Another Juicy Couture Ad...

                                             

Whilst viewing this advertisement I understood the significance of the conventions used by looking at semiology, and began to interpret them in my own individual way. The first thing which grabbed my attention to this image was the fact that the woman appears to be sort of 'blowing the man away', and also the fact that she stands out a great deal more than the male who appears more in the background. I think that this is reaching for a female target audience who associate this action with the empowerment of women because perhaps this image is symbolic of the fact that women have power over men when wearing this perfume, and therefore 'blow men away.' Also, the use of an elegant looking woman placed with an attractive male and the fact that she is in control connote the fact that with this perfume she can get attention from attractive males, and also the fact that she is in control connotes that women who wear this perfume are dominant and in control.

The meaning of this advertisement is anchored through the use of signs and objects and the relationship between them. The 'Juicy Couture' text is iconic - the viewer can easily recognise the fact that the product being advertised is one belonging to the brand Juicy Couture. The rather large perfume bottle allows the viewer to then depict that it is a new fragrance that is being advertised. The placement of the perfume bottle is indexical - the audience are highly likely to logically connect the perfume with the brand. The mise-en-scene of the perfume bottle also connotes a sense of regality which is then reinforced through the photographic rhetoric and composition of the brand name and text.

This advertisement is also very symbolic, mainly due to the connotation of the word 'Couture,' which also appears to be the perfumes name. The viewer is able to learn the conventional meaning being represented, i.e. an expensive perfume for an extrovert person - because of the phrase 'show off.' Also, the pink glitter can be associated with femininity and glamour which reflects the overall meaning of the advert. 

The males eyes also appear to be covered by his hair, where as the female is engaging with the viewer; holding a direct gaze. This allows the audience even-more-so to depict that the female is in a powerful position. This can be quite aesthetically pleasing for a female viewer, or also an interesting one that holds their attention as it isn't a dominant ideology within society. Also, the typography in the text 'do the don'ts' is in a strong, bold type - which was often used in the era of English rebellion and punk; the gold chain on the perfume bottle and the black dress appear to somewhat convey this era. This appears to be counter typical as traditionally in perfume adverts, white can be seen to represent innocence and virginity.

The typography in ‘do the don’ts’ is a strong, bold type which was used in the era of English rebellion and punk, the gold chain on the bottle of perfume conveys this era, as well as the black dress. This is also counter typical as traditionally in perfume adverts, white can be seen to represent innocence and virginity. The 'lipstick' typography of the text 'show off' also adds a unique female touch to the advertisement.

As the relationship between the viewer and an image can often lead to many possible meanings of a text, it is important that the adverts preferred reading is successfully put across to the audience. In this case, the preferred reading of the advertisement has been put across to the viewer through mise-en-scene and the use of layers. The male has been been featured in the background - delivering the message to the audience that he is not the main focus of the advert and can perhaps be seen more as a 'prop' than a character. The female on the other hand has been positioned more towards the middle connoting that she is dominant and that the advertisement is targeting a female audience. The text and perfume has been brought to the foreground of the image - showing that it is following the main conventions of print advertising.

How many horses do you see?

Optical Illusions (also called visual illusions) are visually perceived objects and images that differ from reality. The information that is gathered from the image is processed in the brain to give a perception that is in fact, inaccurate according to the physical measurement of the stimulus source.

In the case above, colour has been very cleverly used to create an optical illusion of more horses than there actually is within the image - when in fact it is the background which the use of the same colour(s) (brown and white) very cleverly places an image of several horses in the foreground of the image (within the viewers mind.)

It is easy to depict which horses are actually being portrayed within the image, for example, the black/brown colour of the horses tail belonging to the horse in the very foreground of the image is clearly not an illusion as the tail does not fit in with the much paler brown and white colours of the intended background.

In the grid illusion above, ghostlike grey and black circles appear when this image is viewed - then when you look directly at an intersection they disappear. Shape, position, colour, and 3D contrast converge to product the illusion of the dots at the intersections.

In the image above, the black dots appear to form and vanish at the intersections of the gray horizontal and vertical lines. If you focus your attention on a single white dot, both grey and black dots appear, and if you scan your eye across the image more black dots seem to appear. The effect is reduced when you position your head to an angle, and if the eye is moved very close to or far away from the image the black dots do not appear at all.

