This semester has been an incredible learning experience. I find that I am much more aware of the visual imagery that surrounds me. When I look at a visual representation, I stop and think about what the inherent message is, why the image has been placed there, and how it fits into the rhetorical situation as a whole. I am much better at describing exactly what I see and picking apart certain elements of an image that make an argument in order to persuade such as layout, colour, tone, or verbal messages. I also got to use my creative side in the visual articulation project which I enjoyed. I have a better understanding of how art functions in our culture and how there are many different opinions on what counts as art. A very useful skill I improved on was how to build an argument for an essay. I realized that some of my past writing didn't always make a strong case and this got in the way of the clarity of the work.
The photo that most intrigued me was "Tennis Girl" taken my Martin Elliot. I had never seen the photo before and am still confused whether it is art or not! I know that this is a subjective opinion and that everyone will look at it in a slightly different way. I think the significance of this photo is that fact that it has been parodied a lot and has come to be seen as an icon. It definitely straddles the line between art photography and commercial photography in my opinion.
Thanks for everything this semester, I enjoyed reading everyone's blog posts. Good luck in the future!
This is a very thoughtful post, Jackie. I think you really have begun to understand how visual rhetoric influences us every day. I truly enjoyed having you in class, and I wish you all the best.
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