marketing, the rates of use and application that they do of their strategies, and how, in their activity, structure the development of the management of these areas. Finally, the resources and communication techniquesthat bring greater benefits to the collective groups that make up the studied areahave been visualized.

This thesis examines a new genre in Bible publishing: the BibleZine, a combination of the Bible with the formatting and visual elements of a teenage fashion magazine. The first BibleZine, Revolve: The Complete New Testament, appeared in the summer of 2003 and sold all of its 40,000 copies in a matter of months. This success has inspired a new line of Bible products, as several follow-up editions of Revolve and other BibleZines have flooded the marketplace. While the publisher and editors of Revolve claim that their modern creation is meant to inspire young readers to connect with the text of the New Testament, the forceful combining of the two disparate genres has produced an artifact whose form undermines and trivializes biblical content.<p> The significance of the BibleZines message extends beyond its updated magazine format. This thesis uses the theories of Kenneth Burke, George Dillon, Edwin Black, and several other rhetorical critics to reveal and critique the editorial influence found in this updated New Testament. The analysis is divided into three chapters that examine specific elements of the carefully orchestrated BibleZine, from the impact of Revolves prominent magazine-like features to the pseudo-friendships the editors create to influence its young target audience. Revolve does not represent a unique way of interpreting the Bible for a new generation. It may look contemporary in its format, but Revolve masks a materialistic and highly conservative ideology that will negatively influence its young readers in how they approach matters of identity and spirituality. My analysis will reveal the numerous ways the editors of the BibleZine use and manipulate biblical sanction in order to convey a consumeristic ideology.

No description available.

This thesis examines the political pop art of contemporary Chinese artist Wang Guangyi in light contemporaneous shifts within the political, economic, and artistic space of China from 1978 until the present. Through an analysis of the work of art as an historically determined antagonistic aesthetic praxis, this thesis attempts to reveal the sedimented traces of the alternative modernity which the Chinese government is actively attempting to construct. With its evocative juxtaposition of contrasting ideological forms, the artwork of Wang Guangyi seeks to deconstruct the normative and teleological narratives encountered within the dialectic interplay between state sponsored transnational capitalism and Marxist-Leninist communism. An understanding of the discursive structure upon which these dual modernising narratives has been based, and of the fragmented artistic space they have engendered, should serve to enliven the debate concerning the role of cultural production in questioning and revealing narratives of the nation, of the Self, and of modernity.

韓國流行音樂（K-Pop）逐漸在世界各地展露頭角，在台灣更使得哈日風潮逐漸被取代，成為最暢銷的外語專輯。本研究欲探討韓國流行音樂如何進軍以台灣為首的大中華市場，希望藉由Super Junior的例子，找出K-Pop成功行銷的秘訣。 經研究發現，不論是S.M.或是avex taiwan的規劃，種種努力皆是以「華語歌手、藝人」的角度來生產「在地偶像」，希望減少觀眾對Super Junior所代表「韓國」的印象，進而在華語流行音樂市場中創立新偶像。 / Korean Pop Music (K-Pop) gradually gained popularity around the world and became the most popular foreign pop music genre in Taiwan in 2009, replacing the long dominating Japanese Pop Music. The purpose of this study is to investigate how K-Pop entered the Greater China market by looking at the marketing strategy of Super Junior in Taiwan. The major finding of this dissertation is that all of S.M. and avex taiwan’s efforts were directed to making Super Junior a “local idol” in Taiwan. In other words, they wanted Super Junior to be a Chinese pop music star. These two companies tried to reduce the Korean impressions on Super Junior, and tried to create a new idol group in the Chinese pop music market.

No description available.

This thesis examines the political pop art of contemporary Chinese artist Wang Guangyi in light contemporaneous shifts within the political, economic, and artistic space of China from 1978 until the present. Through an analysis of the work of art as an historically determined antagonistic aesthetic praxis, this thesis attempts to reveal the sedimented traces of the alternative modernity which the Chinese government is actively attempting to construct. With its evocative juxtaposition of contrasting ideological forms, the artwork of Wang Guangyi seeks to deconstruct the normative and teleological narratives encountered within the dialectic interplay between state sponsored transnational capitalism and Marxist-Leninist communism. An understanding of the discursive structure upon which these dual modernising narratives has been based, and of the fragmented artistic space they have engendered, should serve to enliven the debate concerning the role of cultural production in questioning and revealing narratives of the nation, of the Self, and of modernity.

This thesis is an investigation of how spiritual ideas have contributed to West Australian academic and artist Tom Gibbons’s approach to Modernism. Against the backdrop of the local context I show how Gibbons’s 1950s undergraduate and 1960s post-graduate studies in the area of the occult and esoteric influences on Early Modernism provided him with an atypical perspective on Modernism itself but that this perspective resulted in his development of a Modernist sensibility particularly suitable for the type of questions asked about art in the later part of last century. My thesis traces Gibbons’s development of an integrated aesthetic “theory” that bridged for him the gap between a host of contrary sources. For Gibbons the bridge between divergent views on art, from the Modern period to the Renaissance period, is an ahistorical perspective based on Christian Immanence. He thus adopted a perspective that redefined the metaphysical aspects of Modernist abstraction through a particular approach to realism which celebrates the everyday world because of the Christian structures that for him condition it. I argue that his sensibility, which combines the stylistic features of a Modernist literature witty juxtaposition, irony and paradox with the concept of Christian Immanence, resulted in an oeuvre which can be read as a particular example of what Ken Wilber in the late 1990s termed Integral Studies. I argue that underlying Gibbons’s use of Christian Immanence is the Integralist’s understanding that the world’s great philosophical and spiritual traditions approach consciousness and experience through similar ideas. The argument presented, in agreement with writers such as Wilber, is that Gibbons’s capacity to develop a sense of life’s irony and metaphor, and to then use this as a capacity to embrace the beauty and outrageousness of the whole, is a mature spirituality that provides an integrated perspective filled with joy for the ordinary. I conclude that his art provides a particular example of how the loss of meaning felt by Modernists may be addressed.

The following study examines the construction of political identities in the cinematic adaptations of Suzanne Collins "The Hunger Games". This is done through the lense of a post-structuralist, discourse-oriented, theoretical framework. Drawing on Chantal Mouffe's and Ernesto Laclau's concept of hegemony as well as Kimberle Crenshaw's theory of intersectionality (amongst others), I used the series main protagonist - Katniss Everdeen - as the focal point of my analysis. Situated in the intersection between class, gender and race, she is a pivotal subject in the hegemonic struggle of the films, having been labelled as a feminist icon. My aims were as follows: Firstly, I wished to establish the hegemonic structures of The Hunger Games. Secondly, I interpreted in what ways Katniss Everdeen related to these, and lastly, I sought to connect my findings to central concepts of school democracy - as I am to become an upper secondary teacher in social studies.       The analysis leaves one ambiguous as to whether Katniss is to be seen as a subversive or conformist figure. If we look at the narrative where she acts as the unifying "Mockingjay" in the struggle against "The Capitol", several subversive acts can be found - especially concerning class. However - the parallell narrative of the love-triangle, the one between Katniss, Peeta and Gale, distorts the picture. The revolutionary subversiveness of Gale is contrasted with the democratic conformity of Peeta. In the end, Katniss chooses the latter. This is to be seen against the horizon that most characters in disadvantaged positions die in their hegemonic resistance. Democracy is thus construed as the safe option, whereas heteronormativity and racism remain largely unchallenged. Regarding the reality of pupils - Katniss can be used to illustrate the limits and possibilities of the intersectional experience, and more so, to demonstrate the precariousness of diverging from the norm.