Amanda post 1

Part I:

A1.

Manet’s The Luncheon on the Grass is an image which functions as a representation of French society in the later 1800s and the female subject in art. The painting stretches beyond simply a still life or casual scene by pushing past the social limitations and regulations of what is acceptable in public. By creating a contemporary, believable picnic scene, but also inserting two women dining in the nude with the men, Manet upset the public, and by causing disagreement, visually represented the barrier between what is acceptable to display in an image for the public and what is not (visual representation of an understood social rule). This is a challenge to the distinguished “fine art” paintings of past centuries that display nude women such as mistresses and concubines yet are considered excellent works in their “classical” settings. In addition, this painting hints at the truth that, in general, women in art have been objectified. They appear as flawless, nude forms that are modeled to the perfect idea of beauty for a given time period. Manet contributes to the validity of this objectification of women by making them flawless nudes and neglecting to add many shadows, highlighting to draw attention to their bodies.

http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/r/images/Luncheon%20on%20the%20Grass.jpg

The advertisements that circulate for PETA display nude celebrity women holding baby animals or dressed in leaves or vegetables and carry a message beyond that of an artistic photographic. The compositions are crafted so that they represent how fashionable and attractive it is to protest wearing fur or to stop consuming animals. In one advertisement, a nude woman stands with her back to the camera and her head is turned over her shoulder. With this image, its specific lighting and overall composition tampering with the photograph’s truth value, PETA attempts to create the conviction that it is preferable to wear nothing than fur, and urges the viewer to believe that to own or purchase a fur is shameful, so much so that it is more admirable to wear nothing. The other advertisements are similar, with women wearing leaves or holding animals, and they both represent an innocence and general “goodness” that is the refusal to consume animals. The truth, according to these images, is that becoming a vegetarian is doing the “right” thing, and so they convince the viewer to do so.

http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2006/03/08/annalise_wideweb__470x331,0.jpg

http://www.ecorazzi.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/09/sadiefrost_peta.jpeg

http://www.lotusorganics.com/articles/PamelaAndersonLettuce.jpg

The Van Gogh painting Skull of a Skeleton with a Burning Cigarette is a macabre representation that informs the viewer of his or her impending death, yet also mocks both this and the still life form. The shadows on the image darken the skeleton and the blackened background force the areas of yellowish-gray bone to appear almost grimy and sinister, which lends a certain mood of doom to the image. However, adding the cigarette and the apparent grinning of the skull make a joke about both the serious nature of the still life in art and of the finality of death. By incorporating the cigarette into the mouth of death, it seems that the piece relays an idea that, first off, art students should not regard the still life with such seriousness but should allow it to contain more “lightness,” and secondly, one should not stop to worry over death, but rather continue to live, as it will come to all living things eventually.

http://abm-enterprises.net/skull.htm

The New York Times photo of a lone man walking along a dirt roadway in an industrial sector of China and framed by piles of dirt and two tall factory smokestacks represents the growing truth of how industry and machine production is becoming, in many ways, greater than the humans who created them. It illuminates the ways through which industrialization is slowly breaking down the environment and dwarfing human activities with the regurgitation of smoke through the stacks, causing smoggy, unhealthy air with little visibility and simultaneously clouding the future ways of life in heavy industrial countries like China. Too much emphasis is put on production and economy, and the inhabitants and environment suffers for it. Additionally, it implies that eventually, this pollution will spread beyond China until it affects all people, as the one man swallowed up in the midst of this waste represents. The entire photo is hazy and gray; there are no bright colors anywhere and even the green of the trees has begun to be stamped out by the smog. Though the composition was very carefully planned for this photo, it still tells the truth that rapid industrialization is becoming such a monstrous, destructive force in the world for both humans and the environment they live in, and that such progress comes with a very high price.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2007/08/26/world/asia/choking_on_growth.html#story2

The photo collages of student athletes splashed on the walls and stairwells of the gymnasium serve as representations of the school’s strive to promote a competitive spirit and hard working students in all fields. They imply that there is a sense of excellence and a victorious atmosphere, and that, as shown in the pictures, the students at this school are extremely focused and push themselves to exceed the average. The dramatic, displays are meant to showcase the determination of the Rollins community to keep working through their academic and extracurricular lives here and boast a winning attitude in a place full of excellent people.

A2.

In the PETA advertisements, the otherwise nude female celebrities wear leaves or hold young animals. The images of these women are the “signifiers” in the photos, and when combined with the idea of sexiness and innocence that stem simultaneously from the nude image and/or the animal (the “signified” idea or concept), the overall sign connoted by the photo is that protesting fur and becoming a vegetarian are not only considered attractive, but they are also the “good” thing to do that will cause one to be regarded as, essentially, righteous as he or she cares about the safety and comfort of the animals that we live share the world with. This is appealing in our society because people do care about how they are regarded by those around them, so much so that they are sometimes willing to change their entire lifestyles for acceptance and to be in the good graces of others.

In the New York Times photo of the civilian in the midst of the industrial blemishes that are overtaking the country, the singular man and the oozing smokestacks function as the image’s “signifiers,” which stand with the connotation of overwhelming industrialization (“signified”) to formulate an alarming sign. The photo makes it appear that in the present world, where there is a rush to produce and capitalization expands, the need for production becomes greater than the need to care for the health of humans and the environment. This image creates a grim warning that the rapid rate of industrialization in nations like China and Japan will cause dire consequences for the environment and for the people themselves. The connection is made between a progressing industrial and economic environment and a deteriorating natural environment.

B.

The bronze Benjamin Franklin sculpture can be considered an example of “high” art on the campus because of its appeal in subject matter and appearance to educated viewers. The very image of Franklin implies a level of intelligence and promotes education based on what is known of his life and accomplishments as a forefather and scholar. Thus, the reason for this particular sculpture is, most likely, to inspire and to show those who look at the campus that education is a prominent feature at this school and that the choice of a Benjamin Franklin sculpture and quote would represent that quality is commonplace here.

The flyer for the movie Accepted on the campus center doors represents a “low” art form. As this is an advertisement for a comedy movie made for the amusement of the people (and thus falls under the category of widespread pop culture), it could be considered “low,” mass-produced art in that it does not require an elevated level of education to be understood and appreciated. On the contrary, it is for the pleasure and entertainment of a general audience and thus does not have imparted on it the same type of educational, cultural, or economic value as a form of “high” art would.

Part II:

In my opinion, our contemporary society has no truly “oppressive” mass media, and though there are certain types that I would consider persuasive (government propaganda, advertisements), the majority of mass media functions in a way that facilitates democracy. The internet is a prime example of such a medium. Its interactive format encourages discussion and interaction between people worldwide, namely through blogs and online journals where people can post their opinions about anything and others can respond and comment in turn, fostering the flow of ideas on a national and international level. Web pages for different interests and the online forum also create communities that link people, connecting them in democratic fashion. Furthermore, television programs also bring the people together and inform them of the events and happenings of the world they live in. For instance, televised presidential debates allow the people to evaluate (to an extent) the platforms, values, and competence of their future presidential candidates and, along with information from the news and the internet that they are able to access, make the most informed decision possible. In addition, there are special programs and channels that cater to specific cultural or interest communities, the appearance of which broadcasts on national or international television demonstrates democracy in itself. Hence, unlike the pushy and often intimidating propaganda or monopoly of television programming of past years, the mass media today functions with more democracy than “oppression.”