Thursday, October 22, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Emily Kaplan
ABSTRACTS
Brooks, Kevin. "More "Seriously Visible" Reading: McCloud, McLuhan, and the Visual Language of The Medium Is the Message." College Composition and Communication 61.1 (2009). Conference on College Composition and Communication. National Council of Teachers of English, Sept. 2009. Web. 10 Oct. 2009.
Brooks advocates a more serious reading of Marshall McLuhan And Quentin Fiore’s “The Media Is the Massage” through the use of Scott McCloud’s text “Understanding Comics”. Brooks argues that a sophisticated pedagogy for visual-verbal reading has not been developed due to an assumption that such texts have limited academic merit. Thus, previous critiques of the “The Medium Is the Massage” fall back on unspecific terms to describe the multi-modal material, such as “juxtaposition” and “hybridization”. This vocabulary does not elucidate the different kinds of ‘closure,’ or hermeneutical engagement, which word and picture texts enact. McCloud’s book outlines six “picture-picture” relationships and seven “picture-word” relationships that imply distinct narrative functions. Brooks uses McCloud’s outline to interpret excerpts from “The Medium Is the Message,” and thus demonstrates how seemingly obscure visual-verbal material can crystallize under deliberate analytic scrutiny. The article concludes with a call for educators, artists, and scholars to use “The Medium Is the Massage” and McCloud as tools to initiate innovative visual-verbal thinking.
McMahon, Jennifer A. "The Perceptual Constraints on Pictorial Realism." Contemporary Aesthetics 4 (2006). Contemporary Aesthetics. Rhode Island School of Design, 18 Jan. 2006. Web. 10 Oct. 2009.
If pictorial realism is defined as the degree to which a visual depiction can be recognized as an object, then cultural perceptual training must affect perceptions of realism. McMahon argues that, in pictorial cognition, the visual data received by the brain does not form a distinct presentation until the data is organized under a ‘descriptive’ configuration. This occurs because pictorial perceptions differ from perceptions of everyday reality. Normally, two distinct cell groups judge spatial relationships and inter-object relationships; in pictorial perception, the latter group judges both. In order to understand the visual complexity of the pictorial space, the mind recalls previous configurations of similar arrangements as an organizational template. Thus, past experiences condition present determinations of what data is crucial to understand the image. This theory accounts for culturally specific understandings of realism, and historical evolutions of realism within cultures. Further, this approach supports the possibility of discovering new realisms in old artworks, because the individual’s perceptual history conditions what is “seen” in the work itself.
Yates, Cristopher S. "A Phenomenological Aesthetics of Cinematic 'Worlds'" Contemporary Aesthetics `4 (2006). Contemporary Aesthetics. Rhode Island School of Design, 22 Oct. 2006. Web. 10 Oct. 2009.
Yates argues that, through film, two worlds converge: that of the viewer and that of the artistic object. This event demands a phenomenological film aesthetics, which has not yet been sufficiently elaborated. Yates proposes an interpretation of Martin Heidegger’s aesthetic theory for the film medium, which draws from Stanley Cavell and Mikel Dufrenne’s respective work on film and philosophy. Heidegger argues that the work of art creates an “open region” in the viewer’s world, in which the object’s artistic intentionality invites the viewer to consider how all reality is imbued with meaning. Stanley Cavell argues that the temporal and spatial qualities of film and the cinema may heighten the viewer’s sensitivity to this type of aesthetic reception. However, Cavell stops short of explaining how the film world actively engages with the viewer’s distinct reality. Yates draws on Mikel Dufrenne’s adaptation of Husserl’s concept of “reduction” to clarify this process. Dufrenne asserts that film viewers focus their attention on “the plane of experience,” rather than general object cognition, and thus internalize the film’s distinct perspective. The article concludes with examples of films by director Terrence Malick, which emphasize the process of world convergence.
ABSTRACTS
Brooks, Kevin. "More "Seriously Visible" Reading: McCloud, McLuhan, and the Visual Language of The Medium Is the Message." College Composition and Communication 61.1 (2009). Conference on College Composition and Communication. National Council of Teachers of English, Sept. 2009. Web. 10 Oct. 2009.
