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Rumination #5

This rumination covers chapter 8 of “Still Life with Rhetoric” by Laurie Gries. It focused on discussing Obama HOPE imagery in relation to parody and satire. The chapter begins by breaking down the different forms of the spread of Obama HOPE imagery through commodification and its influence on the world culture. Gries discussed how not only were Obama HOPE imagery being created in the USA, but it was being used as a way to brand and market products in places like Kenya, or as fashion in Europe.

Gries discusses and examines the sheer power, market and influence of the Obama HOPE imagery. She discusses Obamamania and how the aura developing around the man and his image created a type of dogmatic zeal in his followers. This was promoted by the commodification of his imagery which helped promote him to becoming the incumbent. Gries explains how the idea was that if someone purchased Obama imagery, they were more invested in voting for him. This commodification working with existing Obamamania blasted off a more than life like image of Obama and the ideals he represented.

Much of the chapter is dedicated to the various forms of political satire that were taking place. People were creating remixes of the Obama HOPE imagery to at times support or protest Obama. She discusses how racism manifested in these satire or parody images of Obama HOPE. Satire and parody of Obama HOPE also demonstrated the lefts disappointment with Obama’s lenient positions on wall street and things like drone strikes. There was also discussion of how Obama HOPE imagery uplifted the status of afro-centric people globally, and how this attitude was expressed by natives of Kenya.

The remainder of the chapter focuses on various different case studies of the Obama HOPE parodies and its mimetics. Some are about the zombification of Obama HOPE and the implications of these remixes; others are more positive and some focus on how it influenced and interacted with images of other public figures. It is overwhelmingly expansive the sheer amount of reproduction of Obama HOPE. These parodies influenced societies, commerce and peoples ways of thought.

Something notable was how creating your own Obamicon became accessible. Gries discussed how there were sites where people who were not familiar with design and editing tools like photoshop could generate their own Obamicons with their own text. This liberates the image to become more accessible to a prosumer dynamic.

I think Gries makes a lot of really fabulous points and conclusions. There really wasn’t one thing that she presented in these various Obamicon parody case studies or the nature of memes that I disagreed with. I’m curious as to how Obamicons and their parodies influence culture today. As of today, I can’t recall the last time I interacted with a direct literal remix of an Obamicon. I do however think the mimetic influence of Obama HOPE parodies can be seen in the memes we create today by way of the prosumer manner in which we interact with memes.

Rumination 4

The authors begin by describing various forms of Pocahontas branded objects. The essay goes on to emphasize how the subject of their observations is not the Disney film of Pocahontas itself, but rather all that it encompasses, influences and interreacts with.

They discuss how Pocahontas initially had a meaning assigned by the Native American culture from which it originated. The essay then discusses how the original meaning of Pocahontas has been capitulated into white, capitalistic, mainstream American culture and was stripped of its original meaning. This leads to a creation of a Pocahontas that is entirely separated from its origin and is now more palatable as a marketing tool and product to profit from.

Not only is Pocahontas a source of profit, but rather it has become a cultural powerhouse that directly feeds into its profitability and marketability. A key concept that is introduced here is the idea of the cipher. “a cipher is a figure through which carious commodities with multiple exchange values are marketed, and it is a social concept that circulates like a commodity. Thus, when one purchases a Pocahontas doll, one buys a commodity and a part of the commercialized world of Pocahontas.” The essay goes on to emphasize the mutualistic relationship between commodity and cipher with regards to Pocahontas and its extensive cyclical reach on culture and products.

The authors then begin to detail an extensive list of ways that Pocahontas is commodified through both physical and metaphysical mediums by way of Disney’s various marketing ambitions. They make it a point to explain how sexism, and racism are prevalent in the advertisements towards children. Boys are associated with the white male character John Smith and his quest to consume an objectified, Native American woman.

The text then goes on to describe how this cipher has influenced society past the scope of Disney’s ambitions. Companies not in business with Disney advertised whitewashed versions of native American garb to children for play. The authors go on to explain how this is damaging by way of encouraging people to get to know Native Americans through consumption rather than actual members of the community. They present this marketing and product as being both damaging and dehumanizing to Native Americans.

The authors then examine how Pocahontas and in turn native American culture is overtly objectified and sexualized. This is observed in Pocahontas themed barbie dolls by Mattel. The essay then goes on further to provide accounts of how people would describe the film’s character in an extremely sexualized and objectifying manner. This comes together to be extremely harmful and sexist towards young native American girls and women in general.

