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Art Everywhere was drowned out by the adverts it was meant to challenge Art Everywhere was drowned out by the adverts it was meant to challenge
(12 days later)
Adverts have crept into every crevice of our daily lives. We are exposed to thousands of marketing messages every day and a recent study by YouGov found that 66% of UK and US adults feel its an oversaturated environment.Adverts have crept into every crevice of our daily lives. We are exposed to thousands of marketing messages every day and a recent study by YouGov found that 66% of UK and US adults feel its an oversaturated environment.
Art Everywhere is an ambitious project that has attempted to reclaim some of our public spaces that have been so mercilessly invaded by advertising, replacing more than 22,000 posters and billboards with great works of art, as selected by the public. The scheme is about engaging people with art, with the organisers claiming as much as 90% of the population will be reached by the campaign. This is a commendable aim, and certainly something Tate, one of the project's major backers, should be trying to achieve, given that only 11% of visitors to its galleries are from lower social classes. Taking artworks out of the cloistered confines of the gallery certainly seems an effective way to demystify art and improve accessibility.Art Everywhere is an ambitious project that has attempted to reclaim some of our public spaces that have been so mercilessly invaded by advertising, replacing more than 22,000 posters and billboards with great works of art, as selected by the public. The scheme is about engaging people with art, with the organisers claiming as much as 90% of the population will be reached by the campaign. This is a commendable aim, and certainly something Tate, one of the project's major backers, should be trying to achieve, given that only 11% of visitors to its galleries are from lower social classes. Taking artworks out of the cloistered confines of the gallery certainly seems an effective way to demystify art and improve accessibility.
Whether the project can be considered a success is questionable. "It just blends in," one viewer told the BBC about a David Hockney piece. And he's right; I didn't notice a single piece of work that was part of the project until this week, after it was supposed to have finished. How many pieces I had inadvertently seen without spotting them?Whether the project can be considered a success is questionable. "It just blends in," one viewer told the BBC about a David Hockney piece. And he's right; I didn't notice a single piece of work that was part of the project until this week, after it was supposed to have finished. How many pieces I had inadvertently seen without spotting them?
The issue is that the sheer proliferation of adverts we are exposed to has conditioned us to notice some things and filter out others, using so-called "ad-avoidance strategies". It is something that brands are aware of, and consequently spend millions trying to combat with ever more creative, aggressive and intrusive forms of advertising. The subtle intricacies of Hockney's style, even with his trademark bright palette, are not designed to compete with slickly marketed adverts in this context.The issue is that the sheer proliferation of adverts we are exposed to has conditioned us to notice some things and filter out others, using so-called "ad-avoidance strategies". It is something that brands are aware of, and consequently spend millions trying to combat with ever more creative, aggressive and intrusive forms of advertising. The subtle intricacies of Hockney's style, even with his trademark bright palette, are not designed to compete with slickly marketed adverts in this context.
As a result, the Art Everywhere prints were drowned out in a torrent of bold text, catchy slogans and in-your-face images. The positioning of the prints in city centres and transport links meant that most people were probably only able to catch a fleeting glimpse of each artwork, making the art feel disposable and unworthy of prolonged attention, just like the adverts they replaced. Indeed, rather than the art subverting the advertising, it felt as though the art was appropriated by the adverts, swallowed up mercilessly and spat out.As a result, the Art Everywhere prints were drowned out in a torrent of bold text, catchy slogans and in-your-face images. The positioning of the prints in city centres and transport links meant that most people were probably only able to catch a fleeting glimpse of each artwork, making the art feel disposable and unworthy of prolonged attention, just like the adverts they replaced. Indeed, rather than the art subverting the advertising, it felt as though the art was appropriated by the adverts, swallowed up mercilessly and spat out.
If art institutions are serious about increasing the reach and relevance of art, they need to recognise the competition for attention in a landscape saturated by marketing images. I'm all for putting art in different contexts, but perhaps the organisers should have commissioned new works, or even adapted existing ones, which used the format of an advert as an advantage not a weakness.If art institutions are serious about increasing the reach and relevance of art, they need to recognise the competition for attention in a landscape saturated by marketing images. I'm all for putting art in different contexts, but perhaps the organisers should have commissioned new works, or even adapted existing ones, which used the format of an advert as an advantage not a weakness.
Street art is acutely aware that it is competing for attention in the urban environment and by appropriating the imagery of brands and advertising, it subverts the power of advertising as a form of satire and critique. As a marginalised practice, street art doesn't just assume you will pay it attention – it actively fights for it. The organisers should no doubt be applauded for their bold efforts, but perhaps they should have taken a leaf out of street art's book, because after all, with a bit of thought and creativity, art can overcome the power of advertising in the battle for peoples' attention in public spaces.Street art is acutely aware that it is competing for attention in the urban environment and by appropriating the imagery of brands and advertising, it subverts the power of advertising as a form of satire and critique. As a marginalised practice, street art doesn't just assume you will pay it attention – it actively fights for it. The organisers should no doubt be applauded for their bold efforts, but perhaps they should have taken a leaf out of street art's book, because after all, with a bit of thought and creativity, art can overcome the power of advertising in the battle for peoples' attention in public spaces.
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