Advertising is a medium that has always interested me. The use of images to present a product in the most desirable way takes skill that I did not fully recognize until this week. After completing our discussion for the week, I decided to use the Williamson method, as discussed in our Gillian Rose reading, to analyze a few other advertisements and images. Williamson analyzes spatial organization, visual absences, written text, puns or puzzles, and calligraphy when looking at an image. (Rose 100)

First, my love of literature took over and I couldn’t resist this image.

The visual puzzle of this image grabbed my attention first. At fist glance it can be difficult to notice that the subject of the photo is not sharing their own face, so the viewer has to figure out what is going on. Spatial organization also plays a part in this. The person in this image is framed in a way that intentionally creates space from the viewer, generating a feeling that isn’t entirely intimate, but also doesn’t feel isolating. There is an interesting balance between the subject of the image being literally enveloped by their book and them also choosing to share that experience with the viewer.

This ad is a great representation of Williamson’s idea that “we create ourselves in the advertisement” (Rose 100) because it is not difficult for a viewer to connect with the idea of getting lost in a book. That makes this an effective advertisement encouraging engagement with novels.

The second image I found is a bit more tongue in cheek, but I couldn’t resist it.

The major thing that stands out to me with this advertisement is the pairing of the written text and visual puzzle. The image itself is not terribly difficult to understand, but the small details of the fangs that have been added make the connection between the image and the written text of “bite me” that much stronger. The aesthetic of this subject (dark hair, pale skin, and fangs) is generally recognized in our culture to represent a vampire, which also creates a pun within the advertisement. The written text itself is particularly striking because it takes up so much space on the page and the stark white of the font also draws the viewer’s eye to the bag of chips.

This is another example of an advertisement that has worked to “pull a spectator into their signifying effects”. (Rose 100) The pairing of the image and the text, combined with an easily recognized figure, catches and keeps the viewer’s attention, thus generating more attention for this particular brand.

The final image that I found is one of my favorites.

This ad, which encourages artists to get online to stay connected with a larger audience, is fascinating to me because of the use of calligraphy. According to the Williamson method, calligraphy is “when the product is transformed into a word.” (Rose 100) I did not find many quality examples of this particular aspect of advertisements, so when I found one I liked I was thrilled!

The use of calligraphy in this ad is not only visually appealing, but also connects well with the intended message. As an advertisement encouraging artists to get online and get connected, the use of graphic design to create such a striking image is genius. In this case, the “product” that was turned into a word is more of an idea than a tangible product, but it is still extremely effective.

This method, as well as other topics we studied this week, has given me a new tool to examine the world around me. I’ve enjoyed being able to not only identify images and ads that are appealing to me, but also learn how to articulate WHY those particular things catch my eye. I’m looking forward to using these skills in the future!

-Chelsea

Works Cited

Rose, Gillian. Visual Methodologies: An Introduction to the Interpretation of Visual Materials. 2nd ed., SAGE, 2007.

My reading for this week immediately took me back to our discussion last week, though not for reasons that I expected. One of the images that we had the option to analyze last week was the cover of TIME representing the story of the Me Too movement. That story, as well as the progression of that movement as a whole, has been equal parts heartbreaking and inspiring. Last week I examined that cover photo looking at the framing and image act and I found an interesting connection between that analysis and this week’s reading.

This is cover I analyzed last week:

Chapter 3 of Berger’s book was particularly striking to me this week and I feel that it dealt with many of the same ideas and struggles that the Me Too movement addresses. Many of the amazing women who are profiled in this cover story share a similar experience of being taken advantage of by men in their lives who held power over them. They felt powerless and didn’t speak up. They were afraid. Many of them knew that if they spoke out against this abuse their livelihoods would be on the line and that was not a risk that seemed worth taking.

As horrible as these abuses are, they are commonplace in our society today. Male dominated spaces, professional or otherwise, are rife with stories that mirror those shared by the Me Too movement. Lingering stares, unwanted hugs, inappropriate advances, and more permeate the lives of women everywhere simply because they are surrounded by men who believe that they are entitled to the time and attention of these women.