The reading goes on to reinforce and conclude how Disney’s Pocahontas capitulated feminism and Native American culture by way of appropriation. It argues that a culturally imperialistic Disney has merely created new ways to reinforce the cultural norms of a post-colonial white America and subordinate these movements through this cipher. To Disney, they argue that Native Americans are only valuable to them in terms of their use.

Globalization & Being Local

The Dickinson and Malone reading begins by discussing the factors that go into the visual experience that make up physical space we experience. In particular, they’re focusing on the grocery store Wild Oats. They’ve chosen to focus on the visual imagery of space rather than the more commonly associated mediums of visual imagery such as film, photos, painting, etcetera. This begins the embodiment of visual rhetoric.

The author discusses how it is difficult for us as post-modern people to experience space in a cognizant way due to the globalization of our lives and culture leaving us lacking distinguishing factors for recognizing and locating ourselves within space. They discuss how cities like Los Angeles are arguably similar so cities like Seoul and Hamburg. They are postmodern urbanizations where you can find globalized, familiar, non-distinguished culture.

Moving on the essay does discuss how film for example aids in the displacement postmodern people experience with regards to location. Film genres are malleable and often ascribed by viewers after the fact. The author feels that people can use this medium as a way to define meaning through these links and blends of visual culture that manifest in film. They discuss how different spaces set in a film can elicit different responses and memories in viewers.

Going back to the original thesis, the author describes Wild Oats as being a place of “locality, nature and community” He feels it is a reference point for normalcy and comfortable consumption in a postmodern life. The essay then continues to break down the design elements of the store, the name, the architecture, the UX design of the store and its products itself.

They discuss how these factors come together to negotiate a space between being globalized and local simultaneously, but also focusing on factors such as being organic and bringing information to shoppers about the food they’re purchasing. The store and all its components have a narrative of being genuine and intimate. It’s globalized local to form locality.

The essay continues to go on to describe how the grocery store simultaneously occupies innovation of globalized locality and specializations such as having an in-store butcher or fishmonger; things you would find in an era of pre globalized mass supermarkets.

The essay seems to conclude that in navigating in a postmodern world we do not solely rely on visual imagery. but instead we utilize multiple senses to interact with and formulate our world and location within it. This is shown in detail by navigating the aforementioned grocery store with all of its linked, culturally familiar and endearing stimuli.

This reading immediately made me think of my trips to Trader Joe’s. I go to Trader Joe’s because they pay their employees humanely, provide healthcare, dental insurance, vision insurance and it’s an LGBTQ+ space. I feel relatively comfortable when I go there. This essay pointed out things that I may have been enjoying without paying attention to. Overall, I prefer navigating ethical, globalized localities like Trader Joe’s over Publix and Kroger.

Interpretive Paper

Visual imagery is an essential medium in the realm of visual communication. Whether it be photo, advertisement, comic strip, museum exhibit, etc. visual images inform us of the world around us. Within the context of this essay, we will prioritize the visual image category of photographs. In particular we will be analyzing Matthew Abbott’s photographs of the recent wildfires in Australia, and other photographers’ photographs of the crisis in general. What is it that these photographs make their viewers think, feel or do? I argue that Abbott’s and others Australian wildfire photographs invoke a variety of emotions in their audience. They elicit a sense of and ideas of urgency, fear, awe, nationalism, colonialism, anarchy, community, solidarity, and much more. This essay will explore how these themes interact with terms from our Helmers & Hill reading such as composition, reception and circulation. It will also explore how these themes interact with terms from our Sturken & Cartwright readings such as ideology and the Gaze.

Abbott’s photographs are dispersed throughout a New York Times article titled “Fires Threaten Australian Towns That Have Already Burned Once” the photographs bring the story to life. The article discusses how areas on the southern coast of Australia have been ravaged by wildfire, and the harsh reality that the fires are coming back. It shows how the fires have affected life in the once calm Australian south. The article discusses how locals have anthropomorphized the destruction of the fire as a malicious willing agent of chaotic destruction. The photographs primarily show the wildfires impact on the southern Australian landscape, tiresome firefighters, and harsh blazes. These photographs work hand in hand with promoting, elevating, and communicating the central focus of the article’s narrative.

The composition of the photos is both diverse and telling of life in the wildfire ravaged Australian south. There is a juxtaposition of ideas being represented within the composition of these photos. For example, in one of the photos in the foreground there is life, a field with a tree type plant in it seemingly untouched by the ravaging wildfire. In the background of the same image there is an oppressive billowing smoke filled sky. In the center of the image, one can find a lone firetruck. The composition of this photo communicates the firetruck as the focal point that prevents the looming coal colored sky from overwhelming a clearly worn yet surviving area of nature. This composition communicates a sense of fear and urgency to the reader. It’s a call for action, if the nation does not start supporting the firefighters more than what is there to stop the wildfires from ravaging the vulnerable yet valuable none scorched earth?