Brooks advocates a more serious reading of Marshall McLuhan And Quentin Fiore’s “The Media Is the Massage” through the use of Scott McCloud’s text “Understanding Comics”. Brooks argues that a sophisticated pedagogy for visual-verbal reading has not been developed due to an assumption that such texts have limited academic merit. Thus, previous critiques of the “The Medium Is the Massage” fall back on unspecific terms to describe the multi-modal material, such as “juxtaposition” and “hybridization”. This vocabulary does not elucidate the different kinds of ‘closure,’ or hermeneutical engagement, which word and picture texts enact. McCloud’s book outlines six “picture-picture” relationships and seven “picture-word” relationships that imply distinct narrative functions. Brooks uses McCloud’s outline to interpret excerpts from “The Medium Is the Message,” and thus demonstrates how seemingly obscure visual-verbal material can crystallize under deliberate analytic scrutiny. The article concludes with a call for educators, artists, and scholars to use “The Medium Is the Massage” and McCloud as tools to initiate innovative visual-verbal thinking.
McMahon, Jennifer A. "The Perceptual Constraints on Pictorial Realism." Contemporary Aesthetics 4 (2006). Contemporary Aesthetics. Rhode Island School of Design, 18 Jan. 2006. Web. 10 Oct. 2009.
If pictorial realism is defined as the degree to which a visual depiction can be recognized as an object, then cultural perceptual training must affect perceptions of realism. McMahon argues that, in pictorial cognition, the visual data received by the brain does not form a distinct presentation until the data is organized under a ‘descriptive’ configuration. This occurs because pictorial perceptions differ from perceptions of everyday reality. Normally, two distinct cell groups judge spatial relationships and inter-object relationships; in pictorial perception, the latter group judges both. In order to understand the visual complexity of the pictorial space, the mind recalls previous configurations of similar arrangements as an organizational template. Thus, past experiences condition present determinations of what data is crucial to understand the image. This theory accounts for culturally specific understandings of realism, and historical evolutions of realism within cultures. Further, this approach supports the possibility of discovering new realisms in old artworks, because the individual’s perceptual history conditions what is “seen” in the work itself.
Yates, Cristopher S. "A Phenomenological Aesthetics of Cinematic 'Worlds'" Contemporary Aesthetics `4 (2006). Contemporary Aesthetics. Rhode Island School of Design, 22 Oct. 2006. Web. 10 Oct. 2009.
Yates argues that, through film, two worlds converge: that of the viewer and that of the artistic object. This event demands a phenomenological film aesthetics, which has not yet been sufficiently elaborated. Yates proposes an interpretation of Martin Heidegger’s aesthetic theory for the film medium, which draws from Stanley Cavell and Mikel Dufrenne’s respective work on film and philosophy. Heidegger argues that the work of art creates an “open region” in the viewer’s world, in which the object’s artistic intentionality invites the viewer to consider how all reality is imbued with meaning. Stanley Cavell argues that the temporal and spatial qualities of film and the cinema may heighten the viewer’s sensitivity to this type of aesthetic reception. However, Cavell stops short of explaining how the film world actively engages with the viewer’s distinct reality. Yates draws on Mikel Dufrenne’s adaptation of Husserl’s concept of “reduction” to clarify this process. Dufrenne asserts that film viewers focus their attention on “the plane of experience,” rather than general object cognition, and thus internalize the film’s distinct perspective. The article concludes with examples of films by director Terrence Malick, which emphasize the process of world convergence.
Emily Kaplan
ABSTRACTS
Brooks, Kevin. "More "Seriously Visible" Reading: McCloud, McLuhan, and the Visual Language of The Medium Is the Message." College Composition and Communication 61.1 (2009). Conference on College Composition and Communication. National Council of Teachers of English, Sept. 2009. Web. 10 Oct. 2009.