Lunch atop a Skyscraper.

The very famous photograph above is of New York 'Construction Workers' having their lunch on a crossbeam, and was taken by Charles C.Ebbets during the construction of the GE Building at Rockefeller Center on September 29, 1932.  The photograph is of 11 men eating lunch whilst sat on a girder with their feet dangling above New York City.

This photograph personally makes me feel uneasy just looking at it as there are no safety nets in sight or belts around these men. As a viewer I became instantly emotionally involved in this photograph: it provokes fear and at the same time excitement - associated with the bravery of these men. I almost feel as if I am on the girder myself. As the photograph has been taken from a lower angle than where the men are positioned, it almost empowers them - although they were all working class men, from the position that they are in it is almost as if you are admiring them from below - this once again can be associated with their bravery.

What mainly keeps my attention on this photograph is the actions of the men within it. They all look so calm and collected (talking, eating, and smoking) - except for the man who is positioned on the very right hand side of the girder. My eyes always focus back to this character within the photograph, as I feel that he is connecting more with me as a viewer - and perhaps his gaze has some sort of hidden meaning. He's looking directly at the camera and has some-sort of liquor flask in his hand. He looks somewhat lost compared to the other men, perhaps he doesn't want to be there - maybe he's only up there risking his life in such a job because he has no other option due to the depression era. Also, if he is carrying alcohol it seems a very dangerous place to be drinking it - these men appear pretty much fearless.

He also does not appear to be engaged with the other men, perhaps representative of the fact that he is a loner, or being rebellious. This all relates back to how the narrative of an image can change when the picture itself is broken up into separate parts - in this case the photograph appears to now be of a man sort-of posing for the camera - as opposed to a more casual photograph of a  group of men and their working lives. The view also appears completely different - from this angle the girder could be above perhaps any city in the world.

In terms of lighting, the men and girder also appear to be darker and more in focus than the background of New York City, this makes them the clear subject of the photograph.

Information About the Viewer.

The viewer does not just witness a light-structured object but arrives at a conclusion through mental operations. Visual perceptions are determined by numerous mental activities... 'memory, projection, expectation, selectivity, habituation, salience, dissonance, culture and words' (Carolyn Bloomer)

Julian Hochberg (1970), found that human eyes constantly move as they scan an image - the viewer constructs the scene with short-lived eye fixation and the mind combines the elements within the image into a whole picture.

Mario Garcia and Pegie Stark also used an eye-track testing machine and found that the content, size and placement of artwork or photographs are more important than whether the image is in colour or in black and white.

Video Gaming.

For games to be successful today they have to look exciting, have excellent graphics and be different from past releases. Call of Duty is a first-person and third-person shooter video game - and I am using this as an example.

What is included within a video games frame at all times is highly important as is mise-en-scène - the content within each frame is what 'grips' and draws the viewer in. It is important that they are kept entertained at all times in order for a game to be completely successful - therefore the imagery has to be captivating enough to make the gamer feel part of the action and setting as opposed to the reality of just pressing buttons on a console-pad. Originality is also important in video gaming - using this game as an example: the original and extraordinary imagery is what grabs the viewers attention initially making them want to purchase the product.

This game has a good plot and excellent graphics which attracts the viewer to the game. The fantastic level of action also allows the viewer to become emotionally wrapped up in the plot - people claim that they experience nervousness, fear and anger throughout the game. The combination of shots within the scenes also make it exciting. For example, close-ups and extreme close-ups engage the audience with the characters within it on a personal level. And the long and extreme-long shots allow the viewer to connect with the setting.

The menus and interface have also been kept simple in this game, but are very effective and easy to use. It is presented in such a way so that it fits in with the theme of the game at the same time as being suitable for people of different intellectual abilities (see below.)

Linear perspective has also been cleverly integrated into this video game. For example, many views are created through other objects (i.e. a building window or vehicle). The viewer cannot perceive any difference between the view of the object and the view of the actual intended scene (as in real life). This makes the game very realistic and therefore gripping.

