Dawn Woolley, Author at The Open College of the Arts

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Dawn Woolley

Looking at adverts: 17

Posted: 06/04/17 09:54 | 10 Comments

I have chosen to look at anti-ageing commodity adverts in this blog because they frequently combine science with nature and myth in a fascinating way.

Looking at adverts: 16

Posted: 18/04/16 10:31 | 5 Comments

I decided to use this blog post to offer a sneak preview of some of the things I will be talking about in my paper for the ‘Photography Matters’ conference in Doncaster in May. I will be discussing how consumer culture affects identity in advanced capitalist societies, referring to the inclusion of ‘selfies’ in advertisements.

Looking at adverts: 15

Posted: 01/03/16 09:08 | 8 Comments

Today, adverts invite women and men to play dolls with themselves. But for this to be acceptable for male consumers it must be disguised as playing soldiers, or at least some sort of useful ‘work’. A feminine version of consumption is only palatable if it is masculinised. Instead of relating it to pleasure, the product is made to signify a scientific process, an investment and a form of labour. It is about precision and adding value to the body, with the added help of Swiss engineering technology.

Looking at Adverts: 14

Posted: 18/12/15 11:09 | 15 Comments

In advertisements different words predominate at different times of the year. I decided to survey the key words that appear in Christmas adverts. The range of products that are sold with the promise of creating magic, making us sparkle or offering an indulgent and innovative treat is quite staggering!

Looking at Adverts: 13

Posted: 12/11/15 09:26 | 13 Comments

The impact of photographs, particularly photographs of violence and suffering, has long been debated. Dawn looks at advertising campaigns which have brought crises closer to home, disrupting our desensitisation to shock us into action.

Looking at Adverts: 12

Posted: 24/09/15 09:25 | 2 Comments

By taking Photoshop techniques out of the digital realm and into the real world, will we see increasingly ‘real world’ images of faces? Or have the definitions of ‘real’ and ‘unretouched’ bent to the needs of the advertisers?

Looking at Adverts: 11

Posted: 12/08/15 09:59 | 4 Comments

In this instalment of her blog Dawn examines the tactics employed to sell ice-cream and their variety depending on the intended audience.

Dawn In Venice: 2

Posted: 09/07/15 09:04 | 0 Comments

In this second and final blog on the Venice Biennial, Dawn reflects on the variety of photography that was displayed and the numerous ways in which it was presented.

Looking at Adverts: 10

Posted: 17/06/15 09:54 | 15 Comments

In this instalment of Dawn’s blog she discusses a paper that she presented a paper that argued that ‘selfies’ could disrupt gender and ‘ideal body’ stereotypes as well as reinforce them.

Dawn in Venice: 1

Posted: 29/05/15 12:09 | 2 Comments

In the first of a duo of blogs Dawn discusses her personal highlights from her recent visit to the Venice Biennial.