Brooks advocates a more serious reading of Marshall McLuhan And Quentin Fiore’s “The Media Is the Massage” through the use of Scott McCloud’s text “Understanding Comics”. Brooks argues that a sophisticated pedagogy for visual-verbal reading has not been developed due to an assumption that such texts have limited academic merit. Thus, previous critiques of the “The Medium Is the Massage” fall back on unspecific terms to describe the multi-modal material, such as “juxtaposition” and “hybridization”. This vocabulary does not elucidate the different kinds of ‘closure,’ or hermeneutical engagement, which word and picture texts enact. McCloud’s book outlines six “picture-picture” relationships and seven “picture-word” relationships that imply distinct narrative functions. Brooks uses McCloud’s outline to interpret excerpts from “The Medium Is the Message,” and thus demonstrates how seemingly obscure visual-verbal material can crystallize under deliberate analytic scrutiny. The article concludes with a call for educators, artists, and scholars to use “The Medium Is the Massage” and McCloud as tools to initiate innovative visual-verbal thinking.
McMahon, Jennifer A. "The Perceptual Constraints on Pictorial Realism." Contemporary Aesthetics 4 (2006). Contemporary Aesthetics. Rhode Island School of Design, 18 Jan. 2006. Web. 10 Oct. 2009.
If pictorial realism is defined as the degree to which a visual depiction can be recognized as an object, then cultural perceptual training must affect perceptions of realism. McMahon argues that, in pictorial cognition, the visual data received by the brain does not form a distinct presentation until the data is organized under a ‘descriptive’ configuration. This occurs because pictorial perceptions differ from perceptions of everyday reality. Normally, two distinct cell groups judge spatial relationships and inter-object relationships; in pictorial perception, the latter group judges both. In order to understand the visual complexity of the pictorial space, the mind recalls previous configurations of similar arrangements as an organizational template. Thus, past experiences condition present determinations of what data is crucial to understand the image. This theory accounts for culturally specific understandings of realism, and historical evolutions of realism within cultures. Further, this approach supports the possibility of discovering new realisms in old artworks, because the individual’s perceptual history conditions what is “seen” in the work itself.
Yates, Cristopher S. "A Phenomenological Aesthetics of Cinematic 'Worlds'" Contemporary Aesthetics `4 (2006). Contemporary Aesthetics. Rhode Island School of Design, 22 Oct. 2006. Web. 10 Oct. 2009.
Yates argues that, through film, two worlds converge: that of the viewer and that of the artistic object. This event demands a phenomenological film aesthetics, which has not yet been sufficiently elaborated. Yates proposes an interpretation of Martin Heidegger’s aesthetic theory for the film medium, which draws from Stanley Cavell and Mikel Dufrenne’s respective work on film and philosophy. Heidegger argues that the work of art creates an “open region” in the viewer’s world, in which the object’s artistic intentionality invites the viewer to consider how all reality is imbued with meaning. Stanley Cavell argues that the temporal and spatial qualities of film and the cinema may heighten the viewer’s sensitivity to this type of aesthetic reception. However, Cavell stops short of explaining how the film world actively engages with the viewer’s distinct reality. Yates draws on Mikel Dufrenne’s adaptation of Husserl’s concept of “reduction” to clarify this process. Dufrenne asserts that film viewers focus their attention on “the plane of experience,” rather than general object cognition, and thus internalize the film’s distinct perspective. The article concludes with examples of films by director Terrence Malick, which direct the viewer toward world convergence.
ABSTRACTS
Brooks, Kevin. "More "Seriously Visible" Reading: McCloud, McLuhan, and the Visual Language of The Medium Is the Message." College Composition and Communication 61.1 (2009). Conference on College Composition and Communication. National Council of Teachers of English, Sept. 2009. Web. 10 Oct. 2009.
Brooks advocates a more serious reading of Marshall McLuhan And Quentin Fiore’s “The Media Is the Massage” through the use of Scott McCloud’s text “Understanding Comics”. Brooks argues that a sophisticated pedagogy for visual-verbal reading has not been developed due to an assumption that such texts have limited academic merit. Thus, previous critiques of the “The Medium Is the Massage” fall back on unspecific terms to describe the multi-modal material, such as “juxtaposition” and “hybridization”. This vocabulary does not elucidate the different kinds of ‘closure,’ or hermeneutical engagement, which word and picture texts enact. McCloud’s book outlines six “picture-picture” relationships and seven “picture-word” relationships that imply distinct narrative functions. Brooks uses McCloud’s outline to interpret excerpts from “The Medium Is the Message,” and thus demonstrates how seemingly obscure visual-verbal material can crystallize under deliberate analytic scrutiny. The article concludes with a call for educators, artists, and scholars to use “The Medium Is the Massage” and McCloud as tools to initiate innovative visual-verbal thinking.
