ipl-logo

Thomas Twaite Toaster Analysis

1564 Words7 Pages

Aberration from the normal breacfast Question- write a crytical analysis of an object, made since 1960 introduction It would be challenging to comprehend that someone would travel 1900 miles, spend £1187.54 and 9 months making a toaster that costs £3.49 in Agos. That is exactly what Thomas Twaites attempted to do, Replicate a common toaster and make all the components from scratch. This was a simple idea, but almost impossible to execute, a brave attempt at de-systemising production, to get under skin of the slick looking objects that surround us. Twaite 's toasters production was a journey exposing the distance we are from the manufactured objects in our environs. Twiates toaster illustrates how mass production and consumption have skewed our view of the objects in our lives. …show more content…

The worker, therefore, feels himself at home only during his lesure time , whereas at work he feels homeless his work is not voluntary but imposed, forced labour. It is not the satisfaction of a need, but only a means of satisfying other needs '.- karl marx economic and philosophic manuscripts (1844). What does twaite 's toaster say about commodification? And Value By putting the cost of production on his toaster and displaying it on a shelf alongside commercial toasters, Twaites gave his toaster a value thus making it commercial and a commodity. In a way Twaites toaster is a commodity speaking about commodification. Is this an appropriate context for an art object. Perhaps he did it to demonstrate how poor of a reproduction it was and how distanced the object produced in the singularity could be the the actual toasters we posess in out homes. magical transformation !!! should i talk abot the environment not a reproduction its an object with its own unique

Show More
Related

  • Jacksonian Democracy's Labor Movement

    309 Words  | 2 Pages

    Based on our group’s research, we believe that the labor movement in the 1820s in the United States during the Jacksonian Democracy was a major factor in the implementation of many of the laws and better working conditions that are present in today’s society. As we have learned and presented to the class, this labor movement in the 1820s grew out of the need to protect the common interest of workers and to improve their overall working conditions. We currently see the results of these labor unions that were formed in the 1820s whenever we enjoy the luxury of having our weekends off from work and having the opportunity to miss work, also known as “sick leave”, when we are ill. We now have an established minimum wage and legally, no one is forced

    Read More

  • Capitalism In Zone One

    1393 Words  | 6 Pages

    Mark Spitz states that “he was crestfallen when he ate at another location for the first time” and he recognized the “same stuff on the wall” (189). This moment is crucial because it emphasizes how even the most precious and sentimental aspects of our life are a result of consumer culture. Many aspects cleverly crafted to appear as a one-of-a-kind product or experience actually result in a slightly customizable template. Similarly, Sorensen explains consumerism as “the capacity to realize and replicate itself by borrowing against the guaranteed promise of the future as the site of more of the same and of endlessness of reproduction without difference” (562-3). Whitehead further supports this idea by illuminating the reproduction of a one-of-a-kind

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of The Communist Manifesto By Karl Marx

    390 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the beginning of the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution caused a massive economic spike from small-scale production to large factories and mass production. Capitalism became the prevalent mode of the economy, which put all means of production in the hands of the bourgeoisie, or the upper class. Karl Marx and Frederick Engels argue that capitalism centralizes all the wealth and power in the bourgeoisie, despite the proletariat, or the working class, being the overwhelming majority of the population. The manufacturers would exploit the common proletariat and force them to would work in abysmal conditions and receive low wages, furthering the working class poverty. “The Communist Manifesto” predicts that as a result of the mistreatment

    Read More

  • Andrew Ure: The Industrial Revolution

    1018 Words  | 5 Pages

    In Andrew Ure’s “The Philosophy of Manufactures,” he shows his support for the Industrial Revolution. Ure believed that all of the improvements in technology made workers’ lives easier. The new technology allows workers to produce more products in less amount of time, which would equal greater productivity, which would then equal more wealth for companies and for the country. Ure makes an argument that the people who work in factories have better lives than those who live and work on farms, because of the advanced technology that factory workers have access to. Ure also presents the argument that factory workers are not necessarily treated unfairly just because they do not receive breaks while at work.

    Read More

  • Slavery And Alienation

    1789 Words  | 8 Pages

    In his capitalist system “the worker receives means of subsistence in exchange for [their] labor power,” which serves no purpose but “immediate consumption,” whereas the capitalist receives “a greater value” than they had previously (Marx 209). The worker, despite creating additional earnings for the capitalist, only receives their “means of sustenance,” or their bare minimum for survival. Because the worker has been alienated from their work and the system however, they normalize this exchange, and are content with receiving a mere fraction of what they produce, unaware of their exploitation. Alienation provides the framework for both Douglass’ and Marx’s economic systems to function, as it allows the ruling class to establish a norm of

    Read More

  • Marxism And Homelessness

    178 Words  | 1 Pages

    Therefore, capitalism is responsible for the manifestation of certain social conditions that have led to homelessness. (Marx) A broader

    Read More

  • Marxist Criticism In Bartleby The Scrivener

    1197 Words  | 5 Pages

    All that capitalism does is trapping the personality of the individual and breaking them down to fit the needs of the master. However, Bartleby knows that the only way that he can become powerful is through having a hard stand against oppression and any capitalistic oppression. To end this oppression, Bartleby is forced to be reluctant to work although he does not leave the workplace because he will be destroyed if he plans to quit the job prematurely. Also, the capitalists are always careful in that they do not support the establishment of a new economic situation because it will uplift the potential and lifestyle of the workers. The only option that is remaining for Bartleby is to make those decisions that favor his personality and not what is good for the machine.