Reading Berger this week I immediately thought of this story. Early on in chapter 3 of Ways of Seeing, when talking about how the lives of women are impacted by the men around them, Berger states that “She had to survey everything she is and everything she does because how she appears to others, and ultimately how she appears to men, is of crucial importance for what is normally thought of as the success of her life.” (Berger 46)

Women who find themselves in situations where they are the focus of unwanted attention from men in their life do not speak up because of precisely what Berger said. These men hold some sort of power or authority, so how they view the women is directly connected to how successful those women can be. Berger goes on to say that “Every one of her actions- whatever its direct purpose or motivation- is also read as an indication of how she would like to be treated.” (Berger 47) This holds true, but I believe that an issue with that is the fact that many men misread the purpose of women’s actions. If a woman is being sexually harassed by a co-worker or a boss she may attempt to put physical distance between them, not engage with them directly, or awkwardly laugh off their advances. To many, those actions would indicate that the woman is uncomfortable and should be left alone, but that is not always the case. Often times men will misread those actions (sometimes willfully) as quiet complicity since the women are not saying “NO!” directly.

This connection struck me as I was completing my work for this week because it is easy to fall into the mindset that nothing has changed since the early 70s when Berger was creating this work. Women still face the reality of unwanted observation and the entitlement of others. Despite the frequency with which we hear these stories, I am hopeful because we ARE hearing these stories. More and more women are recognizing the reality that Berger described and are actively working to dismantle it. Though it is proving to be slow and steady, progress is progress.

Viva la Revolución!

-Chelsea

Works Cited

Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. London, British Broadcasting Corporation, 1972.

One of my least favorite things about this time of year is political ads. My grandfather was the sheriff in my home town for almost thirty years and I have had several close family members run for various political offices, so I have always had a front row seat to how nasty and exhausting politics can be. I hate it. I have made a point in my adult life to keep myself well informed, but to steer clear of politics as much as I can. As I was reading this week, however, I couldn’t help but think back to all of the political ads that I have seen and how their framing and image act were either effective or not.

I found an interesting video from the Wall Street Journal (which you can watch HERE, that discusses a shift that has occurred in political ads recently.

If you are unfamiliar, a “traditional” political ad will often feature either the candidate or some of their supporters framed close-up, speaking directly to the camera. The framing creates an intimate connection with the subject of the video, either the candidate or supporter, and the plea for support is a fairly direct image act. I have no doubt that this is an effective strategy, but these ads have always been somewhat off-putting to me because they seem a bit TOO scripted. Rather than getting a genuine look at someone, it seems to be someone saying what they know will gain them supporters. A caricature rather than a candidate.

The video from Wall Street Journal outlines a new era of political ads.

Internet advertising has radically changed how these ads are being created a distributed and I found myself riveted by them. Many of these ads feature real-life footage and medium framing. Rather than a full frame of the candidate’s face, we get to see them living their lives. Whether that means interacting with the people of their community, spending time with family, or participating in some political event, they are real. While I am still not jumping for joy at having to see political ads, they are more palatable this way.

As I was watching this video it struck me that a major difference in these ads is how the image act is presented. Traditional ads don’t shy away from the direct request for action. “I am asking for your vote” is a common thread in these ads. Clips meant to tug on heartstrings are thrown together, angling to get your attention and convince you that this person is better than the next. The new era of political ads tend to be more request than demand. Rather than directly soliciting a vote they seem to simply present the reality of who the candidate is (however rose colored it may be). The message of these ads seems to be “look at who this person is and decide if they are the best fit for your home.”

I am still not a fan of political propaganda in general, and I doubt I ever will be, but it is encouraging to see a shift in how these politicians are being presented.

-Chelsea

Between sickness, stress, and technical difficulties I think it is safe to say that this design exercise was not particularly kind to me this week. HOWEVER! I did still enjoy getting to explore this new area of interest.

You win some, you lose some, I guess.

My Summer & Fall 2020 Newsletter can be found HERE!

I knew going into this that I had a very particular style that I wanted to follow. I typically prefer designs that are simple and straight forward, so I wanted that reflected in the newsletter I created. Design has always been something that has interested me, regardless of the context, because I have found over time that most various forms of designing are centered on balance. That was clearly reflected in the text from Lupton. I drew a lot from Lupton’s ideas about Grid as Frame, particularly the notion that “designers focus much of their energy on margins, edges, and empty spaces” (Lupton 153). When creating this newsletter it was important to me that it feel balanced, despite the large amount of text present on the page.