McMahon, Jennifer A. "The Perceptual Constraints on Pictorial Realism." Contemporary Aesthetics 4 (2006). Contemporary Aesthetics. Rhode Island School of Design, 18 Jan. 2006. Web. 10 Oct. 2009.
If pictorial realism is defined as the degree to which a visual depiction can be recognized as an object, then cultural perceptual training must affect perceptions of realism. McMahon argues that, in pictorial cognition, the visual data received by the brain does not form a distinct presentation until the data is organized under a ‘descriptive’ configuration. This occurs because pictorial perceptions differ from perceptions of everyday reality. Normally, two distinct cell groups judge spatial relationships and inter-object relationships; in pictorial perception, the latter group judges both. In order to understand the visual complexity of the pictorial space, the mind recalls previous configurations of similar arrangements as an organizational template. Thus, past experiences condition present determinations of what data is crucial to understand the image. This theory accounts for culturally specific understandings of realism, and historical evolutions of realism within cultures. Further, this approach supports the possibility of discovering new realisms in old artworks, because the individual’s perceptual history conditions what is “seen” in the work itself.
Yates, Cristopher S. "A Phenomenological Aesthetics of Cinematic 'Worlds'" Contemporary Aesthetics `4 (2006). Contemporary Aesthetics. Rhode Island School of Design, 22 Oct. 2006. Web. 10 Oct. 2009.
Yates argues that, through film, two worlds converge: that of the viewer and that of the artistic object. This event demands a phenomenological film aesthetics, which has not yet been sufficiently elaborated. Yates proposes an interpretation of Martin Heidegger’s aesthetic theory for the film medium, which draws from Stanley Cavell and Mikel Dufrenne’s respective work on film and philosophy. Heidegger argues that the work of art creates an “open region” in the viewer’s world, in which the object’s artistic intentionality invites the viewer to consider how all reality is imbued with meaning. Stanley Cavell argues that the temporal and spatial qualities of film and the cinema may heighten the viewer’s sensitivity to this type of aesthetic reception. However, Cavell stops short of explaining how the film world actively engages with the viewer’s distinct reality. Yates draws on Mikel Dufrenne’s adaptation of Husserl’s concept of “reduction” to clarify this process. Dufrenne asserts that film viewers focus their attention on “the plane of experience,” rather than general object cognition, and thus internalize the film’s distinct perspective. The article concludes with examples of films by director Terrence Malick, which direct the viewer toward world convergence.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Intellectual Autobiography
Although I began the Media Studies masters program only one short month ago, I can already see changes in the outline of my intended studies and new shapes and ideas taking form. In truth, this is just as much a result of material that has resonated with my ways of thinking, as it is a result of material that has left me uninspired.
As an undergraduate student I was enthralled by nineteenth and twentieth century continental philosophy, and particularly by ontological theory. Yet, despite my genuine passion for philosophy, I decided not to pursue a graduate degree in the discipline (at this time) because of the overwhelming negativity I observed in the writer’s I most admired. While I will not pretend to have mastered even the smallest fraction of twentieth century philosophy, I know that writers such as Heidegger, Derrida, Baudrillard, and Lacan have little pragmatic interest in the technological, political, and social advances of their respective eras, or the potential social benefits of these developments. Such writers are very good at enumerating the economy of desire engendered by capitalism, the existential crisis of the mechanical and electronic age, the failures of democracy, and the self-alienation that we all necessarily experience as humans in mass mediated societies. However, twentieth century continental philosophy is not very adept at theorizing the positive opportunities afforded by the electronic age, democracy, mass media, etc. In short, while lamentations for the present might be founded and well reasoned, lamenting does not promote human progress.
