detox

flash mob

junkie

Detox
‘Threat Fatigue’ is a term describing the lack of fear in the public resulting from constant warnings about terrorist attack. Nonetheless, the terrorists are still out there, and the decontamination unit ready to hose down victims of a chemical or biological attack is a media nightmare that lurks in the back of the mind. It is difficult to know how great the threat is, how much of it is exaggeration for political ends. The juxtaposition of the light media term ‘detox’ with the serious issue of terrorist attack shows the tension between alarmism and disbelief in media opinions about the issue, and our own uncertainty about what to believe.

Flash Mob
The paparazzi are the ultimate flash mob, swarming to any celebrity sighting or media event to generate publicity.

Junkie
Fast food culture is another hot media topic. We like fast food, but increasingly worry about its effects on society, with the number of obese people rising and the ensuing health implications.

McJob

quality time

W.M.D.

McJob
Perhaps the worst poorly paid job you can get these days is the one where you are posted to Iraq and have to face death on a daily basis.

Quality Time
Is the best time we have the time we spend in front of the television? Is the television a media shrine, a place of escapism from the real world? Are its stories more fulfilling than our own lives?

W.M.D.
Wepaons of Mass Destruction are a constant shadowy threat, according the media and the government. But maybe the real weapons of mass destruction are built into our lifestyle today. Burning all the petrol hastens global warming and threatens the world we live in.

My Big Media ABC

You can download images from the book in a thumbnail format to load onto your iPod at Clickwheel

This illustrated book is in the style of a book designed to help children learn to read. However, behind the innocent facade lurks a satirical take on the media, politics and society. A selection of pages from the complete book are presented here.

The book was a final year degree project on BA Arts & Design at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and was awarded first class honours.

Each page contains a word or phrase in recent media usage, coupled with an ironic and thought-provoking illustration.

With ABC books, children learn to build up their picture of the world through reassuring images and letters. As adults, do we absorb from the media a continual feed of hysteria, opinion and world problems, coupled with advertising-induced cravings? Are we made up from an alphabet of today's media topics?

The book deals with the media portrayal of today’s issues in a light-hearted way, and allows us to reflect on our situation, wanting to make the right choices but often unsure what to believe.

Email me for more information.

© Alec Hole 2006-2009

portfolio
hhcwhitewitharrow

alcopop

buzzword

chavs

detox

eye candy

flash mob

gaydar

happy slap

interpersonal

junkie

kneejerk

largin' it

McJob

no-brainer

on demand

pandemic

quality time

reality

supersize

talk to the hand

upbeat

virtual

W.M.D.

x-factor

youth

zombies

© Alec Hole 2006-2009