The one thing that I struggled with the most while creating my newsletter (aside from my own technology) was the amount of information that needed to be shared. My taste for simplicity in document design means that I prefer to make good use of the empty space on my pages. Realizing that I did not have much empty space to work with was surprisingly stressful. The copious amounts of information, along with the stipulation that I was not to exceed three pages, made me feel like I was being forced into a box that was much too small for my liking.

In order to combat that stress, I intentionally kept the grid and layout of my newsletter fairly simple. Any information that was separate from course offerings was put in a colored block to denote that it was particularly important. All of the headings were center aligned, while body text was left aligned. I felt that this very clearly indicated when new information was being presented and helped to create intentional empty spaces. I also used the correct colors, as set forth in the branding guide, to ensure that my newsletter met the standards set for a Gardner-Webb University publication.

Overall, this task was difficult and time consuming, but rewarding. I am not entirely happy with the results, but I feel like I now have a better understanding of what exactly goes into designing these documents, as well as what skills and tricks I can use in the future. Cheers to Design Exercise #3!

-Chelsea

I have a steadily growing collection of tattoos (I’ll be in double digits next month) and this idea has been floating around in my mind since we ready Molly Bang. It’s sort of been very quietly biding time in the back of my mind all semester, but this week it really came to life. The idea of tattoos as art has always fascinated me, but I started to wonder how they may tie into discussion about visual rhetoric. This is equal parts selfish curiosity and academic exploration.

Let’s jump in!

The social acceptability of tattoos has been hotly debated in my family for YEARS, with mixed results. I’ve always been curious about the history of the art form, so I did some digging. This video helped to shed some light:

Addison Anderson does a great job of laying out what tattoos have represented over time, including how they are viewed today. I tend to lean more toward the view that tattoos are a means of self-expression, while certain family members of mine are convinced that tattoos guarantee that a person is no good and will never hold a good job. I am forever optimistic that I am able to prove that crew wrong.

As I was reading and studying this week something in Gillian Rose’s exploration of visual methodologies struck me. As Rose is laying out the aspects of current literature that explore visual culture she makes the point that “what is important about images is not simply the image itself, but how it is seen by particular spectators who look in particular ways.” (Rose 7) While Rose goes on to explain that the inspiration for this idea came from the work of John Berger, I immediately associated that idea with the ongoing discussions I am engaged in surrounding tattoos.

It cannot be denied that, at the very least, tattoos are visual representations of something significant to the person being tattooed, at least at the time the tattoo was completed. This could be something simple a name or a butterfly, or it could be something complex like a portrait or a landscape. The image itself took hours to create and significant time was spent placing it on the recipient’s body. Whoever paid to get that image permanently etched into their skin had a particular view of it. Others, unfortunately, may not share that view.

The general social opinion surrounding tattoos was, for a large chunk of history, not a positive one. Tattoos were often used to denote criminals or prisoners, which are not groups of people that are usually looked up to. Moving the practice of tattooing into the mainstream is difficult because, for a significant number of people, tattoos are still seen that way, regardless of the intention behind the art itself. That reality was, for me, a real life connection with what I was studying. It has been really interesting to see these ideas develop over time and i’m excited to keep moving forward!

-Chelsea

Ever since I can remember I have loved art museums. There is something so captivating about seemingly endless rooms filled to the brim with artists’ imaginations come to life. Few experiences compare to standing before a canvas or a photo or a sculpture and allowing yourself to experience the emotions of the art. Emotions play a major role in visual design, even when words aren’t present.

This design exercise was equal parts exciting and exhausting. I have never fancied myself a visual artist, so dealing with mediums and materials that I was unfamiliar with proved to be a challenge. One thing that surprised me most was how much I second guessed myself and my choices. Dr. Buckner told us to “abandon any need for perfection”, but I just couldn’t shake the need to get this “right”. I very quickly learned that, despite my need to excel, there isn’t really any “right” when it comes to a project like this. I just had to go for it.

