- For consumers it proposes/convinces them people like myself of an idea, message or product which will ultimately benefit our lives by buying something more and claiming as our lives will be enriched but in reality we’ll be losing money having spent on the point the advertisement made. It’s significant since it depicts the buyers in an image of themselves where they will be enviable and result in being seen in themselves as glamorous by the product or idea that it’s trying to sell which is a means of happiness. However it should also be noted without envy glamour can’t exist according to Berger which the status is open to everyone yet only enjoyed by a select few.
- It shows the importance as one is an art form and the other which use publicity that often use sculptures or paintings to depict their own message. They both share the same ideals and principle that “you are what you have” but their purposes and effects are different. Publicity while having many direct references to the arts in the past its different as it appeals to a way of living to look up to but haven’t yet accomplished. Publicity images/advertisements claim if you buy into their service or product your way of life which includes even relations and money will flourish thanks to their product. It plays upon your fear of not being wanted , of being enviable, lacking glamour and being a nobody. Whereas the oil painting illustrated the owner of his own possessions and his way of life that he was enjoying already which took into account facts of his life and magnified his view of life.
- In the video Berger spoke of three dreams, the one I was interested in is ” The Dream Of Later Tonight”. In this dream the advertisements is using in the form of colorful vivid pictures, illustrations showing everyone smiling, enjoying each other company surrounded by products that give off pleasure. It appeals to you in a way that shows your way of life being glamorous due to the alcohol and cigarette that are what is allowing you to experience such a bliss yet contrary to that you’d also know these can kill you and often be abused.
Author Archives: Rahid Uddin
Discussions Questions #3
- In the second episode from the beginning Berger addresses his own distinction and take between the two terms that are interrelated. He states that based from Western art, nakedness is where one is true to oneself and being content whereas when it comes to a nude it’s to be naked for others typically spectators while not being acknowledged as a human being but rather as an object. I believe it’s significant as “nudes” are targeted toward a certain audience which caters to the male spectator judged as a sight for them. Yes I do believe this does apply today towards images I’ve seen everywhere which includes various forms of entertainment like movies and television shows, advertisements,magazines,social media and more where society imposes what a woman
or beauty should seem for themselves and to others who may be surveying them. - In Western works it shows the women being submissive and obedient, implying an awareness of being seen by the spectator but this sign is not of her own accord or feelings just to the male demands, compared to other art works such as Indian,Persian and African art contrary to European tradition in these art works it displays nakedness as a celebration of active sexual love between two people both woman and the man actions being active and complement of each other. It’s significant as it was relevant in the past and still remains present somewhat still in our society where the female has no emotions or desires of herself and treated by her beauty as objects in society where back then males were considered to be better as they were part of a higher hierarchy while the female is simply there to accompany the male and fulfill whatever is needed for the male just to flatter and address to his every desire and whims. Yes I believe these deceptions are still in effect in our thought process between men and women roles in our society that are shown in advertising, television and even on social media of the way the females being treated and illustrated throughout many industries.
- Berger states the significance of the mirror as a principal part using the subject Sussannah from the painting since as she uses to look at herself in mirror while also being spectated from the elders, he states the mirror as a symbol of vanity for a women which isn’t the case at all. She uses this object to see how she views herself in front of the men in which turn ultimately considers herself as a sight for men disregarding any notion or self worth of herself allowing men to freely use this as a form of pleasing their own desire and pleasures. Berger exhibits paintings such as “Allegory of Time and Love” and “La Grande Odalisque” throughout this program that upon closer observation you can notice that the female gaze is often towards an unknown stranger, the man who would be spectating her the only who matters in this case. Even when there’s a male lover the female gaze is rarely if ever directed towards him but still towards the male viewer looking at the painting or image. To further prove his point he shown examples from paintings and photographs from magazines that both show similar expressions which the female exhibits expressions from their gaze, to the way they’re posing their body to even something simple as showing no hair on them (this was a form of sexual passion) just to submit towards the spectator so he may feel as if he’s in control. This applies today even towards many magazines and adverts that illustrate the same expressions and actions of the female where the spectator is judging and objectifying them based on their beauty.