    Read More

  • Workers During The Gilded Age

    1279 Words  | 6 Pages

    The eruption of industrialization in the Northeast in the decades following the end of Reconstruction created massive amounts of wealth for a privileged few. The cost of this unprecedented growth was paid for on the backs of the working-class labor. Men and women were forced to work unthinkable hours, children were forced into jobs at very young ages, and working conditions were nearly and workable which led to many avoidable injuries. All these atrocities were committed to maximize the profits of their employers, whose exorbitant wealth led to the era being referred too ironically as the Gilded Age. Labor leaders such as Samuel Gompers combated the powerful upper class that controlled the profits of production by attempting to organize labor

    Read More

  • Making A French Toast By Jenn Segal

    718 Words  | 3 Pages

    French Toast The paper includes two different recipes for making a French toast. The first text is Fluffy French Toast by Bonnie from the website allrecipes (website link), and the next one is Drunken Caramel French Toast by Jenn Segal from the website ONCE UPON A chef (website link). The two bloggers, Bonnie and Segal, share their recipes to allow readers enjoying from their own experience in cooking and baking and increasing the readership who follow their blog. In order to achieve it they have to adjust the text to their target audience and be attractive and creative.

    Read More

  • Consumerism In The Industrial Revolution

    1049 Words  | 5 Pages

    Thus the severing of the persons from the means of production turns them not only into laborers, but into consumers of the products of their labor as well.” (Robins)

    Read More

  • The Tyranny Of Things Analysis

    424 Words  | 2 Pages

    At the beginning of her essay, Morris introduces the idea of consumerism by providing real-life examples of how objective things are present all around people and their homes. She states that “ we fill our rooms, our walls, our tables, our desks, with things, things, things.” She uses these colloquial examples to illustrate how things populate our lives and our space. Also, the repetition of the word, “things,” emphasizes the the presence of all other physical objects that people already own. Thus, Morris renders the audience weary of all their objective surroundings, making them realize how much they are already consumed by things.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Adam Smith And Karl Marx

    1199 Words  | 5 Pages

    Adam Smith, an advocate of capitalism, in his book, The Wealth of Nations wrote that all individuals are selfish and by performing to the best of their capabilities towards their own selfish interests they contribute towards the nation’s collective growth. Karl Marx, on the other hand criticized capitalism and believed that socialism and communism are society’s best chance of maximizing individual happiness, about which he wrote in his book Das Kapital. In this paper, we will compare and contrast the economics theories of Adam Smith and Karl Marx on the lines of labor theory of value, division of labor, alienation of workers from labor and human happiness and surplus profit and its social implications. This paper will also discuss how… Adam Smith believes that there are two types of ‘values’ of a commodity – ‘utility value’ and ‘exchange value’. The utility value of a commodity is based on how useful a commodity is and the exchange value of a commodity refers to how much we can get in exchange for a commodity if we were to sell it.

    Read More

  • Dick Hebdige's 'Subculture: The Unnatural Break'

    428 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “Subculture: the Unnatural Break” (the sixth chapter from his book Subculture: the Meaning of Style), Dick Hebdige claims that subcultures represent a rupture between the processes that lead from reality to media representation, challenging therefore the codes of language and discourse and losing their disruptive power once they get assimilated. The reaction to the punk subculture in Great Britain in the seventies is used to prove Hebdige’s thesis. The idea of social order is identified with language and discourse. The codes that shape language are often violated by members of subcultures such as punk.

    Read More

  • The Causes Of Alienation In Karl Marx And Max Weber

    732 Words  | 3 Pages

    The second, is alienation from the product. In Marxist time and in today’s modern world we are involved in an abundance of mass production. In a capitalist system, people are placed in a position where they are responsible in making a minor part of the goods. The goods of work belong to the capitalist and is sold for their profit, whereas the workers gain nothing. Therefore, Marx concluded that the greater effort the workers put into their job, the lesser they benefit.

    Read More

  • Marxist Theory Of Commodification

    1667 Words  | 7 Pages

    Karl Marx (1975) implied the importance of ‘commodity’ throughout his work. He argued that commodities played an important role in the formation of Capitalism as commodities where sold and bought in the market to increase the profit and sustain Capitalism. This Marxist ideology led to the formation of ‘commodification’. Contemporary Marxists argue that commodification is a term used to explain the extent to which welfare services are sold and bought from the market just like commodities. Thus having an exchange value – those objects that do not have an economic value are assigned a value.

    Read More

More about Thomas Twaite Toaster Analysis

Open Document