Viewers Make Meaning

The first necessary thing to do here is make a distinction between the audience and the viewer.  The viewer is a person who looks, while the audience includes all who look.  Viewing is effected by other social and relational aspects regardless of how the image is viewed (in private, in public, or context specific).

An image does not mean one thing to every person, in any place, or in any time period.  The meaning they find in an image depends on a combination of social and relational aspects that is specific to each individual based on their life and what they have been exposed to.  

This production of meaning involves three main parts:

1.  An image cannot be separated from the codes and conventions that go along with the image.

2.  The viewer and how they interpret the image.

3.  How the image is exhibited.

Number three brings us to the point of interpellation.  This involves how and image in the media catches our eye.  This could be considered the most important aspect because the world is full of images and to convey a message and image has to dramatically stand out from all the rest.  Advertisers have the main goal of grabbing people's attention and pulling them in- their success is dependent on whether or not they are able to do this.

What the viewer must be aware of is that not all images and their messages come from one person.  Often a company or organization sends out a unified message through their images; however, this message has come from a larger amount of peoples' ideas coming together as one.  This can be seen in a movie that has one producer, yet only comes together because of the ideas and word of many other people.  

Ronald Barthes noted this idea in terms of authors and reader, but it can be seen within many other contexts.  He believed that one author cannot completely claim their works to be entirely theirs because their ideas are based, consciously or unconsciously, on the ideas of hundreds of others that they have encountered.  Interestingly another philosopher noted the importance of the author lies in his or her ability to send the message and portray the collection of ideas.

Questions/Ideas

*The third part in the production of meaning is probably the one most forgotten.  If an image is on the news or a flyer or a billboard, the viewer will interpret it differently.  How can this be used by young people or people with no connections?  How can they make themselves be heard or their ideas seem important and noteworthy. 

*What are ways to "interpellate" a viewer?  Does the image have to be loud and bold?  Or could softer, more subtle images stand out?

*This all related to the inauguration of Barack Obama and this importance of his speech today and those he's had in the past.  His speeches are a collection of ideas; he represents the ideas of many.  His face and phrases have become iconic.  Intense media scrutiny and political critiques have caused him to have to be strong and bold in his answers and speeches.

Why pink?

Yesterday my roommates put a sign above my door that says "Caution: Blonde Thinking", hence the name of this blog.

Blonde hair in itself has become a powerful image.  Maybe to some it implies ditzy and dumb, but I find other meanings.   Marilyn Monroe, Princess Diana, Madonna, even Britney Spears- these blondies may not all be role models, but they're certainly icons.  They command attention.  You want to see them, and you can't deny that you are at least a little interested in what they do and say.  They may not be well-read or college grads, but think of the experiences they've had, the people they've interacted with, and the places they've been.  They have an impressive creativity and knowledge of people and the world that has helped them reach their goals.

Perhaps most importantly, they have a platform.  When all eyes are on you, you can say what you want through images or words.  Your passions and the issues you care about- people will hear them.  And if you have the blonde, and the knowledge to back it up, its a pretty powerful thing.

Another girly pop culture reference, if you can stomach it, has to be Legally Blonde.  Quick summary: ditzy blonde sorority girl works to pass the LSATs to win back her ex-boyfriend, goes to Harvard Law School for him, realizes her potential, ditches her ex, and saves the day with her knowledge of law and hair care.  Cheesy "girl power" in a pink nutshell.  It takes more than book smarts to be successful; you have to keep your eyes open and your senses sharp.  

Visual communication is not only about one image meaning something specific.  It can be about changing the way people view an image, thus changing the way they think.  Disproving a stereotype, exceeding people's expectations, proving someone wrong- please, I can do it all, and I can do it in heels.

To wrap things up, the three main components of my blog:

The title

The pink

The photograph

My hair color, my favorite color, and my goal: simple expressions of who I am.

Images, Power, and Politics

So it's all about making sense of the world.  

Looking, seeing, touching, etc.  People do these things every day, all day, without even thinking about it.  It's up to each person to communicate by grabbing someone's attention or being subtle.  It's up to each person to look or look away; to interpret or ignore.  

A powerful image, word, font grabs you no matter what- think the red Communist flag in China, or the advertisement on a race car.  Somethings are almost impossible to ignore.  Images represent ideas, ideologies, and even emotions.  

Of course there are rules for images as well as words.  Copyrights, sensors- these apply to images too.  Breaking the rules doesn't always imply something vulgar, it can simply be an artist choosing a unique way to represent an idea, or maybe their time period.  Abstract art is a perfect example.  

The Museum of Modern Art in NYC is stocked with signifiers, but what signified, what's meant, is sometimes lost on people.  Even great art critics can misinterpret abstract art (and other art for that matter).  At first glance I have absolutely no idea what the hell is going on in figure 1.13.  It's uniqueness gets my attention, but laughing devil guys surrounded by butterflies isn't exactly an image that's easy to understand. 

So there's art, photos, cartoons, news, video, and advertisements.  That is only the tip of the iceberg of visual communication.  Flags, layout, font, color, 3D images, clothes, video games, even a picture a little kid draws- these convey ideas too.  Every image can be come an icon, or a portrait of the times.  Every image could be looked at by someone in another country or in the future and still convey something.  Every image has meaning, whether we choose to look at it or not.

1.  In the age of advancing technology and an increasingly fast-paced media people are exposed to incredible amounts of information each day.  Life moves as fast as the information coming in- reading articles, even watching the news can take too much time.  It takes only one moment to look at am image.

2. The best way to communicate through an image is to make it powerful.  Powerful is not necessarily bright and bold, yet it somehow captures your attention.  There is no extra fluff; within seconds, within one glance, the image needs to say what it's meant to say.

3.  Can an image exist that portrays no bias on the providers part?  Can a picture of war really say it all?  There are always more sides to a story- whatever is picked to be shown must contain some bias, right?  

***There are programs supported by photography magazines that give disposable cameras to people who live in places of unrest and in troubled times.  Camera distribution is combined with classes and darkroom construction.  The people who must life in the difficult conditions document their daily life, which portrays what they see daily and what they think is important.  Their views can be compared to our ideas and images to create valid ideas and overall understanding.

Here is a link to pictures that were taken by Iraqi citizens.