User:KacMDX/Simulacra and Simulation

Pastiche
Pastiche is what's used to describe artistic works that clone a time period, artists or simply other works.

Bricolage
Levie-Strauss coined the term Bricolage in relation to when something is created using things that are available, or as a construction of several media's.

Post-Modernism
Post-Modernism is a late 20th century concept that covers arts, architecture and criticism which depicts the escape from modernism. The post-modern is more critical of itself and earlier art's as well as supporting the distrust of theories.

Photoshop & The modelling industry
An example of simulacra is the use of photoshop on pictures of models and celebrities, and how the industry today almost refuses to share "real" images of models and celebrities. A person's idea or image of a celebrity will often be an altered one, an unreal one as that's what they are constantly being exposed to, images that are altered making us identify with the altered image more than the real. Most celebrities are no stranger to photoshop, despite staying in shape and in some cases already appealing to today's beauty standard. Actor Blake Lively said "It’s our job as actors and/or models to be in shape. We have access to gyms and trainers and healthy food. And then on top of that, 99.9 percent of the time the images are Photoshopped

In today's world it's easier than ever to edit yourself without any real skill, anyone can do it with the use of Apps such as Facetune2, or simply using Instagram's edit features. A study by company Case24 concluded that in London, 81% of people wouldn't post a picture online that's unedited. People now more than ever want to alter reality, and change the outcome of their pictures and are able to do so. Facetune2 currently sits at 50,000,000+ downloads on the Google Play Store. The app not only offers features to change you appearance but hides some of them behind paywalls, requiring people to pay small fee's to unlock particular features, capitalising on people's want for simulacra.

Recently Khloe Kardashian was called out when she requested an unedited picture of her to be deleted, she interestingly compared thing such as doing her nails and makeup and wearing heels to having good lighting, and having her images photoshopped and altered. This statement blurs the line between actual make-up, and an Instagram filter as they do the exact same thing, only one is virtual whereas the other is physical. This becomes more evident when it comes to beauty influencers who create before-after make-up videos that enforce the use of make-up and good lighting. which has been popularised by people like Kylie Jenner.