Another prac essay (visual)- It’s a little extreme, with probably not enough evidence…

(I hate it that I have to resize everything… maybe I should just change my layout…)

Visual texts can have an impact on society: such as questioning flaws or our attitudes.

Analyse how both of the still images in one set below are constructed to serve a social function

 

The two images from the book, Hungry Planet What the World Eats by Peter Menzel Faith D’Aluisio from set one, both serve a social function; to enlighten western society. This set shows the lifestyles of those in less developed countries and to pose the idea that perhaps our lives are ruled by our consumption and our attitudes have been altered by a capitalist and utilitarian values system. The photographers have used different visual techniques such as lighting, composition, focal points and selective editing to achieve a desired effect. One might suggest that by solely looking at a family’s food supplies, is not enough to analyse their lifestyle or values, that perhaps doing so is only criticizing product of today’s culture.

 

The top photo depicts a family from Tingo, Ecuador. There is evidence that the photographer has composed the family in a certain way to achieve a positive and humble position towards the family. This photo shows a family of nine sitting around their planned food consumption for a week. The composition of the family is in a semi-circle, open to the viewers to view their life. They are not sitting in a highly organized manner, giving the viewers the idea that they live natural and organic lives. The focal point of this photo is the girl on the far left. This girl is smiling up at the viewer, as if inviting us into her life. To have a young girl as the focal point implies, to me, that there is little age discrimination or inequality in this family. The facial expressions on the members in this family are important to take note of. It is clear that the photographer’s intentions were not to belittle or even sympathize for these people. Their smiling faces show that they are, in fact satisfied with the little food that keeps them alive and their own company. The laughing children on the right, also show that this family does not ‘live to eat’ but ‘eats to live’ and prefers to spend time interacting with each other instead of consuming. This photo uses a slight fish-eye effect, to enlarge and focus on the young girl on the left, it also shows laughter and interaction within the family. All of these techniques give light to the social function of this photo, which is to promote the values shown by the Ecuadorian lifestyle, non-materialistic and happy with the companionship of family members.

 

The bottom photo depicts a family living in North Carolina. The photo has been arranged in a more organized way so that the two children are sitting on chairs, lower than the parents. The parents are standing next to each other with the father standing behind, as if watching over the family. This ordered manner, in which the family is organized, makes me think of traditional nuclear family structures. This photo doesn’t seem very welcoming; the mother’s hands are placed on her son’s shoulders as if protecting him, uneasy with the photographer. This may be an overreaction, but it seems to prove that a life of consumption and indulgence can alienate people from the rest of the society or each other. The focal point in this photo seems to be more on the food, or more specifically, the pizzas that the two sons are holding. This confirms the social function that criticizes that food has become something that governs these people or that they have lost the ability to live in moderation, and cannot be satisfied with human interaction and natural things in life. This photo is constructed as a binary opposition to the other photo of the Ecuadorian family, pointing out that we do not have to live such indulgent lives and can still be more humble and compassionate towards each other.

 

The top photo of the Ecuadorian family shows how much food they consume in a week, for them, it is worth thirty-one dollars and fifty-five cents. The photographer has used lighting and selective editing, setting and written information to show how these people only eat what they need and live on natural, non-processed foods, no doubt picked by themselves. There are no brands, and minimum packaging, it is placed on the floor and exposed for everyone to see. For the size of the family, the amount of food is frighteningly small. This brings up another social function, to show how poverty still plagues many countries in South America and Africa. The setting of the photo seems to outline the basic living they lead, in a simple brick hut, that’s walls seem to create a claustrophobic atmosphere, as if the family is trapped in this cycle of poverty. This photo shows a family, provided for by their own hands and their own natural resources, they have probably worked hard to supply themselves with this food. The children are probably dragged into the poverty cycle as well, as the family needs them to work for their survival. Food is such an important and precious thing for these people, and the photo, with the lighting concentrated on it, shows this.