The reactions to photographs similar to Abbott’s which are being circulated by the New York Times are also showing up on BBC, CBC, and other news outlets from around the world. Citizen journalists in Australia are also documenting the ongoing wildfires in their country alongside media institutions there as well occupying a prosumer role. The circulation of these images is broad and digitized. They’re all over the world and are linked to the broader unifying narrative of climate change. This ties into the reception of the photographs. These images are creating a call to action in a time of climate related crisis.

There are those who are developing a staunch sense of an ideology of nationalism in reaction to the wildfires. It’s acting as a unifying force against the enemy of the state being the wildfires. People who are serving as firefighters in these images are Australian volunteers. It’s a civic act for their community and the state they inhabit. The visual imagery is communicating messages that these firefighters are heroes who are protecting everyday Australians from a malicious wildfire. There are also images of the government providing aerial support and other forms of aid to locals against the fire. Simultaneously there are reactions to the photos pointing to varying degrees of ideological leanings towards anarchism or at the very least increased libertarianism. One sees this overwhelmed volunteer force of firefighters facing off against catastrophic odds and wonders why the Australian government is not doing more in a time of crisis. There is disdain from audiences against the Australian government for leaving Australians out on their own in a way.

The Gaze which was discussed in Cartwright & Sturken’s (2018) text is also relevant when it comes to the visual imagery presented during the Australian wildfires. The gaze is what occurs during the practice of looking, it is a power dynamic that exists between the imagery and the audience. There is a power to being the viewer of an image, this is especially true when the subject of the image is a vulnerable one. The gaze can be viewed as dehumanizing, detached, violent or academic in nature. Something that attributes to this power is that there is perhaps a lack of consent of the subject in the image. An example from our class would be the images of medical patients that presented them as spectacles and were dehumanizing. It is a form of oppression to gaze at the exposed human bodies in photos that were taken in an unequal power dynamic.

This is analogous to the dynamic of the visual imagery presented in this article. Presumably, the majority of the viewers are not direct victims of the Australian wildfires. Rather, we are international viewers from areas that are safe and unaffected. We speculate and make worth statements about the situation there based on the photographs of the scorched land and those combating the fires. We interpellate about the ideology of those involved in the crisis from images and the circumstances they represent without having a direct footing in the situation. This leads to our gaze being potentially dangerous or at the very least inaccurate. At the same time however it can lead to positive outcomes, such as a rallying behind the need for support for navigating climate change in a more proactive manner.

Ultimately, visual imagery is an extremely valuable tool for communicating ideas and messages with one another. We’ve discussed the context of the aforementioned wildfire photographs, how they interact with terms from our readings and how these terms and images interact and communicate with the world around us. This was done through discussing composition, circulation, reception, ideology and the gaze all in relation to each other, visual imagery, and the people that interact with them whether they be subjects or viewers.

Bibliography:

Cave, D., Albeck-reipka, L., & Abbott, M. (2020, January 10). Fires Threaten Australian Towns That Have Already Burned Once. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/09/world/australia/fires.html

Cartwright, L., & Sturken, M. (2018). Practices of Looking An Introduction to Visual Culture.

Helmer, M., & Hill, A. (2004). Defining Visual Rhetorichttps://gastate.view.usg.edu/d2l/le/content/1990758/viewContent/33779330/View

The Naturalistic Enthymeme and Visual Argument

In the reading of The Naturalistic Enthymeme and Visual Argument: Photographic Representation in the “Skull Controversy” Dr. Finnegan discusses the implications of a photograph of a bleached skull of a bovine. The image was taken by Arthur Rothstein of the Resettlement Administration to represent what was going on in rural America in the early 20th century. The source of contention in the reading as discussed by Dr. Finnegan is how rural, Republican newspapers reacted to and interpreted the photo and its use by the Resettlement Administration and eastern newspapers.

The Republican newspapers argued that the photograph was false and did not accurately represent life in the west. Rather, the photograph was manipulated and was used to mischaracterize life in the west and rural America to promote socialism. In turn, the Resettlement Administration defends themselves and their widely circulated bovine skull photograph as legitimate and proper.

Dr. Finnegan analyzes the ordeal and discusses how the nature of the eye and in turn photography have been viewed and related to in Philosophy throughout history. From my understanding one does not need to have a broad philosophical understanding to understand Dr. Finnegan’s claim. The point of these references is to support the idea that the photograph represents an absolute visual truth. She uses her historical philosophical references as premises to support her claim of the Naturalistic Enthymeme.

