Modigliani

Modigliani and Picasso's relationship, as seen is the video from this week, was very complex. It appeared as if the two artists generally did not like each other during most of the movie, but at some points, their relationship was somewhat different. From my point of view, it seemed as though they only had respect for one another in the sense that they were both artists striving to make careers out of their work. Picasso constantly tried to embarrass and insult Modigliani in public. He drew a portrait of Jean, which was an insult to Modigliani, and reported his nude art show to the police. These were just a few instances where Picasso insulted Modi in public, but there were many other instances where he would talk down to and berate Modi simply because it seemed as though the two really just didn't like each other. I think Modi's general hatred came because he disliked the way Picasso acted as though he was so far above everyone else, and Modi really seemed to be pretty humble in his own right. Also, I think his hatred also stemmed from the fact that he was kind of jealous of Picasso's success, as seen by the short scene between Modi and Renoir when Modi affirms that he is "mad" (assumably at Picasso's success). Their relationship was obviously volatile, as Picasso once held a gun to Modi's head when they were on the road, but I think that this just showed that Picasso was a very arrogant man and could blow up at any minute. Also, just moments after Picasso pulls out a gun, the two are seen joking around again, which is somewhat perplexing. I think this just shows that the two men could probably have been great friends if they weren't constantly trying to compete against one another for popularity in Paris. In short, I think that this complex relationship really is developed well in the movie and really helps to bring out the personalities of both characters.

a) Untitled by Michelle Anderson



b) Untitled by Michelle Anderson



a) I chose painting "a" (Untitled by Michelle Anderson) because I liked the way that the right side of the body faded off of the page in her drawing. I thought it was an interesting position to draw and not your typical portrait of the human body. I thought that the shading was done well on the edges of the body and really helped to bring out those edges to the viewer. I didn't really find this work to be that aesthetically pleasing because honestly I didn't think that this work looked very unique and I felt that the lack of color and great detail only further confirmed that point. Michelle stated that she drew this drawing because she liked drawing the human form, especially without a face, in order to draw the audience's attention elsewhere.

b) I chose painting "b" (Untitled by Michelle Anderson) because it had similar elemental qualities to painting "a" and because I really liked the use of the many different squares put together to portray the entire image of the human form. I thought the coloring and shading in this work made it appear to flow a lot more smoothly than the first work. Likewise, I found it much more aesthetically pleasing. Like the first piece, Michelle stated that she has always been intrigued by the human form and likes to draw figures without faces in order to divert the audience's attention.

Ads Manipulated

Analyzing and Changing Meaning of Ads

"Coolmint Icebreakers" Ad

This particular ad, for “Coolmint Icebreakers”, seems to be set in an isolated area with a bright white light, much resembling the sun, taking over the background of the scene. This could be in the setting of a person’s dream. It seems to be daytime and it seems to be present day life, or possibly a “future” setting. The subjects of the ad are the Caucasian woman in the foreground of the picture, and the pack of Icebreakers in the lower right of the image. The woman in the ad seems to potentially be from the future, and seems just to be “there” and modeling her attractive figure. Other key images in the ad include the many scattered crystals and green leaves in the background of the image, as well as the banner in the foreground reading, “Bring out your flavor”. Also, the outline of what appear to be snowflakes, are faintly visible in the blue background of the ad. The purpose behind this ad is obviously to sell icebreakers mints. The company portrays this meaning through a series of symbols and images that convey certain meanings. The beautiful woman modeling in the foreground of the image is used to show that a person can become “beautiful” or bring out their “flavor” by consuming icebreakers. The many leaves that surround her are used to symbolize that the icebreakers have a “fresh, minty taste” that will leave your breath fresh and minty as well. The diamond crystals in the background of the image are used to symbolize that the “Coolmint Icebreakers” are made with flavor crystals. These shiny crystals also complement the sparkles in the woman’s red top that she is wearing. The white and blue background of the image is used to convey a meanings of clean, crisp, and fresh, all of which are characteristics that the company wants to be associated with its “Coolmint Icebreakers”. This ad was made in 2009, and was found in the May 18, 2009 issue of ESPN the Magazine. I would assume that a relation between the audience and ad itself is that the ad is reaching out to ordinary people who are looking to “look better” or improve their image, and the company takes advantage of this by marketing the woman in this image as beautiful, and someone who has assumably obtained this beauty in part from consuming Icebreakers. Some cultural values that are built in are the concepts of beauty, the ideal female figure, and the idea of “what looks appealing” to consumers. As mentioned before, this ad is targeting the ordinary person who is looking to improve his or her own image. Clearly, there are certain markers of race, as the model in this ad appears to be Caucasian. Also, there is an element of femininity in this ad (which my altered photograph capitalizes upon) that makes the ad appear to be slightly targeted towards females. There are certain elements of sexuality involved as well, as this woman is dressed very lightly and is certainly showing off her model-type figure. She also appears to be of high class, because she is ordained with a great deal of jewelry. The relationship between the text and the imagery conveys the entire idea of “flavor” that is mentioned in the red ribbon. The mint leaves, crystals and snowflakes all help to convey as cool, crisp flavor to the audience. The relationship between the ad and the product is one that shows the product in the ad, although just barely. This ad better conveys a lifestyle to the audience, more than anything, by using this beautiful female model to convey certain messages that have been previously mentioned.

