Just Looking ...

Thinking of the Calvin Klein Ad campaign in which Kate Moss is advertising the perfume "Obsession", I had a slightly different interpretation of what the photographer was attempting to do. As someone who occasionally watches shows such as "America's next top model" which focus constantly on the ability of a photograph to resonate with the viewer in a way that makes them identify with a product as well, it seemed to me that the purpose of the photo was to convey a feeling more than anything else. Although it can also seem like a pretentious photo, I thought the model's exposure, her lack of beauty and raw, almost bleak expression were meant to convey the feeling of "being obsessed" in such a way that the viewer identifies with the emotion and will therefore perhaps feel as though the perfume will represent them as well. Looking at the picture in this light made it seem a bit closer to the eruption of the real - not necessarily in that the photo makes us fearful or surprised, but that it IS arresting, seems REAL to us, but at the same time cannot be adequately symbolized or understood.

Also thinking of other ads that mask the absence of a basic reality, I remembered the Virgin Mobile ads which always made me confused when they first came out. I also found this bizarre Nike ad which was on a website depicting odd commercials. I'm not sure if they qualify, and i'd love another perspective!