Dr. Finnegan describes Naturalistic Enthymeme in the following excerpt from the passage.

“Because we perceive photographs as fundamentally “re- alistic,” we make assumptions about their argumentative potential. I call this process the “naturalistic enthymeme”: we assume photographs to be “true” or “real” until we are given reason to doubt them. My analysis of the skull controversy reveals that the naturalistic enthymeme served as a particularly potent, but ultimately vulnerable form of visual argument about the drought and the Depression.”

It seems like Dr. Finnegan is using Naturalistic Enthymeme as a sort of catch all to prevent those from critiquing the photograph from doing so. She argues that if they’re saying it’s manipulated then it’s going against enthymeme. Which means they would be not assuming that the photograph is an object of truth. This would in turn mean that those claiming manipulation are going against the philosophical premises that she used to support these claims.

I think within the context of the early 20th century Dr. Finnegan’s argument holds a little in the sense that people would be inconsistent logically to disagree with her if they agreed with her previous premises. She also argues that with new technology that allows for easier image editing doesn’t harm her claim but reinforces it. She doesn’t really seem to explain how though. Throughout the essay she does discuss how there are hesitations about the idea of a photograph representing the truth by discussing how some information if left out of the frame would manipulate the photographs meaning for example. This means the whole situation isn’t being represented in the image.

I think there has just been so much new technology introduced in the 21st century that can manipulate images and video that I don’t think that the theory of pictorial perspective from the 15th century is as representative of or relevant to the world of today as it was over 500 years ago. Images and video are so easily manipulated. The whole digitalization of photography, graphic design, audio engineering and so on would be absolutely unreal to thinkers like Descartes or others she references. I think the opposite is true with regards to enthymeme today, I think people would assume most images are false.

Because of this I do not agree with her claim of Naturalistic Enthymeme. I could see it being a bit more relevant in the early 20th century, but still not enough to call for logical inconsistencies in people calling the photograph manipulated. I do however think those saying the images are manipulated in the essay are wrong for other reasons, but not the reason she’s arguing for.

#visual communication #enthymeme

In chapter 3 of Practices of Looking by Sturken and Cartwright the topics of modernity and what came from it are discussed. According to page 97 of the text “Late modernity (1860s-1970s) saw the emergence of modernism, a group of styles and movements in art, architecture, literature, and culture.” One of the movements to emerge from this era of late modernity was the German Bauhaus movement which emerged in the early 20th century. The artists and designers from the Bauhaus movement were focused on pursuing a new way of creating.

Bauhaus was influenced by the industrial revolution and the mechanical accomplishments of the era. They were opposed to using the conventional materials of the era for things such as furniture for example. Before Bauhaus, furniture in the early 20th century was made using types of wood and was more ornate. The Bauhaus movement wanted the furniture to be more minimalistic, inexpensive and accessible. They communicated these ideals by using mass produced and easily reproduced materials like plastics and steel.

In figure 3.8 on page 99 in the text a contemporary Cesca chair designed by Marcel Breuer in 1928. It is a quintessential piece from the Bauhaus movement. Its minimalistic style and use of metal as the framework for the chair alongside its mass producibility are what make the chair so representative of the movement. It was used primarily in office spaces. The text goes on to talk about how the work from the artists and designers of the Bauhaus movement did not appeal to the working class.

The average working-class person tended to see the furniture produced by Bauhaus to be too sterile and not fitting for their homes. The use of metal and the design of the objects reminded the workers of the abrasive steel and mass production focused environment at their factory jobs. Because of this most working-class people preferred the furniture that was incorrectly perceived by artists as inaccessible. The artisan wooden furniture felt more fitting for a home environment where comfort and luxury was desired.

I think the influence and reach of Bauhaus and late modernity as a whole is fascinating. Baushaus’s influence on art and culture is wide reaching. Whether it be with music such as bands like Bauhaus or with typefaces like Futura. The influence of Bauhaus is shown in typefaces like Futura through its rejection of perceived lack of need for ornate detailing. Futura is a sans serif typeface meaning that it does not have the decorative tails and squiggles at the ends of letters like serif typefaces do. This decision was intentional and was designed to replicate then efficiency and existing in the mass production of goods by factories

This reading makes me wonder about how countries like China for example reacted culturally to their own industrialization and shift towards a factory centered economy in the 20th century, and how it influenced their art and design. I think there is probably some influence from the Bauhaus in Germany, but I think the era of mass production of goods didn’t occur until later there and in regions in the global south where they are now in manufacturing economies while countries in Europe and the US are now service based economies which leaves us further removed from the Bauhaus origins.

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