The left side of this “meme” or image is from a isolated scene from a popular Canadian music artist of Drake also known as Aubrey Drake Graham in his 2015 hit music video “Hotline Bling”. On the upper left panel it’s can be interpreted as Drake being displeased through his face which shows discomfort shielding away from a thought with his hand pushing away or stopping the idea being brought up that may be often perceived as the correct or a view could be perceived wrong while on lower left panel it represents the opposite showing his face with an emotion that is pleasing,happy as if he’s nodding along for with his hands pointing towards agreement with the suggestion. The meme in some examples below show it can be still altered even further but can still be easily arranged and interpreted for the creator purpose.
Repurposed even further
Regardless whether how much it differs or modified the purpose of this image illustrates two points that often converge with each other which portray similar messages and ideas which were one is often agreed upon and the other is disagreed upon. I’ve attached some images below to further exhibit and display my interpretation of the image.
Repurposed even further here as well
A reasonable idea yet the opposite often done related among other folks
Similar to what Berger has mentioned throughout his video this meme and other various types of images do their best to relating within our own context of life and similar experiences as if they were words. The meaning of this image or meme rather, changes accordingly to whats besides it. These reproductions make it easier to connect our experience with the meme with other experiences and react accordingly with them. While they don’t originate from one single author or place or have much of a history they’re still unique for getting a point / message across to viewers across the globe. These reproduced images have also been repurposed as new form of communicating through memes. This is all due to another creation, social media which has spread across the world reaching every part of the world that was never thought to be achievable before.
Discussion Question #2: Way Of Seeing Part 1
1. When Berger’s talks about seeing he states it’s not as simple as we might think which he certainly makes a good point. He states what we do see now is determined by habits and conventions which isn’t “natural”. He refers to the invention of the camera playing this role of changing the way we see now as things that weren’t possible to see in front of us can now be seen from anyplace for anywhere. Artworks can now be affected by our surroundings that can be seen on different screens,papers,magazines,etc which is surrounded by different objects,sounds. This is significant as the perspective of us viewers which we see these artworks for instance like paintings can be now altered and affected. We no longer have to travel see what was once considered an original in a single place as it now can reproduced to be seen from anyplace around the globe. The way viewers now perceptive an author artwork can vary very different from what the author intended it to be interpreted as.
2. In the opinion of Berger the camera has changed the way we perceive and engage with art, now seem to differ to us as we are affected by our surroundings that are familiar to use in our own lives in the location we are with people we may know. Artworks were often unique to a certain place like a church which would be part of the church history, which made up its interior and life of the building memory. Now such paintings and images from anywhere in the world which was unique to one certain place can be displayed from the comfort of your own house or any place familiar to you. The meaning no longer is attached to it’s original origin of where the painting is. By making it reproducible it’s abolished it’s unique original meanings and has multiplied other possible meanings.
Berger states that seeing an artwork on screen or in an book is different compared to seeing one in a museum since a screen and books are alike where they are never still. Such as when he demonstrates the paintings in the video with silence in my background I am not able to fully concentrate or grasp what the meaning or point the author of the painting was trying to create, neither would I have been with a book as I would be distracted by the other context within a book all of which can only be done with as within his own terms of “stillness” and “silence”.Thus such an experience can’t be experienced without being in front of the painting itself as it can’t be replicated.
Berger also makes a claim describing the experience of being in present of an authentic artwork at a museum which also can be described by his terms mentioned earlier but as well that a reproduction just doesn’t reflect it’s authenticity of of the original painting which is unique as they look different from screens or elsewhere, which can distort the image. The artwork isn’t anything alike in the world , is authentic and can be admired for it’s beauty for that reason alone.
3. Berger refers to the production of paintings as becoming a “form of information”. When he made this statement he meant to define These artworks can be manipulated in and used having and interpreted with a far more different meaning than what the author originally intended it to be. Making it to easy to manipulated and make argument and that could be very different meanings from their original meaning. The meaning of the image can change according to what comes before or after the image on screen like a television or perhaps a magazine or newspaper which can be used by anyone for any purposes. This is can be trouble if such purposes were nefarious.
