Self-Portrait

The photo of myself differs from the symbolic representation on me in many ways. First, the photo of me only shows what I look like, not what I like do to. The icons and symbols that were put together in the representation that describes me is symbolic for what I like to do and what makes me. The photo of myself shows my face and my hair and eye color, but there is no explanation as to whom I am and what events occurred in my life to get me to that place.  Another thing that differs is the look of the photos. Although they are both me, one is physically me and one is things that make me. The ‘physical me’ is there and behind my smile is everything that you see in the second photo that is just a representation. The second representation of me is not all of me, there is much more than meets the eye or than I will admit. These are just a few symbols and ideas that have carried with me throughout my life.

A viewer’s perspective of these symbols can change who they think I am. A viewer and myself may not see eye to eye on the meaning of some of the images that I chose.

The areas of intersection between the photo and the collage that represents me lay in the energy that I give off. From my smile you can see that I am happy, which is what the balloons represent. Other than that, there are not many other areas of intersection with these two different representations of me. From just looking at the photos there are not many areas of intersection especially because it is just a headshot.

The photos that I chose represent me because they are from my roots and they have are symbols that have expressed who I am throughout my entire life, none of them are temporary. I chose the state of New Jersey because this is where I was born and raised, specifically in Bergen County. I chose to use a picture of a cheerleader because I cheered for my school and town for my entire upbringing until graduating high school; it was a major part of my life. I chose the balloons because I like to party but the busy desk picture represents how hard working I am both with my schoolwork and with my out of school jobs.  I chose the movie reel because I love to watch movies and when I was younger I really enjoyed writing and directing my own movies with friends and family.

In my photo my smile describes me rationally. I am a very happy person and I like to keep my spirits high especially when others aren’t. My smile tells about my kind and generous personality as well as about my openness. I have been called disarming based on my smile by multiple strangers in the past. It’s just a feature that tells my whole personality. 

Spectatorship and Power Relationships in Advertising

For the Ralph Lauren advertisement that represents a single person, the subject appears to be relaxing and unaware that she is the object of the photo. Besides the fact that she is clearly posing for a photo shoot, it is apparent that she is resting from a long bike ride. From the environment surrounding her it seems to be that she went on a motorcycle ride into the dessert and is resting. She seems to be in the middle of nowhere but she also has a presence that seems very aware of her surroundings. 

She seems as though she is not being watched or looked at by anyone. She doesn’t have direct contact with the camera and is appearing to be leaning against the motorcycle and looking out in the distance at something that is unseen by the spectator. 

Certain characteristics in the advertisement of the model and the environment support my point. First, the environment is very natural and rough. The floor is dirty and seemingly untouched as if the spot was chosen for the advertisement, not created for the advertisement. Another supporting factor is that the model is not looking at the camera. If this same photo was taken but there were many people in the picture she would still be the main focus without trying. The photographer wanted her to look as though she is taking a rest from riding her motorcycle so she is just leaning her body against her bike. 

In the second advertisement there are multiple people but only 3 faces of those people can be seen. The woman holding her bag has more power than the other people and it is apparent for many reasons. First, although not the only woman in the picture, she is the only woman whose face can be seen. Her skin is glowing as the sun bounces off of her face. She has the most skin showing as opposed to the other people in this advertisement who do not have much skin showing. She is the only person facing the front of this photo and she has a very powerful position. Her body is long and her chest faces the front of the photo making her appear assertive and powerful. 

 

Evidence in this advertisement that supports the claim that this female character hold the power would be that the males are both facing away from the front of the picture looking out and down. The female in the front of the photo is in movement whereas the other characters are sitting still almost placed as mannequins that she seems to be moving around their existence. 

Her gaze out in the distance creates a line pulling out that draws the eye to her alignment of the body. As a spectator, the eyes are drawn to this golden woman who seems to be holding all of the power of the advertisement in her body and expression.

