Empowerment Of The Consumer

In developing my own 'Ojo De Dios' designs, I began looking at it as more than a representation of time and warranty. What if I use my interpretations of tribalism as a tool for empowerment of the consumer, or tribesman. In tribes the signs of power and wealth vary between cattle, daughters, wives and crops - but what is the modern equivalent. Can this 'Ojo De Dios' visual concept be reinterpreted as a visual tapestry of one's position. In the 'Apple Tribe', this could almost be an all-encompassing barcode of all the consumables a member owns - the more the better. Is this something physical that would be displayed freely? Or something digital that is linked to the devices and user account?

Tribalisation

The Territories Presentations are upon us, here is a graphic outlining my concept so far. Looking at tribal civilisation and how it has been affected by the spread of colonialism, I want to explore the narrative of tribalism spreading in our modern society. This is not to focus on the overt, wherein the tribal system is dragged and dropped forcibly in a society where it doesn't really belong any more (though this is the way colonialism and empires spread, it's slightly too ignorant to design for such circumstances).

The idea is to look at the more subtle nuances of tribal life in our everyday and how they can be emphasised. I also need to stop borrowing visual language from tribes - the designs and tribes of my project need to emerge from the culture within which they are based.

What Is A Tribe?

A tribe is best defined by its members rather than by outsiders - a group of people can be considered to belong to the same tribe if they:

- regard themselves as having the same customs and language
- are descended form the saem group of ancestors
- have a sense of political affiliation that reaches beyond the family unit

Interview With A Tribesman

This is Joel Yawanawa, a member of the Amazonian 'Nixiwaka' tribe, and as of last year, my new god-brother. I recently conducted an interview with him and his wife, Oona, who travelled deep into the Amazon rainforest to live with his tribe, fell in love and moved to London. It was a great opportunity to see views of tribal life through the eyes of Joel who grew up there, and Oona who adapted to their customs. It also raised the question - what did Joel bring from the tribe to London, if anything? I am currently editing the footage and will post the interview soon.

Ojo De Dios

The 'Ojo De Dios', or 'God's Eye' is a ritual tool and cultural symbol with magical and spiritual associations. For the Huichol peoples of western Mexico, the 'God's Eye' is symbolic of the power of seeing and understanding that which is unknown and unknowable, The Mystery. The four points represent the elemental processes earth, fire, air, and water. Physically, the 'God's Eye' is a simple or complex weaving made across two or more sticks. When a child is born, the central eye is woven by the father, then one eye is added for every year of the child's life until the child reaches the age of five.

It's fascinating to see the concept of birth, or creation, being represented through a physical monument or design. Tying it in with the 'tribalisation' or our culture, I would like to perhaps look at representing the creation and sustenance of consumer products, such as those of Apple, through these kinds of designs. For instance, can each Macbook have a 'God's Eye' created randomly to symbolise it's creation and creator, which would then develop over time to show it's age and perhaps relate to any warranties.

Incense Warranty Prototype

I have been sculpting and sketching various ideas in anticipation of this idea for physical warranties. The totem pole in African and Native American tribal belief is a strong protective image, intimidating outsiders and evil spirits. I am not sure at the moment how exactly incense will work as a material, yet it is unlikely that it can be manipulated too easily so moulding may be the only option.

Cardboard & Gaffa

In class, we were set the task of recreating an existing object that tied into our projects. Displayed above is my interpretation of an indigenous American spiritual charm, which would feature in tribal villages as an interaction with the spirits that exist in their surroundings. The use of the charm is linked to the spirits which it calls upon - for example asking for protection or a plentiful harvest.

This has evolved in my mind as a potential tribal artefact for today. Looking at the 'Apple Tribe', the most obvious form of protection is the warranty. My idea for the next design step is to recreate a spiritual charm as a physical warranty, offering a tangible form of protection for the user. The issue of time also is involved in warranty, so I intend to make these charms out of incense, a material that can burn for the longevity of the intended protection plan.