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I made the Obey TV Advertisement print in 1996, inspired by a few things. I was a fan of Barbara Kruger’s economical but potent combinations of image and text typified by a red bar with bold Futura text in white. I also was fascinated by Marshall McLuhan’s concept of “the medium is the message,” which suggests that the ways forms of media are digested lend to a style and formula of messaging for success to such an extent that the message mutates to best adapt to the style and medium of delivery. Television is a great example since it is received passively and laden with catchy soundbites and snappy clips meant to be fast, easy, and pleasing to digest. Ads are nothing more than a device woven into the entertainment rhythm with a sales agenda. I made a skateboard film in 1995 called A.D.D. Attention Deficiency Disorder (I shortly after realized the actual clinical term is Attention Deficit Disorder… oh well) which focused on skateboarding and the idea that the overwhelming inundation of media was making us a bit more anxious and shortening our attention spans. I enjoyed the irony of commenting on media over-saturation while also contributing to media over-saturation. Things have only become more intense in the age of social media. I’m a big fan of using a plethora of media to spread art and ideas, but I think carefully about the pros and cons of various media forms and how they can influence content. I want to empower myself and others with digital tools while avoiding the race-to-the-bottom approach. We all benefit as consumers and creators from an awareness of the inherent characteristics of different forms of media. In 1996 I was just beginning to think in a deeper way about some of these concepts.
I’m excited that this is the first release in the new OBEY ARCHIVE NFT series. If you’re interested in that information, tune into Discord and Twitter. Thanks for caring!
–S