Appropriation

Appropriating artwork is not stealing ideas but rather just borrowing and changing the meaning. This can been seen in many places throughout history in artwork, poetry, famous quotes, etc. There are many examples of appropriating throughout art in our modern culture as seen with many political campaigns and business strategies.

The poster that exclaimed, “Keep Calm and Carry On” was created with the start of World War II by the British government. The purpose of the poster was to increase the public’s ethics in case of an attack or invasion. The poster was originally created in 1939 and was one of three different motivation posters released to the public by the government. The artist of this poster is unknown to this day as this poster was just rediscovered in the year 2000 by Barter Books. It is believed that most of these posters were destroyed at the end of the war.

This poster has been appropriated many times in many ways. When the poster was rediscovered it became a trend. Many companies used the same poster idea beginning with the “keep calm” but ending with their own demand such as “Keep calm and drink coffee” for a café. A few examples are “Keep calm and buy stuff” and “Keep calm and have a cupcake.” These are the poster appropriated because it is the same idea just changing of the slogan. The poster fonts and sizes are usually the same as the original, just different slogans and sometimes-different images than the original crown.

The new meaning through the appropriated poster can be anything because there are so many different appropriations of this artwork. It depends on what it is being used for but there have been many different appropriations, almost too many to list. The meaning changes but the layout and the “jingle” do not change throughout the uses of the poster.

“Keep calm and carry on” has become a pop culture phenomenon throughout America with everything from posters to cups and t-shirts with a picture of the poster and slogan (varying slogans). It is a commonly seen poster in college dorm rooms as well as in places of business.

The poster and slogan were commercialized for modern culture. In 2011 a company registered the slogan as a “community trade mark” but there are concerns because the slogan was used before the registration was placed. Then it was determined that it could not be trademarked because the words “are too widely used for one person to own the exclusive rights” (wikipedia).

Appropriation in my opinion, can keep history relevant and this British poster is the perfect example of that act. Not only can new day artists recognize great historical artists but also the appreciation for that art form and the era is clearly shown through the appropriation. There have been many great artworks appropriated including that of Andy Warhol, Alfred Hitchcock and even the British government.

Looking at Icons in Our Society

What or who is iconic? Why? What shared meaning do icons hold for us?


According to Peirce, iconic signs "resemble their object in some way." The book tells us that this definition considers paintings, drawings, comics, photographs, film and television images iconic. Later on in the reading though, an icon is described as an image that refers to something outside of its individual components, something that has a significant symbolic meaning for many people. Icons can represent a concept, emotion or meaning. Something that is culture specific or represents an era or area may be seen as iconic or as something of a greater meaning. These things become iconic to us because they are perceived as implying something deeper or more meaningful. 


From the text:
“Icon is an image that refers to something outside of its individual components, something (or someone) that has great symbolic meaning for many people . . . Image icons are experienced as if universal, but their meanings are always historically and contextually produced.”


Find a print advertisement (magazines are usually best for this) that uses an image icon. 

1. What or who is the image icon?


The image icon is a well-known singer, Beyonce Knowles who began her career in the group Destiny's Child but became an independent artist a few years later. 


2. What “universal” concepts, emotions, and meanings does it/he/she hold?


Since the beginning of Beyonce's career she has been projecting the image that she is a "fighter" and a strong woman. She gives off the impression that she is very independent and she is in charge. She has been a powerful influence for young girls who want to follow in her footsteps and become independent. Her music lyrics usually have lines that are empowering to females, "I'm a survivor, I'm going to work harder, I'm going to make it."


3. How does the advertiser connect these to the product/service being sold?


The advertiser uses an image of the singer standing tall with a microphone and spotlights on her. She seems powerful and large in the image as if the product is made for independence whereas most fragrance ads that I have seen will have a sexual woman or a "damsel in distress." They use her persona to send the message that the perfume will make you a strong individual woman.


4. Does it persuade you? Why or why not?


It does not persuade me because I do not like Beyonce but it does send me the message that this particular fragrance is meant for stronger women.