Given the prevalence of semiotics and philosophy of language in continental philosophy, it is not surprising that I turned to Media Studies as a graduate student. ‘Media,’ as we discussed during the first “Understanding Media Studies” seminar, is the plural of the word ‘medium,’ which refers to any method for transmitting information. Thus, “Media Studies” considers the history of human communications, from the beginning of language up to the most advanced inter-computer networks. Philosophy considers what communication is, i.e. how it is possible for a signifier to communicate a signified between beings. Media studies considers how this process differs from medium to medium. How does the physical material of a medium (is it made of stone, paper, wavelength,) it’s mode of distribution (is it transmitted from mouth to mouth, from mouth to masses, from satellite to television set,) and it’s content (is it considered ‘art,’ politics,’ ‘entertainment,’) predict the transmission of meaning. ‘Postmodern’ ontology is characterized by an interest in the relationship between ‘being’ and environment, and how the ‘truth’ about the nature of being is revealed or obscured by environmental conditions. What molds a social environment more than the forms of communication practiced within it?
Before beginning my work at the New School, I wanted to study the communication powers of digital media. More specifically, I wanted to know if the breadth of available information via the Internet, and the democratization of new media producers could challenge dominant postmodern conceptions of the capitalist-consumerist, and his or her psychological and/or ontological awareness. I recognize that I pose a very broad question that demands both a thorough review of certain philosophical themes and extensive social research. Firstly, I would have to select a demographic for my case study. Then, I would have to ascertain what percentage of this demographic believes that digital media and the Internet affect their ‘values.’ I would ask how these people interact with new media: do they read it, watch it, produce it, etc. How are their concerns, interests, aspirations, etc., a product of these activities? How do these aspirations relate to the ‘bigger’ questions of what makes a life ‘worth living’? A review of this information would lead back to an ontological, or psychological, evaluation of a certain class of new media user.
I think that this type of study could be fascinating, and I would love to read the results of such a project. However, as a graduate student, I have quickly learned that I am not a born sociologist, and I do not want for my work to focus on such expansive case study work. I am currently enrolled in the “Media and Social Theory” class, and while I am interested in the material on a narrative level, the class does not consider the existential issues that excite me. To put it simply, I am more interested in how the universally conceived ‘individual’ is affected by confrontation with a given medium, than how a medium structures overarching social identities. This distinction signifies a greater interest in the aesthetic dimension of media than the socio-political aspect of media.
I used to find it difficult to differentiate the limits of philosophy from those of sociology. Over the past month I think that I have drawn a suitable distinction. Even when philosophy interprets cultural or historical phenomenon, it always does so with an eye for what is consistent: philosophy is concerned with the capacities, questions, and problems that present themselves to every human, regardless of the conditions in which he or she lives. Sociology, on the other hand, is concerned with mass communities, and what traits distinguish one group from of another. Beyond my academic interests, I have always been a very introspective person and preferred independent activities, such as reading, writing, drawing, or painting, over group activities, such as sports, clubs, or student government. On a personal level, the objective of philosophy resonates with my interests and behavior more deeply than that of sociology.
As an undergraduate I studied both studio art and philosophy. Apart from my academic research interests, I chose the Media Studies masters program because I wanted to continue to produce artwork and improve my facility with video and film. If I follow my interest in the aesthetic character of different media and their capacity to communicate ideas, I anticipate focusing my time in the Media Studies department on film and video studies and production. I am currently in the film forum class, and while I have worked with film before, I have found that an increased technological understanding of the medium radically alters my understanding of what it can do. I want to continue with film production at the New School, and plan to take the cinematography class next spring. The course “Semiotics for the Digital Producer,” also aligns with my stated interests. Although we have not considered the existential dimensions of media in the “Media and Social Theory,” I think that this will be a central topic in the “Critical Theory” class, and I look forward to discovering new connections between media and philosophy through this course. I also plan to take elective credits in the philosophy department at the New School for Social Research, and have already identified a course on visual aesthetics and the nature of ‘realism’ for next semester.