 

The lower photo shows the Revis family from North Carolina, who spends three-hundred and forty-one dollars and ninety-eight cents on their food each week. The composition of this food and the setting all seem to suggest certain things about this family and the life western society leads. The food is placed to the side, as if they do not rely on it but it’s just an added luxury. It also seems as if the food, being in the centre, has taken over and is now controlling them. In this photo, the food seems to be crawling up the wall, with chip packets up the side of the wall and pizza on the laps of the two sons. Signs of globalization as foods labeled with foreign language and multinational corporations such as Burger King and McDonalds adorning food packages.  The food is all branded and pre-processed; outlining that we live in a capitalist age where corporations will use adds and jingles to occupy our minds. The setting is a usual western kitchen, showing a safe and normal lifestyle. The techniques such as composition, selection of information showing labels of certain brands, and the setting of the western kitchen, shows that we live in a society, dominated by consumption and brands that have a large amount of power over us and our children. One could criticize this viewing, saying that we cannot

 

Both images together contrast, showing a family who lives on their basic needs, as naturally as possible, satisfied with their lives, while the bottom one, representing a western family who base their life and effort on consuming, and earning income to consume more. The photographer has used different techniques such as composition, lighting, to construct a social function that criticizes the West’s indulgent materialistic lifestyles and raises awareness about poverty.   

 

Mei, Lauren and I… First day of my life

SO, i thought we were being pretty cool and everything

and then I tried searching this song on google videos and there were about fifty other covers.

you just can’t be original in this world I tells ya

I’m the camera whore up the front.

Mei is the manic smiler at the start

Lauren is the little emo kid with her guitar in the background

(don’t you just hate stereotypes :D)

English study, yes! i do study for english

The question: use the phrase “beauty and horror” in a written response to a novel you have read.

 

 

The novel Cloudstreet written by Tim Winton is a story about two families brought together through their tragedies. Cloudstreet is a celebration of life and death, of beauty and horror. Winton’s use of descriptive, poetic language makes events such as the favorite son of a family becoming an imbecile, and characters such as the father who cannot control his unfaithful wife and his gambling, beautiful. Winton’s use of an omnipresent point-of-view, through the higher spiritual being of the imbecile son is key to the author’s intent; life does not always have meaning, events happen which cannot be explained, and through this life and death should be celebrated.

 

Winton’s use of characterization creates beauty even in the flaws of most characters. Sam Pickles is a father who gambles and cannot maintain his relationship with his troubling wife who drinks and sleeps with different men. We learn to love Sam, for although he can’t contain his gambling problem or his wife, the lovable nature that Winton gives him, lets us see beauty in him. “Sam Pickles was an old favorite around the mint, useless, but a sign of the past’. Sam Pickles attempts to keep his family together or at least his aims are evident, as he tells his daughter Rose Pickles; “It’s enough for a man to lose his money, but when he loses his family…” Winton finds the beauty in many characters, even in Dolly. When we learn that Dolly, Sam’s wife has been brought up by her mother, who was also her sister, we start to accept her infidelity towards her husband and her family. Readers see that people often cannot be solely blamed and blaming them would be no use anyway. Winton’s use of descriptive language and point-of-view, dipping into separate character’s consciences, to see their internal problems, gives readers this view that beauty and horror can be seen all in one character.

 

The concept of finding beauty in tragic events is constantly brought up, often Winton’s use of language and almost ironic take on events in the book, shows beauty in horror. The tragic event of Sam Pickles loosing his fingers was described as ‘prawns dancing on the deck’, this laid-back approach to a fairly serious event shows that Winton wants us to see events as random, not always connecting and just a part of humanity’s struggle. Fish’s near drowning event is described in a beautiful way by Winton, showing Oriel crying out “Oh Gawd! Save him!’, showing the immense amount of love a mother feels for her son. Horror can be genuinely felt in passages such as ‘The morning’ that shows the fear of the whole town as the Nedlands monster lurks around Perth. Winton’s use of short chapters creates an uneasy tension  which builds up even in the reader. Tragic events in Cloudstreet are described in such a way by Winton that readers either laugh or cry. This take on life is conveyed by Winton through his own exploration of finding meaning in life. This sense that beauty can be found in even the most horrible, tragic events is constant throughout the novel.

