Visual Analysis
As a product in question, an object made by using the technique of wood carving is considered. It is made in the form of a human figure in which the proportions are partially different from real ones. Its form contains both anthropometric elements and abstract parts that perform a decorative function. According to Ullah (2018), wood carving craft often carries hidden connotations and is used in everyday life for various purposes and may be utilized both in decorative and religious contexts. The main material used for production is wood, including the figure holder. The craftsman used fine tools to work to create the smallest details of the figure. The manufacturing of such an object requires unique skills and even talent because the figure is handmade and has an individual design. Skillfully carved details of the figurine speak of the manufacturer’s painstaking work.
The production of this object has been established in Malaysia. As Ullah (2018) notes, such goods are often produced in this country and have a special traditional value. From a functional perspective, the object does not play an important role and can perform a decorative function. However, for connoisseurs of this type of art and collectors, the figure can be of value as a unique and inimitable product of wood carving craft. Anyone can purchase this object online, ordering both one unit of goods and a wholesale batch. One can hardly speak of a specific target audience, but lovers of this art form may be considered potential buyers. The object can also be purchased as a simple souvenir since its size and shape allow owners to place it on almost any surface.
Theoretical Interpretation
The meaning of the object in question can be considered from the perspective of philistine consumer interest not related to a practical purpose. The skilled labor involved in creating this figure clearly includes not only the physical work but also the mental activity required to learn the art of wood carving. The time required to produce the commodity can be characterized as individual, which, according to Azhar (2020), corresponds to the worker’s personal efforts. The value of the object is acquired through the material used for production because wood requires skillful craftsmanship, the design that is individually developed, and the function that can be both decorative and religious. The figure is a piece commodity, but from the perspective of a mode of manufacturing, this is a capitalist market product with free market terms of trade (Rioux et al., 2019). The mass culture of consumption determines the meanings inherent in the object and creates demand.
The repercussions for the understanding of the object concern the individual’s perception of the figure’s value in the context of its use. The exploitation of the labor of a craftsman is justified if the prevailing number of consumers realize the value of the invested efforts. Understanding the individuality of the object makes it unique as a product of artistic value. The analysis of the purposes of using the figure allows talking about its use in isolation from the class relationships that are formed as a result of income inequality (Azhar, 2020). The object whose value is higher than the value spent on its production is the commodity of intensive labor. Thus, the purchasing power of potential buyers can be viewed as consumers’ ability to evaluate the effort invested in production and buy the figure at the price that the seller designates as the final price.
References
Azhar, S. (2020). Consumption, capital, and class in digital space: The political economy of pay-per-click business models. Rethinking Marxism, 33(2), 196-216. Web.
Rioux, S., LeBaron, G., & Verovšek, P. J. (2019). Capitalism and unfree labor: A review of Marxist perspectives on modern slavery. Review of International Political Economy, 27(3), 709-731. Web.
Ullah, I. (2018). Wood carving – Traditional art of Malaysia to be a safeguard and protected. Idealogy Journal, 3(1), 87-94. Web.