"Hennessy" Ad

The second ad being analyzed, an ad for Hennessy cognac has many qualities that make it very different from the Icebreakers advertisement. The setting of this ad appears to be in a dark room, possibly a high-class restaurant of some sort. It also seems to be taking place in the early 20^th century or so, maybe even before that, based on some of the subjects in the ad. The subjects in this ad are the man in the foreground of the image, as well as the Hennessy cognac that is sitting on the table at which he is seated. The man seems to be a high-class gentleman from the United States, as evidenced by the suit that he is wearing and the fact that this ad is from an American magazine. The Hennessy seems to belong to him, as it is close in proximity to where he is seated. Some other key elements of this photo are the map that is placed on the table to the right, as well as an old chest with alcohol (assumably Hennessy) sitting on top of it. Also, there is a calculator and compass in close proximity to this gentleman so it may be assumed that he is charting some sort of course on a map. Finally, the background shows a marble portion of wall that appears to be part of the building. The meaning behind this ad is fairly obvious. Hennessy obviously wants to promote their product as a high-class alcoholic beverage, and many of the elements in this picture help to convey that meaning. The fact that the man in the ad is wearing a suit makes you assume that he is wealthy. Also, the fact that he is sitting in what appears to be a high class restaurant, judging by the marble on the back wall, gives the ad an appearance that Hennessy is properly associated with wealth and high class living (which is exactly what the company wants). The ad was made in 2009 and is published in the May 17^th, 2010 issue of ESPN the Magazine. The relationship between the ad and the audience also appears to be clear. It seems like the ad is clearly targeting middle-aged men in particular, because the man in the ad appears to be middle-aged. Also in regards to cultural values and assumptions, it appears that the ad wants to establish to the audience that you can be just as high class as this particular man if you drink Hennessy. It seems like the makers of this ad are trying to target the average person and make them think that they can better improve their lifestyle by drinking Hennessy. There are definitely some elements of race, gender, age, and class in this ad. The man in the ad is assumably African-American and middle-aged, which means that Hennessy is trying to target both of these groups of people. Also, Hennessy appears to be specifically targeting men by using this man as the primary subject of the ad. Furthermore, the ad seems to be targeting those of high class, or who would like to be of high class, because of the aforementioned subjects in the ad. The relationship between the text which reads “Flaunt your taste” appears to try and make the connection with Hennessy being a “high class” drink and something that should be shown off to all of the people that you know or want to impress. Also, the relation between the ad and the product is shown in the ad. The Hennessy cognac is clearly visible in the foreground of the image and also promotes the “high class” lifestyle that Hennessy is trying to flaunt in this ad.

Chapter 4 - Realism

I had never really taken the time to understand what all is involved with realism, and art deemed to fall in this category. As mentioned in the opening page of the chapter, "realism has been linked to a surprisingly varied set of conventions and approaches". Reading this statement I was very surprised because, like many people (I would assume), I figured that realism just referred to art that looked "realistic". I had no idea that it involved so many different aspects, specifically in its use as political propaganda. I was surprised to learn that Stalin mandated specific uses of realism in the 1930's in order to promote Soviet nationalism. I've learned about this time in world history numerous times and seen many of these Soviet propaganda pieces, but like I mentioned before, I never really took the time to analyze their history in terms of art. Learning about realism as a concept in this chapter will really allowed me to view many different pieces of art in a different light then I have in the past.

Scott Adams Quote Response

Scott Adams's quote, "Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.", is very thought provoking. Adams is basically saying that art can be defined as "mistakes" made through creative ways, or "creative mistakes". Art definitely has creative elements to it, so the first part I agree with, but I'm not sure that I would define art as "mistakes" per say. I think that in some cases pieces of art are made by "mistake" in that they don't always turn out the way the artist intends, or the meaning which they project on their audience isn't always what was the intention of the artist. However, I think that in most cases, art is more like "intentional creativity" rather than "mistaken creativity", in that the author usually has a purpose in creating a certain artistic piece, and that intention is usually fulfilled.

Voyeurism

I believe that to some extent everyone is a voyeur. For example, the entertainment industry is now centered around reality television and voyeurism. People will watch endless hours of television that deal with the private lives of other people. The term voyeur definitely has a negative connotation and I think that calling myself a voyeur is kind of disturbing. Like I said I think "people watching" and the fascination with the private lives of others is an alarming trend in today's society that I hope doesn't continue at its current rate. If it does, we may be deprived of all of our privacy in the near future.