Reflections paper on cluster two

Reflections Paper

After a close reading your group’s chosen inspiration cluster, write a 500-800 word reflection on the concepts that inspired you. Feel free to do some extra research into a particular topic but make sure you leave plenty of room for your own ideas to develop. In your paper you should indicate your preliminary ideas for how these concepts might translate into your individual projects. Post your reflection on your blog under the category mdcm2003. You also need to hand in a paper copy in the assignment box.

From a close examination of the key concepts in cluster two, the concept of understanding the subjectivity of an individual in regards to perception is an intriguing one. Perception is largely dependent upon an individual’s personal cultural, historical, socio-economical and religious background, beliefs and experiences. These factors contribute largely in the materialisation of an individual’s perception of a subject. Although all individuals may be able to view, see, hear, and touch the same subject, their perception of this subject is tainted and affected by their past history, experiences and beliefs which may relate to this particular subject.

Jonathan Cary (Suspensions of Perception, MIT  Press: Cambridge Mass., 1999) makes a valid point in stating, “perception is fundamentally characterized by experiences of fragmentation, shock and dispersal”, these states of mind can be associated with the subjective, as these states of mind often alter one’s personal perception of a particular experience or object. For example, a video clip of a car crash may have connotations of being more traumatic and frightening to those who have experienced first hand a shocking experience of a car crash. In particular artists vividly illustrate the subjectivity of perception as they attempt to portray their subjective and unconscious memories and feelings through different mediums of art and also through different characteristics of the artwork such as line, texture, colour…etc. In particular the period of expressionism saw artists use ecstatic colour, emotive distortion of form, agitated brushstrokes and disjointed space to emotionally express concepts of death and torture reflected in the effects of World War I.

In addition to this, Cary adds that, “perception is primarily a way of indicating a subject definable in terms of more than the single-sense modality of sight, in terms also of hearing and touch and, most importantly, of irreducibly mixed modalities which, inevitably, get little or no analysis within “visual studies”. Cary reiterates how perception relies on all senses such as sight, hearing, touch and aural qualities as well as these “mixed modalities” which constitute towards an individual’s personal subjectivity and experience. However, it is also interesting to think about how each of these senses can stand alone in invoking personal and sentimental thoughts and memories. Barry Blesser and Linda-Ruth Salter (Spaces Speak, MIT Press: Cambridge Mass2007) describe how “solely through sound, an entire environment, complete with memories and emotions, comes alive.” The same can be applied to sight, where through a single image, one could subjectively evoke a mass of emotions, and memories.

From close analysis of these concepts and issues, incorporating these ideas into producing a video piece can be challenging. The medium of digital video cannot ever fully succeed in evoking a particular subjective emotion within each and every individual who views the video. Therefore, through a multi plot storyline, the process of presenting different individuals within the video with distinct characteristics and experiences and exposing them to react to the same event or experience can show how perception varies amongst each individual due to their subjectivity.

In trying to depict these different memories, feelings and sentiments that affect their current perception of a particular subject, different technical effects could be used. These include different uses of angles and shots to create a sense of voyeurism as we peek into psychologically their memories and thoughts. These angles could even be distorted, blurred, or even unfocused.  Proper use of sound and shots of flickering of their thoughts can create a sense of fragmentation and dispersal like Cary described. These attributes and more can be portrayed effectively to show the human subjectivity of perception

Rebels, renegades and radicals

So for the first assessment of MDCM2002, we were required to create a video of a diverse group of people, considering who they thought were rebelss, renegades or radicals.

Jeza helped me round up a selection of people, going to art festivals, shopping malls and streets asking them who they thought were rebels, renegades or radicals. I found it quite difficult, getting people to co-operate and they seemed confused and didn’t seem to understand what I was asking out of them. I looked for people with original and individual answers really strived for the video to seem natural and real.

In concern to the editing side of the video. This was honestly one of the first times I had used a video camera, as I am usually very much more concentrated on still photography. It was quite an intimidating experience for me as others seemed to had a great grasp on the medium.

It was definitely a learning curve for me, with a few major dramas along the way but one which I enjoyed and probably will continue to experiment with more.

Week 3 post

So in week 3 we had to present and show how an advertising image selected by you deploys (at least one) rhetorical figure and advance an informed opinion (ie a hypothesis) as to why this is so.

Just thought I’d quickly refresh and revise what I presented that week.

So the advertisement that I had chosen to analyse was this image of Jessica alba:

declare yourself

So, this image was one of the many images used by a national US, non partisan, non profit campaign called Declare Yourself which urges the young demographic in the US to vote during last year’s election.

In applying Durand’s breakdown of Rhetorical figures we can see this image clearly utilises a similarity of content consisting of the use of metaphors.

