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My investigation is going to start with Brian Ulrich and Marco Ugolini.

I want to
explore the importance of colour, with particular reference to the retail
environment. Through previous investigations of colour theory, I am aware of
colours ability to affect and impact upon people. Therefore, theoretically it is
surely being used as a tool to impact and influence the modern day consumer
the people who buy products. My referenced artists are both dealing with
branding and consumerism and therefore they are easily comparable in their
content. It is in their technique, however that they show their individuality and
this is due, I feel, to the difference in their backgrounds. For instance, Ugolini is a
graphics designer, whereas Ulrich is a photographer, leading them to arguably
have altering perspectives upon the purpose of their work.
Brian Ulrich is an American artistic photographer who spent 10 years
constructing a project called Copia in which he travelled across the whole of
America, documenting a variety of retail environments. His works is intended to
be displayed in exhibitions; the images are conversation pieces designed to
convey something personal which the photographer wishes to express. While at
the same time expressing something we can all relate to. I would consider his
project to be a documentary due to the candid nature of the photographs. His
intentions seem to be to encourage the viewer to recognize the allure of certain
hues, tones and saturations of both product branding and retail environments.
This is evident through his clever use of composition in one he uses a slanted
perspective to empower the row of luminous red shopping tills to draw your eye
to the horizon line. There is a purpose for shopping tills to sometimes be this
colour. This is because retails want to warn the shoppers that the tills are the end
of the shopping experience. Essentially what they are trying to do is deter you
from leaving to soon so you can spend more money.
In contrast Marco Ugolini has a very different perspective of photography as he is
a graphics designer, dethatching him from a purely photographic perspective.
His intentions are evident through his manipulation of the branded objects into a
staged collection: a still life. This creates an interactive element, as he has gone
and collected shop items from shelves and grouped them together by colour in
one shopping basket, moving him in to the position of instigator rather than
detached observer. This comes from his disposition of a graphics designer. He is
programmed to make things visual and so by grouping the colours together
and so by grouping the colours together he is making an aesthetically pleasing
photo. Arguably, this is true for photographers however; they are still contrasting
because Ugolinis work is a means to an end meaning he doesnt value his
work as much as Ulrich but he is still achieving the same aim.
Colours are extremely vital to branding and marketing in todays society. They
can have huge impacts and influences on how we feel and what decisions we
make. For instance, some colours like yellow and orange typically send a warm
feeling of friendliness to the viewers. This acts as a pull factor to persuade
consumers to purchase the product. Whereas other colours can come with more
negative connotations but these are rarely used in branding and advertising. The
colour blue is considered by psychologists to be beneficial to the human mind
and body as it slows down human metabolism and produces a calming effect.
The colours is stereotypically a masculine colour especially, dark blue. Another
popular colour amongst certain brands is Green because it is supposed to make
people think of the environment and personal health which we are all very aware
of in modern society.

Despite their works having multiple differences there are some elements which
resemble one another. In particular, a similarity is their intention to express the
importance of colour in the branding of consumer products. Even though their
photographs are different the meanings they are trying to are exactly the same.
They are both trying to show how supermarkets manipulate customers to spend
money through the choice of colour, logos and catchy slogans. Both of them use
advancing colours in their photographs. This is done to create a clear focal point.
Ugolini wants the contents of the shopping basket to be central focused and
Ulrich wants the same effect however directed onto the rows of products that
stock the shelves and even the colour of the shelves themselves.
I find more merit in Marco Ugolinis approach as his work is a truer analysis of the
intrinsic power within all things visual. However, it is interesting to note that
Ugolinis work is more contrived than Ulrichs because he has moved objects into
the same place whereas Ulrich has just taken a photo of what is already there.

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