This art piece, entitled “29h59’59”, was created by Chinese artist Liu Qiang, and depicts a mass of naked humans trampling one another in order to drink from the udders of a less-than-pleased looking cow. This image puts the concept of humans drinking cows milk into a new perspective, portraying it as abnormal and somewhat disturbing. As a vegan, (please don’t bully me) this image reflects my confusion towards the normalisation of drinking cow’s milk and makes me wonder how the whole world, including myself, has gone so so so many years without ever questioning how weird it actually is!

That’s what I take away from this image anyway! The message could be completely different for you, and that’s the whole point of this week’s blog post! How do YOU decode this message?

For individuals who have never thought twice about drinking cow’s milk, this image may evoke a sense of confusion and wonder. They may find it difficult to understand the encoder’s intended statement behind his work and could just perceive it as another weird and abstract artwork that doesn’t make any sense. Furthermore, someone, like myself, who is interested in animal rights and enjoys researching the conflicting debate surrounding whether or not drinking cow’s milk is natural, this art piece may evoke empathy. They may perceive this is a protest against the dairy industry and a representation of cruelty. On the other hand, someone who thinks veganism is wrong and that animals were created for the consumption of humans may look at this and laugh, or get really angry, perceiving it as ‘vegan propaganda’ or something that was intended to be comedic.

Neither of these interpretations are wrong! All types of media, including art, is intended to be interpreted differently. In this particular case, individuals will decode different meanings based off of their framework of knowledge surrounding animal rights activism and whether or not they believe drinking cow’s milk is right or wrong, or even if they don’t have an opinion on it at all!

Ultimately, the message an individual takes away from this image, or any image, is characterised by what they have come to accept as ‘right’ and ‘normal’, as well as the values that they withhold. These may be created through socialisation, their religion, culture, the ideas of family and friends, what they watch on tv or through the life experiences they have had.

Thanks for reading!

Gemma xxx 😀

Being part of an audience is a massive part of my everyday life, whether it be a live or mediated one. I’ve always loved going to concerts and festivals, ranging from screamo bands such as Pierce The Veil, pop acts such as Justin Bieber or indie groups like The Jungle Giants! I’m pretty much into anything! Ive added some of the pictures I took whilst being part of a live audience throughout this post. Sadly, I do not have any photos of Skegss, which is the band and audience experience I will be talking about in particular.

This year I attended Laneway Festival in Sydney. After chugging 6 double blacks before 11am on the bus ride up and vomiting in the public toilet, my friends and I arrived at the venue. We attended Ruby Fields, Clairo, Kian, and Middle Kids before waiting in the mosh for Skegss to come on stage.

Anyone who has ever been in a Skegss mosh, or any other mosh for a band of similar style, will know it’s an experience and a half. Its aggressive and painful and chaotic…. but also really, really fun. I don’t even really like Skegss’ music that much! For some reason, its so much more enjoyable live. My friends and I know we are going to get obliterated but we do it nonetheless. People in the mosh pour beer everywhere, shove each other with incredible force, purposefully run into circle pits, and rely on others to carry them through it all as they crowd surf! I fell to the ground and my face got stepped on. But its all in the name of good fun.

I guess these are the factors that make those type of audience experiences negative, but they are also what make them incredibly interesting and pleasurable, in a really weird way. The reason I still actively and voluntarily join in on this type of audience is the excitement, funny memories and great people that come with the experience.

The most important thing I take away from being part of an audience is the awareness of how important, fun and entertaining live music is. It’s a massive part of many people’s lives and creates a sense of belonging and purpose within a community, as well as an opportunity for us all to forget about our worries and responsibilities.

This experience connects to the ideas that were introduced in this week’s lecture as a crowd watching a live performance proves that not all audiences of today have become mediated; that there are still some occasions and groups of people that hold the original definition of an audience – one that can be seen together in the same location, at the same time, sharing the same experience.

Thanks for reading!

-Gemma 😀 xxxxxx

Hello! Welcome! I’m Gemma, I’m 18 years old and I’m currently studying communications and media and international studies at UOW! I declined a Tinder Boy’s offer of a free Tash Sultana + Ocean Alley ticket tonight and now I’m bored and regretful and have decided to start my first blog post to forget the fact I’m not there.

The idea of sharing a blog freaks me out. Expressing myself in any way has always made me cringe. I’ll get over it though. I sort of have to, don’t I? I have no idea what I’m supposed to write about though… I decided to look through my diary for inspiration but there is NO WAY any of those experiences or emotions are “lecturer or future employer friendly.” Here’s some boring information about me instead:

• I graduated high school in 2018
• My birthday is on the 5th of October (I’m a Libra)
• My favourite colour is red
• My favourite movie is Saw… or Fight Club… or Cruel Intentions or Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging.
• My favourite animal are cows
• I have double jointed elbows
• My favourite fruits are oranges and strawberries
• I don’t have any pets
• My two biggest fears are birds and snorkeling

Hopefully something interesting happens to me soon so I have stuff to write about. Until then, thanks for reading! See you around!

– Gemma : D xxxxxx