In justifying how and why this image significantly employs the use of metaphor we can start to look at the image connotatively. The image is a significant metaphor for being ‘silenced’ just like the text reads. It features Jessica Alba looking like a tortured victim, naked, masked and desperate for help. The image is ultimately a metaphor for being binded down and silenced by one’s own indifference and inactivation in not voting. The terrorising scene is made more realistic with the isolated, dark unknown surroundings and red tinges of light to suggest danger and terror. Thus, suggesting bad things are happening and will happen to yourself and the country if you don’t “declare yourself” and make a difference by voting. The bold white text which reads “only you can silence yourself” seems to be composed strategically as if she is speaking the words she could speak to the audience if she were not binded. In referring to Ethos, the fact that they have used Jessica Alba to target a demographic of 18 – 29 year olds is interesting in questioning the authority of Jessica Alba amongst the young generation.

Like Gillian said in the lecture yesterday the language here, in particular the metaphor has been manipulated to play on emotions and meanings to heavily persuade and influence the audience. It is almost like a form of violence, a threat, telling us that if we do not vote; bad things will happen? It, in a way defines the nature of our identity suggesting that if you’re a good citizen who wants to make a difference; you will vote. Also as Durand suggests, photographic images have the ability to transpose and manipulate our perception of reality and thus easily provides us with this persuasive metaphor of Jessica Alba being ‘silenced’. It comes a long way from a voting campaign poster like this: although both images do provide threatening use of language to persuade.

So consequently it is safe to argue that this ad is definitely employed to persuade through the significant use of metaphor.

Influence in our society

Although there may be a lot of people who may look at the Olsen twins condescendingly with their history of fame, fashion and scandals, the girls actually have really insightful views on art, culture and media. I also personally love these girls, I don’t care what you say about them, they are so awesome.. anyways;

In their latest book, ‘Influence’, the girls interview the people who they think help contribute to and shape today’s cultural landscape. There was one interview that really striked me into making me think of of how our generation is changing it’s means of producing and distributing media. In an interview between the girls and Bob Colacello, who was the editor of Interview magazine in 1971 alongside Andy Warhol they speak of the change in media in a negative light;

“Bob colacello: …everything’s so accessible. I don’t even email, but now people are texting while you’re at dinner. I guess it’s great in a way.
Ashley Olsen: It’s great but it’s awful
Bob Colacello: I mean, I don’t really want to watch movies or listen to music on my cell phone when I’m out to dinner. I don’t need to have my radio and VCR traveling with me. I don’t know if this is really a good thing. We’ve been going in this direction for so long – that’s what Andy foresaw when he said in the future everybody will be famous for fifteen minutes. The total media takeover of the world. We’ve become a society in which we spend so much time looking at ourselves and entertaining ourselves that we don’t really produce very much anymore. After airplanes, our number two American export is entertainment. I don’t know if this is really healthy for a society.
Ashley Olsen: Well, look at our society. It’s really hard not to think that if we were focusing on the right things, and everything wasn’t so accessible, then there would be a little bit more balance.

So from having a read of the Interview it really made me think. In our course we’re caught up in analysing the ‘great’ and ‘wonderful’ innovations and effects these technologies have upon extending our interests and information within society.

But I don’t believe we’ve really discussed the negative implications of this fast paced attention driven society. Andy Warhol was right in saying everyone in the future will have their fifteen minutes of fame; Chris Crocker certainly had his fifteen minutes, and names such as celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, Model Cory Kennedy and youtube blogger lonelygirl15 all justify Warhol’s vision. Personally these names and this sort of media and attention is my entertainment. When I find myself with nothing to do, the first thing I’ll do is log onto the internet and read Perez Hilton’s latest update on the Rhianna/Chris brown assualts or watch fellow youtube bloggers talk about their trivial lives.

But I can’t deny that these things are a novelty. Although many do argue that great culture and art has liberated from these forms of mediums as more people have been able to voice out their views and talents, I feel that Colacello was right in saying that “we don’t produce much anymore…everything gets dumbed down to appeal to the masses.” All this media attention seems to be sourced upon these sort of trivial things, so that consequently the real rich culture behind this society gets lost within it.

This book is quite enlightening and inspiring even if you don’t like the Olsens. There is actually quite not a lot about the girls, and is more based on the people interviewed than themselves.

So go on, have a read.

The first note..

Media.
To say it simply, I’m intrigued by how it works.
Fascinated at how relational it is to everyone, although the degree of interest within it may not be the same. We find ourselves consumed within it, and continually engaged with different aspects of it.
Over the last few years, I’ve seen the evolution and addiction within media. From growing up consuming television shows such as playschool, to now actively engaging in social networking websites, such as Facebook and Myspace.

Ever since studying this course, my awareness and attention towards it’s processes and strategies have become more alert. I can’t help but occasionally watch a television show or browse internet sites and think of the concepts behind these mediums that are changing and shaping our contemporary society for what it is today.

In saying this, my greatest desire would be to be able to significantly and creatively contribute towards this ever changing mass consuming industry called media.