My first idea for appropriation revolves around animal testing. From my research I felt this could be an effective theme to follow when appropriating images. The original image I used was of a chihuahua on a white background, staring at the camera creating a direct mode of address, immediately creating a connection with the audience. I then decided to build on the original rabbit advert I found, and add intense make-up to the dog, as well as expressing the idea of pain in animal testing. For example, by adding the tear of blood, and making the ear look damaged, it changes the prestine image of the chihuahua into something hurt and damaged. I also added the animal testing logo to make the message clear and support the meaning of the injured dog. However, I felt there was something that I could add to make the message even more intense.
I developed my idea so that there were more injuries on the dog, and the existing injuries were slightly more intense. By adding the extra injuries, I photoshopped these onto the dog. To exemplify the difference between a dog with make up, which typically represents the fact that humans are wearing what animals are initally being tested on, and the harsh side effects of this, I decided to make the painful side black and white and remove the make up. I chose black and white because it could symbolise the dull life that animals have from animal testing and adds a dramatic effect. The bloody scars on the dog remained red on the black and white effect as I felt they stood out more and helped express the meaning of the image.
An improvement that I would possibly make to this image is adding a caption. I feel like a caption that appears to be vocalised by the dog itself would help personify the animal and allow the audience to connect with the dog and really feel affected by the message being tranferred in the image. By montaging the logo fighting against animal testing onto the image of the dog, it adds an official perspective onto the image, however I feel like it wouldn’t be as effective if the image I produced was the healthy looking dog with the logo. The addition of the make up, and the blood relates the two topics and I would consider this a development to the animal testing advert of the rabbit that I found within my research. Also, a rabbit is a typical animal testing subject however by using this dog, it is another home animal that many audiences can relate to. They could also relate it to the film ‘Legally Blonde’, so I feel that there would be positive responses to by appropriated image.