With so much corruption and problems within our modern world, it is only natural for people to create art with strong meanings and connections, whether they are clear or hidden. These often connect with a wide range of viewers, sparking a reaction and a call for change.

I greatly enjoyed the irony within this piece and the direct contrast to the magazine and the subject. I feel it relates to the irony most people feel within times of war – how can we create peace by using weapons and bloodshed? The addition of the missing teeth portrays a shocked emotion upon the skull which only adds to the irony. I also admired the use of the dark background, emphasising the dark atmosphere and meaning. Furthermore, I liked how it wasn’t pure black as if the subject was placed into a void; there are smudges and scratches which make it appear more life-like but also as if someone was trying to wipe away and hide something.

For me, there is a large depth of contrast within this image. We see a young boy, who normally is full of connotations of innocence, points the gun at the viewer with an expression so full of anguish. This contrast sparks a call for change regarding gun laws. The power play in this photograph is interesting; the viewer has become victimised, the gun so close that it is no longer in focus, as if we are unaware and searching for the reason behind our fate. We see a character in the background with their back towards us, as if this is a daily occurrence which we have become immune to. I feel that the use of the smaller boy is also key, he looks to the older child in admiration and we regret that he will most likely follow in the same path. However, he has his hand upon him, is this in support or to stop the event?

The business and clutter within this photo directly relates to the way the majority of the population lives their lives – following the crowd, buying into consumerism. The lifelessness of the female on the bed along with the small and cramped conditions of the room help to reinforce ‘the less you live’. She is alone within the photo and has become victimised by the society we live in. The use of the second person within the text also directs the image at the viewer and I liked the wordplay of the title ‘Buyological Urge’. It is not within our human nature to desire these objects, it is because of marketing that we have fallen into this downward spiral of misery.

Image one: Protect and Survive, Peter Kennard (1980)

Image two: William Klein, Gun 1, New York, (1955)

Image three: Adbusters, Buyological Urge