I have debated the benefits of an academic career for a long time, and I am still in the process of making that decision. If I do pursue a PhD I hope to attend the Berkeley Rhetoric department, or a similar interdisciplinary humanities program that combines visual cultural studies with philosophy. For now, my priority is reading as much as I can, filming as much as I can, thinking as much as I can, and seeing what opportunities are born out of my efforts.
Although I began the Media Studies masters program only one short month ago, I can already see changes in the outline of my intended studies and new shapes and ideas taking form. In truth, this is just as much a result of material that has resonated with my ways of thinking, as it is a result of material that has left me uninspired.
As an undergraduate student I was enthralled by nineteenth and twentieth century continental philosophy, and particularly by ontological theory. Yet, despite my genuine passion for philosophy, I decided not to pursue a graduate degree in the discipline (at this time) because of the overwhelming negativity I observed in the writer’s I most admired. While I will not pretend to have mastered even the smallest fraction of twentieth century philosophy, I know that writers such as Heidegger, Derrida, Baudrillard, and Lacan have little pragmatic interest in the technological, political, and social advances of their respective eras, or the potential social benefits of these developments. Such writers are very good at enumerating the economy of desire engendered by capitalism, the existential crisis of the mechanical and electronic age, the failures of democracy, and the self-alienation that we all necessarily experience as humans in mass mediated societies. However, twentieth century continental philosophy is not very adept at theorizing the positive opportunities afforded by the electronic age, democracy, mass media, etc. In short, while lamentations for the present might be founded and well reasoned, lamenting does not promote human progress.
Given the prevalence of semiotics and philosophy of language in continental philosophy, it is not surprising that I turned to Media Studies as a graduate student. ‘Media,’ as we discussed during the first “Understanding Media Studies” seminar, is the plural of the word ‘medium,’ which refers to any method for transmitting information. Thus, “Media Studies” considers the history of human communications, from the beginning of language up to the most advanced inter-computer networks. Philosophy considers what communication is, i.e. how it is possible for a signifier to communicate a signified between beings. Media studies considers how this process differs from medium to medium. How does the physical material of a medium (is it made of stone, paper, wavelength,) it’s mode of distribution (is it transmitted from mouth to mouth, from mouth to masses, from satellite to television set,) and it’s content (is it considered ‘art,’ politics,’ ‘entertainment,’) predict the transmission of meaning. ‘Postmodern’ ontology is characterized by an interest in the relationship between ‘being’ and environment, and how the ‘truth’ about the nature of being is revealed or obscured by environmental conditions. What molds a social environment more than the forms of communication practiced within it?
Before beginning my work at the New School, I wanted to study the communication powers of digital media. More specifically, I wanted to know if the breadth of available information via the Internet, and the democratization of new media producers could challenge dominant postmodern conceptions of the capitalist-consumerist, and his or her psychological and/or ontological awareness. I recognize that I pose a very broad question that demands both a thorough review of certain philosophical themes and extensive social research. Firstly, I would have to select a demographic for my case study. Then, I would have to ascertain what percentage of this demographic believes that digital media and the Internet affect their ‘values.’ I would ask how these people interact with new media: do they read it, watch it, produce it, etc. How are their concerns, interests, aspirations, etc., a product of these activities? How do these aspirations relate to the ‘bigger’ questions of what makes a life ‘worth living’? A review of this information would lead back to an ontological, or psychological, evaluation of a certain class of new media user.
I think that this type of study could be fascinating, and I would love to read the results of such a project. However, as a graduate student, I have quickly learned that I am not a born sociologist, and I do not want for my work to focus on such expansive case study work. I am currently enrolled in the “Media and Social Theory” class, and while I am interested in the material on a narrative level, the class does not consider the existential issues that excite me. To put it simply, I am more interested in how the universally conceived ‘individual’ is affected by confrontation with a given medium, than how a medium structures overarching social identities. This distinction signifies a greater interest in the aesthetic dimension of media than the socio-political aspect of media.