I chose to use GIMP for this exercise and initially regretted that choice. The learning curve was sharp and steep, but I trekked it anyway. In the end, I found that I really enjoy the program and didn’t absolutely hate what I came up with.

Now, I certainly don’t love what I ended up with, but it’s not bad for a first attempt.

Bang’s exercise, representing “fear” with either birds or sharks attacking a victim, utilizes the same skills and practices that she talked about in the book. This was both a blessing and a curse for me. I was thankful for the blueprint of sorts, but I found myself wanting to copy her style a little too closely. It was, at times, a challenge to make the images my own.

I tried my best to find a happy medium. I chose to represent fear with sharks, so I avoided the red that she talked about in the book and instead used a blue to represent the ocean. I felt like red would be a little too harsh for what I was trying to get across. The blue seems calm, which provides a contrast with the black of the sharks. I used black to represent the dangers in the images, in this case a shark and in another a cliff face, because the black is such a sharp contrast to the other colors used. I also used sharp lines for everything except the image representing the person. I felt like the person being the only rounded shape not only sets it apart in the image, but also represents how vulnerable it is compared to the other things in the image.

Overall, I really enjoyed this exercise. It was interesting to explore a new medium that I am by no means proficient in. Getting to play around with color and how it changes a viewer’s perception of an image helped me to gain a deeper understanding of shape and color that we studied this week. I’m excited to see what else we learn this semester!

-Chelsea

In the midst of prepping for my blog post this week I kept skipping back to our Choose Your Own Adventure style week when we were tasked with selecting chapters in Bolter and Grusin’s Remediation that were of particular interest to us. One of my chosen topics was Mediated Spaces, such as theme parks and malls.

This topic caught my attention because I have always loved going to theme parks and amusement parks. Large, small, local, world renowned, I love them all. There is something entrancing about entering a space that is somehow completely separate from the world, yet also completely immersed in the world. Chapter 10 in the book explained it fairly well when it made the argument that these spaces are attempting to show the ideal American life.

Dangerous Mediation

It struck me as I studied that, on a smaller scale, classrooms could increasingly be considered mediated spaces. Augé’s idea of “non-places”, which is defined as “spaces which are not themselves anthropological places.” (Bolter 117), created an interesting connection to my own classroom in my mind. One of the more significant indicators of a mediated space is the a sense of interchangeability. Mediated spaces that function the same way, such as malls, share the same primary attributes, despite personalized touches.

That same principal can be applied to schools and classrooms. While most schools and classrooms have distinguishing features like school colors or representations of mascots, the function of the spaces is the same. All classrooms have a board, a designated space for the teacher, and a designated space for the students. Every school cafeteria has distinct lines to get food, a place for administration or teachers, and open space for students. Regardless of familiarity with any particular school, students will recognize a school set up.

Another idea that connected mediated spaces to the classroom is the idea that “Nonplaces…function as public places only during designated hours of operation.” (Bolter 117) Bolter also goes on the address the eeriness of these spaces when they are not being utilized. Schools are not considered public places, but this same principal is true for school buildings as well. Once the school day ends and everyone leaves, a school building will “seem drained of meaning.” (Bolter 117)

The implications, and potential dangers, of this observation were interesting to me. Most students spend the most significant parts of their days inside of a school building and occupying this space. They have access to technology and information while inside the space, but it is extremely limited. For all intents and purposes, students are cut off from the outside world while they are in school. I believe that this structure could, in some ways, be detrimental to the students.

An argument can be made that school is intended to educate students and prepare them for the “real world”, whatever that may look like. How, then, is it beneficial to the students to cut them off from the very world they are being prepared for? The reality of schools potentially being “nonplaces” is that they lose their significance as soon as students walk out the door. Many of the skills that students learn during their days seem, at least in their minds, inapplicable to the world that they walk into once they leave school. There seems to be a disconnect between schools and the world because schools can seem to occupy an entirely different “world” at times. The questions that I am still grappling with are: could schools really be considered “nonplaces”? What could we, or should we, do to remedy that?

Works Cited

Bolter, Jay David, and Richard Grusin. Remediation: Understanding New Media. MIT Press, 2003.