I started looking at objects in real life that drive our own motivations and narratives. The most obvious example for me was money in capitalist societies. I then started thinking of objects that have been influential to human behavior during the Covid-19 pandemic. I decided to focus on toilet roll, as it is a bizarre example of an object which was in high demand during this time.
You can click through my research sheets below:
In terms of stockpiling during the coronavirus pandemic, I thought the contrast between objects being stockpiled in America was absurd. Panic purchase of guns and loo paper stood out to me as insane, and I want to look into this crazy comparison in more depth.
Here are two articles titles published within two weeks of each other:
These images enforce the absurdity of people's actions during this pandemic. The bottom left image made me chuckle - an image from the BBC News article about loo roll captioned 'Does this strike fear into your heart?' - I particularly liked this especially when loo roll stockpiling is compared to gun stockpiling, as that line could apply to either scenario.
A quick experiment below shows a sheet of loo roll cut into the dimensions of a five-pound note once I discovered the sheet was exactly the same length and twice as long as the note. It was a way of reflecting on the new value of bog roll, however, this experiment is far from resolved. In my next tests, I want to push forward an idea of glorifying loo roll despite its ordinary and mundane status. I also want to look more into the comparison of gun and loo roll stockpiling, and give them a context relating to my topic of MacGuffins.
Here is the feedback notes I have taken throughout tutorials about testing and taking my project further:
In the video call with Heidi King, one of my peers, we discussed how I could use photography to help me communicate. I will incorporate photography into my next test.
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