For today's task, we all had to pick out a book from a table. I choose this one as it one of the ones that caught my eye the most. We where then given sheets to complete, filling it with information about the book we chose. The book called The Queen in Hell Close, an extract from The Queen and I by Sue Townsend.
DENOTATION -
The cover features a strong and bold complimenting red and blue amongst a off-white background featuring a black and white portrait of the Queen, most commonly seen on British banknotes worth £20 or £50. However the extra addition of a tongue and what looks like ears or wings have been pasted over top of the image, giving it a gratified style. The style seems to be a mix between a traditional British piece and Punk-ish inspiration. The image as a whole is completely central on the cover and is pretty much symmetrical asides from the rough, ripped-like edges on the British flag. The line work of the piece is also very strong and clear, which allows the graffiti details to stand out from the protrait of the Queen, but not too much as to look out of place. The Background of the flag also helps bring the piece together and create a eye-catching cover. I also like how the typeface is that of a British banknote, as it brings the cover full circle and matches the portrait used. It's a fair mix of both traditional and contemporary elements. As for the texture of the book, there are no stand out textures, as the book is all a soft, shiny plastic coating, creating a softback. The construction of the piece looks like the was most likely done all through a digital medium, due to the clear lines and bold solid colours.
CONNOTATION -
The cover was designed by D*Face and the original piece is titled "Dog save the Queen". This version of the book was published in 2005 under the "Pocket Penguin" line and part of the 70 year celebration of Penguin Publishing. The visual style of the cover is quite punk-esque and rebellious, giving it a modern-ish to 70/80's look. It reminds me alot of the Sex Pistol's God Save The Queen artworks, which may have been an inspiration for this cover? The possible symbolism of this could be to show that the novel is about the Royals or maybe set during a time when punk was the fashion and alive? However, It also could be seen as a image to entice someone with a taste for political humour or those who are more open-minded to slightly more obscure stories that use powerful British people are their characters.
After studying the cover for this time, I then decided to read the blurb, just so see if the cover image fits with what I think it could be about. This book is an extract from the novel "The Queen and I" in which the Royal Family are sent to live in a counsel estate. The back of the book also says that the writer is well know for her stories that "Satirize British life", which I think the cover fits really well to the story. The function of the piece would be mostly to catch the attention of people and give you a hint about what the book might be about.
I also wanted to find out more about this piece and the artist D*Face, this would also help find out how exactly the image was created and how much it may have cost.
D*Face (Real name Dean Stockton) is a British Street artist who uses mostly spray paints, stickers and stencils for his works. The 'wing' like design that is seen on the book cover seems almost like a signature of his, as on most of his works there is a character or something with the same design on them. The original print for this cover is titled "Dog Save the Queen" and is actually a Spray paint and screenprinted piece, Sold off as part of a collection, with some pieces having different background colours or some with no background at all. The prices for this print can differ, ranging anyway from £800 - £1,700. The sizing of the pieces are also roughly about 24"x 35".
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For the lecture part of today, we then had another sheet to fill out, firstly looking at objects and their meanings, how simple signs are universal objects that we can all understand i.e Apple meaning Health, Temptation or how a Rose means romance or love and using the colour red reinforces that meaning.
The images and meanings from this cover how I see them :
1. (The Signifier) Image of the Queen - (Signified) Royalty, British/English Culture, Wealth
2. (The Signifier) Text the same as banknotes - (Signified) Money, Wealth, Worth, Riches
3. (The Signifier) British Flag - (Signified) British Culture, British things, Pride, Unity, Power
What elements of those signs suggest that meaning would need to be leaned and/or basssed on shared cultural agreements?
Linking everything back to things used only (or largely) in Britain/British culture i.e - A Royal family, British currency. Also learning through money and know that money is important and often times more money is seen as to be successful. The British flag however could be seen as a bit different, as although most people feel a sense of pride, there are those who would disagree and how their own feelings about it.
Are there any elements to the design/illustration that look displaced from their original context?
Yes, The British banknote portraiture of the Queen and the text in the same style that is found on a banknote too. They have been taken and turned into a new image for this cover.
Can you find evidence of a "tone of voice" within the design/Illustration?
This cover is very tongue 'n' cheek, a mixture of the British class system - posh and punk. It also has a laid back feeling to it with a humorous boarder-line political change.
Is there a polysemic quality to the illustration/design where the meanings are open to a 'chain' of possibilities? Or are they close 'texts' where meaning is 'locked down' to limit the range of possible readings?
I believe this cover is a more closed text piece than anything, because overall it give you the clear image of British-ness, Royalty and wealth, However the punk-ish themes also give you a hint of the novel hiding away a hint of turning all that around.
Finally, based on what you know of the book itself - from experience or from the blurb on the back cover - how successful is communication of the ideas/text within?
I believe it;s a very successful cover, as it is indeed about the Queen/Royal Family and after reading the blurb, it states that they are living as common people, So the punk style elements help to break down the posh and proper way of life that the Royals would have been used to. Although, I believe the reason why it's such a good cover is because it still hints at things the book could really be about, even though you guess it would be about the Queen or the Royal Family, I don't think anyone would guess it would contain such a story!
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I also wanted to wrap up the research of this book by looking at past covers. The original cover was designed by English Cartoonist and Illustrator, Martin Honeysett. The first publishing was in 1992 and by the company Methuen. This cover is very different to the D*Face cover in the way this one is much more simple and in my eyes, doesn't really give you any kind of hint as to watch kind of book this maybe. In fact, I actually thing this cover is quite boring and doesn't really make me want to pick up the book to find out what it's about. The other version of a cover I found was by artist Stephanie von Reiswitz. This was called the "Jubilee Edition" for the 2012 re-printing. This cover is much more likeable than the original and overall better at conveying the idea that the story is a more laid back, humorous look on the Royals. However, I'm not sure if I'd go as far as to say I like this version more than that D*Face cover.
Another version of the blurb :
When a Republican party wins the General Election, their first act in power is to strip the Royal Family of their assets and titles and send them to live on a housing estate in the Midlands.
Exchanging Buckingham Palace for a two-bedroomed semi in Hell Close (as the locals dub it), caviar for boiled eggs, servants for a social worker named Trish, the Queen and her family learn what it means to be poor among the great unwashed. But is their breeding sufficient to allow them to rise above their changed circumstance or deep down are they really just like everyone else?
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Sources :
http://www.artcollectorz.com/artworks/artwork-detail?artwork_id=332&edition_id=437
http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/prints-multiples/dface-dog-save-the-queen-5756761-details.aspx
http://www.opus-art.com/the-artists/artist/dface/artwork-1699/dog-save-the-queen-1232
http://soakyourbuns.com/buy-art/dface-dog-save-the-queen.html
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