Blog Post #1 How Art Can Help You Analyze
After carefully watching the all three videos list from the course schedule I decided to 1elaborate about the TED-Ed video “How art can help you analyze” by Amy Herman which the narrator regarding skills that can be gained from analyzing art that could be used in the real world which can be useful and help save lives. While I orginally did disagree with this claim I am having second thoughts on this. Moving onward based from the textbook English Composition, the “Intellectual Standards for Quality” factors nine categories for evaluating the intellectual quality of the a work. The nine standards to keep in mind are clarity, precision, accuracy, depth, breadth, logic, significance, relevance, and fairness.
Based on this standard out of nine elements I have chosen three of these categories that compliment the standards of intellectual quality presented in the video that meet the standards set. In the video I found that the Intellectual Standards used were logic, breadth and relevance.
Foremost when it comes to logic, The vivid detailed animations with the simple yet concise narration by Amy Herman demonstrates the method of analyzing the art work of “Time Transfixed” by Rene Magritte in 1938 with the situations eerily to a crime scene or similar examining a patient X-Rays where this is a repeating occurrence. On top all done in a precise and calm method that transitions on to each point and detail without any senseless way in a well benevolent and structured manner .
Secondly in terms of breadth, Amy Herman illustrated several viewpoints on this topic. She had exhibited at the very least three different perspectives that could benefit from art. The nurses and doctors would be able examine an x-ray more accurately or diagnose a patient illness or law enforcement agents identifying a suspect or interrogating a suspect. All of these are just a couple of real life scenarios in our daily lives which she elaborates on how art could help improve across many fields gain new analytical skills solve complex real world situations from a different perspective.
Finally but not the least was the relevance to the original thesis. The video was definitely relevant in helping further her point. She gave a range of detail and information that was very convincing and accurate portraying how art is a tool helping you get better at your analytical skills which helps in the real world that’s demonstrating how it’s relevant. It supports her thesis that skills can definitely be gained or used as a way to further assist anyone who may need such skills in their daily lives. Thus accomplishing what she intended to do from the start.
P.S. I hope this was great as it took me all night just to figure this out which almost had me pulling my hair. 😫
How Art Can Help Us Analyze.
In this Ted Talk that is presented by Amy Herman which shes answers how art can help us analyze. She explains and presents a view that the way you analyze and perceive an art work could be translated in to the real world that can help law enforcement agents, doctors, nurses and many other professions alike gain real world skills through art analysis . She explains that doing this is a way that can help them be better situated and analytical for the many issues that may arise from their profession work thus making them “better at it”.
It’s ridiculous to me how she compares each example with an art work demonstrating that knowing how to analyze art work would help in a situation with a doctor diagnosing a patient illness, or a police officer not accurately stating the amount of robbers there are in a stressful problem or the office in solving a crime scene by sketching details of a criminal features which a traumatized victim would remember their key features that distinct them?? Art doesn’t help them analyze real life situations that are complex and difficult to them but rather each of the respected professions had to undergo their training and major on their study so that could attain the experience and preparation needed in their careers.
If a doctor, nurse or a cop needed to hone their skills they could simply reach out to other colleagues in their field or go and even train themselves to better understand the situation that they may face. While I could see what shes trying to claim, it just seems plausible without any concrete backings from any studies,trials or evidence I simply can’t take this bluntly or sensibly.
What are your thoughts regarding this? I simply am dazzled by how she didn’t see without any proof that anyone would go along with her claim, watching the clip just gets me confused and flabbergasted. All of her examples were just based on a single artwork and basic situations. I don’t even like art in anyway as it’s very complex and tense for me but even I would be able to tell not to equate professions that are risky and critical to our daily lives to art analysis, that’s just undermining the efforts and training they went through to reach to the point where they can be in service of others .If anything it could help develop your analytical skills but art is not the first thing I would have in my mind for cops and doctors to undergo for their development and training,