I used to find it difficult to differentiate the limits of philosophy from those of sociology. Over the past month I think that I have drawn a suitable distinction. Even when philosophy interprets cultural or historical phenomenon, it always does so with an eye for what is consistent: philosophy is concerned with the capacities, questions, and problems that present themselves to every human, regardless of the conditions in which he or she lives. Sociology, on the other hand, is concerned with mass communities, and what traits distinguish one group from of another. Beyond my academic interests, I have always been a very introspective person and preferred independent activities, such as reading, writing, drawing, or painting, over group activities, such as sports, clubs, or student government. On a personal level, the objective of philosophy resonates with my interests and behavior more deeply than that of sociology.
As an undergraduate I studied both studio art and philosophy. Apart from my academic research interests, I chose the Media Studies masters program because I wanted to continue to produce artwork and improve my facility with video and film. If I follow my interest in the aesthetic character of different media and their capacity to communicate ideas, I anticipate focusing my time in the Media Studies department on film and video studies and production. I am currently in the film forum class, and while I have worked with film before, I have found that an increased technological understanding of the medium radically alters my understanding of what it can do. I want to continue with film production at the New School, and plan to take the cinematography class next spring. The course “Semiotics for the Digital Producer,” also aligns with my stated interests. Although we have not considered the existential dimensions of media in the “Media and Social Theory,” I think that this will be a central topic in the “Critical Theory” class, and I look forward to discovering new connections between media and philosophy through this course. I also plan to take elective credits in the philosophy department at the New School for Social Research, and have already identified a course on visual aesthetics and the nature of ‘realism’ for next semester.
I have debated the benefits of an academic career for a long time, and I am still in the process of making that decision. If I do pursue a PhD I hope to attend the Berkeley Rhetoric department, or a similar interdisciplinary humanities program that combines visual cultural studies with philosophy. For now, my priority is reading as much as I can, filming as much as I can, thinking as much as I can, and seeing what opportunities are born out of my efforts.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
This advertisement is composed of two main elements: a collage of old sepia colored cityscape photographs, and a bluish green drawing in the shape of a Huge Boss bottle of 'eau de toilette'. The bottle's placement in the middle of the page and the shadow around it's base indicate foreground. However, the rough edges of the nosel look like a cut-out, or a window, through which we can see the beach in the middle of the city. The page is busy with a lot of information, but a vertical orientation is established through the up-and-down lines of the buildings. This rythm is disrupted by the dark diagonal stripe that runs through the bottle, which is continued behind the product in the image of a train. The advertisement clearly seeks to link the product with the image of a city-dwellers beach vacation.
The side panel of this vitamin water truck shows a high contrast wave of brightly colored water bottles against a stark black background.The wave receeds in space towards the front of the truck, and almost pops out of the picture plane towards the back. This creates a a definite sense of movement and directionality, which seems appropriate given it's location (on the side of a moving vehicle). The products and the slogan "try it" is written legible in bright white letters in the negative space above the wave shape.
This is a low contrast, well balanced print advertisement for camper shoes. The two figures are spaced evenly along the width of the image, and slight tonal changes split the page length into thirds. The Camper logo and slogan "imagination walks" gives the composition gravity and a downward pull, which is reflected in the flurry of feathers in the top third of the picture. It should also be noted that both figures are positioned in leaning poses, but also appear well grounded. The theme of this advertisement appears to be the relationship between stability and creativity, which correlates to campers product: a functional shoe with style.
This web advertisement makes interesting use of "negative space". Although the background space is black and the product, or foreground, is white, the car suggested by the earphones turns the inactive black into an active, identifiable object. The slogan "go places" brilliantly connects the product, an ipod, with the ephemeral car. Although the ipod does not literally have wheels, it gives us the freedom of movement, both in our minds and in our physical space. The advertisement also plays with size by giving the car comparable dimensions to the ipod mini, which should be tiny in relation.
This is an advertisement for a graphic novel, lifted from the New York Times website. The layout exhibits a strong directional line, created by the inclination of the woman's face and the sloping text, and also makes good use of foreground/background relationships. The written information turns the shadow of the face into a black canvas, thus giving the black area multiple functions. The text also connects with the 'white space' behind the face by repeating the purple and white color palette. Opposing elements of the composition are well integrated into one another.
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