The imaginary worlds portrayed within the game allow for the thrill of discovery. The viewer becomes addicted to exploring the games imagery. The narratives which unfold within these 'worlds' largely contribute to keeping the viewer interested - the imagery has to make the viewer care about the places, people and objects being portrayed, so that in addition to the adrenaline and the rewards of addictive game-play, they have an emotional investment in the 'world.'

The animation within this game also looks real - the 3D characters portrayed within it almost look like real-life people, making it much more realistic and aesthetically pleasing on the eye. Colour and mise-en-scène has been greatly considered in the production of this media product particularly in terms of binary oppositions - the colour black is often used with the portrayal of 'bad' characters along with dangerous objects. As the colour black is often associated with the bad, this symbolism allows the viewer to easily establish the roles of the characters in game-play. The main character within these games are also often admirable in the way in which they look and present themselves, and objects of desire are often used such as 'nice cars' as they are pleasing on the eye.

My Book Cover

As I love reading I thought that I would attempt to make my own book cover. The text (title of the book) anchors the image as the title relates to the image of the nonidentical leg tattoos (minor details make them nonidentical). The way which the text is presented also fits in with the title as it is 'uneven.'

The photograph of the feet turned in and the knees somewhat close together somewhat represent and give the feeling of being 'huddled together' and protective of oneself - this fits in with the characters intended unbalanced/unstable life - giving the viewer of the book cover and indication as to what the narrative is about. The tattoos are unique and also symbolise different perhaps denoting her characteristics.

The homely environment, i.e. bedding and carpet, allow the viewer to relate more to the novel - as it is highly likely that the target audience of the image and book cover are going to be from a homely environment the bedding and carpet allow the viewer to relate particularly with the setting.

The toe rings on either foot (on the same toe(s)) are also there as a symbol of the fact that the character does actually become balanced (although it is hard to see at first). The pink rose tattoos on either leg symbolise the grace and gentleness (almost frailness) of the character. They could perhaps also represent that this character is going to be admirable in some ways and that the viewer is going to sympathise with her in others - as roses are often sent to convey admiration and sympathy.

The dark coloured bedding also allows the legs and leg tattoos to stand out - pushing them into the foreground and making them the key image (to establish meaning from.)

Denotation and Connotation in a Still Life Painting (Pieter Claesz)

Vanitas is a type of symbolic work of art particularly associated with Northern European still life painting in Flanders and the Netherlands in the 16th and 17th centuries. Paintings executed in the Vanitas style act as a reminder of the transience of life, the certainty of death, and the futility of pleasure. They also provided a moral justification for many paintings of attractive objects.

Common symbols within these still life paintings include skulls - which act as a reminder for the viewer of the certainty of death, rotten fruit which is used to symbolise ageing and decay, bubbles to represent the brevity of life and musical instruments, which symbolise the brevity and the passing of time in life. The musical instruments in particular can represent the pleasure of music and it's transience, a metaphor for the fact that life's pleasures are not permanent. Flowers, butterflies and fruit within these paintings are also often associated with this morbid theme - lemons are often used within Vanitas (or Vanitas style paintings) to symbolise the bitterness of life.

Society's awareness of death was not abandoned with the end of the Twelve Year Truce - in the 1620's society suffered from two outbreaks of the Plague, this may account for the content of Vanitas paintings, whose recurring motifs, particularly the skull, was a constant reminder of morality.

However, there remained a redeeming Christian reference, the chaplet of corn on a skull, a reminder of the Resurrection. Fuchs suggests that this density of morbid symbols would have appealed to the intelligentsia at Leiden University, centre for the study of Calvinism. (R.H.Fuchs, Dutch Painting, (London, 1994), 115.)

Symbolism was present in every form of 'Still Life' but never more significant than in Vanitas work where everything spoke of the inevitability of death. Examples of these symbols are in the paintings above, such as the violin which is symbolic of the vice of enjoyment and the fading of music, and the burning candle which screams out the message to the viewer that life will eventually end.

Traditional still life painting is still attractive - simple light, simple techniques, and a simple set of objects create a sort of dignified feeling. Still life paintings such as these are very rich in historical and cultural connotation.