 

Winton’ novel is predominantly a celebration of life and death, and although many would find events such as Ted dying from starving himself to become a jockey depressing. The way in which Winton weaves this event in with the story, shows readers the beauty in life and death, the way that Dolly reacts is described graphically as she throws things around the room ‘her rolling belly…slashes of vagina’, this event shows insuppressible  love for her son. There is a constant reminder of Fish wanting to return to the water, where he will consequently die, but be reconciled and at peace. The idea that death is not necessarily the end is often shown through characters’ curiosity of the spiritual realm, Fish and Quick’s connection is shown through the connection of sky and water one time when they are out on a boat, this shows that Fish is still a person, even though he is retarded. Winton’s use of omniscient perspective shows different views from  even a pig, showing that there are so many different parts to life that come together to make it whole. Life and death are celebrated especially by Fish, who is the narrator as he rises looking back on his life, happy to be with the river.

 

Cloudstreet is a celebration of horror and beauty; it shows the horrors of people in a beautiful way, through Sam’s lovable nature and dedication to family and through Dolly’s eventual reconciliation with her daughter. Events that are tragic are described in a way that show that life doesn’t always make sense, events don’t always match up and Winton wants to celebrate every moment of it.  

 

Why now?!

Why did the boarding house have to go and unblock all their previously restricted sites (myspace, msn, youtube etc)?

I mean, why now?

when I should be studying and I haven’t grown an immunity towards this kind of temptation.

rar

anyway, I thought it was time I shared with you the last week

it has been as if hell said to heaven “can i come crash at your place tonight” and so both extremes of good and bad were mashed together.

and they don’t just cancel each other out. oh no.

this week, It’s been a struggle to stay on my feet.

I have cried

I have screamed (so much so that I have lost my voice)

I have laughed

and I am bruised all over

have I been in a war?

nope

just a last week of school

Sue and I went as hobos who had lost all their money in the stock market crash

Everyone’s tired and emotional

teachers are putting more and more pressure on us and aren’t allowing for any space or time for goodbyes.

there are some girls who i may not ever see again and who i have befriended and lived in the same house with for 4-5 years.

stupid valedictory rehearsals, I felt like yelling “WELL IF YOU WANTED TO MAKE THE DEPARTURE EASIER, YOU’VE SUCCEEDED!”

every little detail had to be perfect, the blowing of the candles, the walking up the stairs, and if it wasn’t perfect, Mrs Thompson would make us do it again.

Thomo banned any sort of goodbye parties, but then wasted all this time having ridiculous rehearsals for a stupid chapel service.

It’s come to my attention that everything we do is always in vain, or at least in the interest of the school. I’ll elaborate:

the school is a private business and it’s main motive is to get more students to get more profit.

To do this, it must look good

under the guise of “if you look better you work better” we have been fooled into spending hundreds on perfectly ironed skirts, dry-cleaned blazers and $30 ties.

It is drilled into us that it’s for our own good.

but now , and no, it hasn’t just occurred to me, but it has been confirmed that we were just another advertising gimic for the school.

anyway, so I’m going to southbound with my sisters and my cousin and her scaley friends.

holy moley I’m so excited;

architecture in helsinki

franz ferdinand

oh my

it will be amazing

i’m so friggen pumped

and now that I’m sick and can’t concentrate, watching friends episodes on youtube is my escape from the pain

oh man

this is going to take some strong control from me.

I like this song

I actually have a lot to say, I just don’t feel like saying it right now…

I’m not laughing just yet.

I don’t want to make up some pretentious crap for my artwork…

not want

also we need to bring in lighting for the exhibition

what the frick?!

maybe I’ll just bring in a desk lamp haha

Also, does anyone know where I can get a piano accordian?

hey i nicked an awesome bag that was lying in the art store room, it’s all old and leathery, makes me feel like a uni student lolol.

I fell down the stairs today with my visual diary today, I’m so clumsy, the whole front of my leg was quite badly bruised and grazed and i cant really feel my leg :p I have to limp lol, and I was thinking art would finally be the death of me, not far from the truth.

Also some little yr 8 bitches saw me fall down the stairs, not only did they walk past but i heard “eww look at her leg” after i got up.

yet another spasm from me fd;sakjhf;d

anyway, i don’t get it?

