The Death of Innocence The Death of Innocence is about how technology kills childhood. Children play with tablets, cellphones, and computers instead of dolls, paper and drawing tools, or other simple toys that require imagination. The signs of childhood disappear as they use the same pieces of technology as adults.
The term death means the destruction or permanent ending of something. Innocence is defined as purity. Defined this way, the title of this project can mean the permanent end of the purity of childhood. Purity in correlation with childhood often evokes a sense of nostalgia in people. This means that the title is an end to the nostalgia of childhood. In this way, technology is permanently ending the nostalgia for childish items and is therefore often viewed as evil.
In this box, the centrepiece is a doll being hung by a tablet cord. This is symbolic for how children will now often play with a tablet over a doll. The tablet cord is killing the doll in order to take her place. This occurs in different variations throughout the box. The word "Death" is also spelled out in keyboard keys. This further illustrates how it is technology doing the killing.
The doll being trapped in the camera charging cord is still fighting to get out. This, much like the work of Sisyphus, is a useless endeavor as she will continue being trapped and having to fight as long as cameras, or dolls, are still around. The hero's journey is also referenced as it is the discovering of the unknown technology that kills the innocence. As long as the unknown technology remains unknown, the innocence may continue. However, once this unknown world is ventured into, the events of this story may unfold and the boon of new information kills the innocence.
The items for this box were scavenged from a house with a teenager who refuses to give up old toys, 2 boys under the age of 10, and many pieces of technology, especially broken ones. The idea started after a friend made a noose for the blonde doll out of the tablet cord. Everything else was just fitting the rest in. The cell phone crushing Santa Claus came from the idea that most children only stop believing in him after their peers or someone else tell them that he isn't real. Cell phones encourage communication, so it was only logical. The printer cartridge crushing the ruler came as both are tools for putting art on paper. The other pieces came from trial and error in what displayed the toys in distress by way of technology. The idea for the change in script of the title came from wanting to have technology in the title, but also having only one key for each letter. This problem inspired the idea of having the rest written in cursive, as a young child eager to show off their new skills might. The changing point was decided as the word "Death" needed to be prominent while the word "of" is slightly less menacing and thought to belong with the innocence.
Music Statement Mannheim Steamroller's Interlude I starts out with chimes representing a young child playing outdoors. This is slowly replaced with the sound of rain, something that may drive children to start using technology. As if it was a rainy day and their parents got annoyed and let the use the computer or tablet to keep them quiet. A sad piano melody soon starts. This represents the loss of the child's imagination and innocence that second. This picks up speed until a loud clap of thunder can be heard. This is the death blow to the child's innocence and the music fades to a single stringed instrument playing a repetitive tune with occasional piano keys, representing the loss of all imagination. The discordant piano shows that this happened before it should have.
The term death means the destruction or permanent ending of something. Innocence is defined as purity. Defined this way, the title of this project can mean the permanent end of the purity of childhood. Purity in correlation with childhood often evokes a sense of nostalgia in people. This means that the title is an end to the nostalgia of childhood. In this way, technology is permanently ending the nostalgia for childish items and is therefore often viewed as evil.
In this box, the centrepiece is a doll being hung by a tablet cord. This is symbolic for how children will now often play with a tablet over a doll. The tablet cord is killing the doll in order to take her place. This occurs in different variations throughout the box. The word "Death" is also spelled out in keyboard keys. This further illustrates how it is technology doing the killing.
The doll being trapped in the camera charging cord is still fighting to get out. This, much like the work of Sisyphus, is a useless endeavor as she will continue being trapped and having to fight as long as cameras, or dolls, are still around. The hero's journey is also referenced as it is the discovering of the unknown technology that kills the innocence. As long as the unknown technology remains unknown, the innocence may continue. However, once this unknown world is ventured into, the events of this story may unfold and the boon of new information kills the innocence.
The items for this box were scavenged from a house with a teenager who refuses to give up old toys, 2 boys under the age of 10, and many pieces of technology, especially broken ones. The idea started after a friend made a noose for the blonde doll out of the tablet cord. Everything else was just fitting the rest in. The cell phone crushing Santa Claus came from the idea that most children only stop believing in him after their peers or someone else tell them that he isn't real. Cell phones encourage communication, so it was only logical. The printer cartridge crushing the ruler came as both are tools for putting art on paper. The other pieces came from trial and error in what displayed the toys in distress by way of technology. The idea for the change in script of the title came from wanting to have technology in the title, but also having only one key for each letter. This problem inspired the idea of having the rest written in cursive, as a young child eager to show off their new skills might. The changing point was decided as the word "Death" needed to be prominent while the word "of" is slightly less menacing and thought to belong with the innocence.
Music Statement
Mannheim Steamroller's Interlude I starts out with chimes representing a young child playing outdoors. This is slowly replaced with the sound of rain, something that may drive children to start using technology. As if it was a rainy day and their parents got annoyed and let the use the computer or tablet to keep them quiet. A sad piano melody soon starts. This represents the loss of the child's imagination and innocence that second. This picks up speed until a loud clap of thunder can be heard. This is the death blow to the child's innocence and the music fades to a single stringed instrument playing a repetitive tune with occasional piano keys, representing the loss of all imagination. The discordant piano shows that this happened before it should have.