I was clearly in pain, and thats the only word of advise they had?

haha

sorry

i sound really arrogant and pathetic right now.

but since when have we been so shallow that we even forget some basic manners?

it’s like if my head had fallen off the response would have been “eww put it away”

Also, I would like express my complaints about a certain school and their sexist behaviour

One girl in our year received a report of the calculus exam (from this school) that basically expressed how much better they were than our school, the sexist remarks were all highlighted.

I’m sorry, I’m just sick of the snide sexist remarks, would you sent a report to a homeless Aboriginal man, stating such generalizations that all Aboriginals are homeless?

what good does this do?

i’m sick of: “go back to the kitchen where you belong” “It’s because you’re a girl”

It’s the same as joking about racism and religion (although, I’m a little grey about that area), and anything else you can’t help.

I’ve laughed it off enough

but when someone gets their calculus exam back after studying their arse off for it, to receive a report that has little use but to point out how “stupid” girls are…

I guess, I’m starting to question my friends right now.

oh well.

have you heard

“If you have a racist friend”?

it goes like this

” If you have a racist friend

now is the time now is the time

for your friendship to end

be it your sister

or your brother

or auntie or your uncle or your brother”

anyway, I don’t think that we are at a stage where we can joke about it,

my sister told me i should just laugh about my leg like the people who stood around laughing at me

i’m in too much pain right now to laugh

one in three women in South Africa are raped in their life

the government condemns condoms

a woman with AIDS is an outcast to a community

there is a violently misogynistic tradition to the South African people

one of the main causes for AIDS

I’m not going to laugh about sexism just yet.

although I know women have to stand up for themselves now, It’s hard to argue sexism when there are girls going all out just to please men, objectifying themselves, I do know that it needs effort from women and men.

anyway, another angry rant

can’t believe you read it all

XD

xxx

The Times they are a Changing.

I’ve realized that this blog has slowly been replacing my journal

Now that I think about it, Its a bit weird that I put all my personal thoughts up here.

for the world to see, even though, the world will probably never affect me and I probably don’t or will never know the people who view this blog.

ahh, well, prepare to put mustard on your words, for you shall soon be consuming them along with this humble pie, baked staight out of the oven of shame, set at a gas mark egg on your face

-Moss

Near the end of term, Lauren and I learned that scene from the IT Crowd.

that was around mocks, yes, well i guess when i get my exam marks and i’m not completely happy, i’ll know why..

I had better write this quickly, because my laptop is burning my legs and that means it may over heat soon.

anyway, what I really meant to say is yours are the sweetest eyes, I ever did see…

no, not that (i turn everything into a damn song lol (billy joel, She’s always a woman to me )

although, i’m sure your eyes are incredibly sweet

like fairy floss hmmm

they don’t make fairy floss like they used to (kids and their musiclol)

i swear, they tasted better before.

at the royal show i had some, i was unsatisfied.

also, either I never really payed attention or i was sure the prices of the good rides weren’t $10 last year, weren’t they like 4 or something?

oh well…

wow, i’ve managed to vaguely stay on topic. This truly is a miracle

Grandad came over tonight because while Cathy was here she wanted an adult to be here, in case she went crazy and ripped the places to shreds… haha

We got talking about our beautiful mutt, Milo…

Milo is a red cloud Kelpy

she is amazing… the other night she slept on my bed, i couldn’t move her haha, because she was asleep and if i tried to push her off she’d growl.

anyway, i should actually sleep… have to go to art tommoz grr, although i’m kind of looking forward to it… not really about confronting the art teachers that i’m scraping their idea and i’m going to be a total rebel and just put the boxes in… if they don’t want them on boxes, i don’t want them in at all.

ps. did i tell you’s that i watched pulp fiction for the first time? brilliant movie, can’t wait to watch it again… Quentin Tarantino is one hell of a genius.

any way, don’t listen to me ramble one, go watch it yourself and make your own judgment.. my taste is a bit weird haha

catchyas around

xxx

Boxes

Here are my art boxes, feel free to criticise! =)

Oh sweet sweet salvation

I’m so glad I finally got here.

I went to the Royal Show today.

highlights:

1. giant yogurt man
2. Gravatron
3. Alpacas *Tina you FAT LARD*

so, I actually can’t think of anything else that I liked about it

but I do know I ate a lot.

and i’ve realized i have two different music lessons

so i’d better go to sleep.

xxx