First Draft
soma55
howtovisuallyanalyze1.pptxvisual analysis
Preparation for Essay #2
The goal:
To make an interpretation of what the creator of the image might be trying to say through the details in their image.
To make a claim about the message/meaning, and defend it with concepts that are portrayed in the image details.
There are many ways to tackle this, and everyone will probably have a different direction in their analysis... It all depends on what kind of image you choose to analyze.
Some key elements to consider
The purpose of the creator
The audience
The way the image was created (style and technique)
The context of the time when it was created (then) and when it is viewed (now)
Describing images
Try to determine what is the focal point of the image, and what details are more secondary or “in the background”
what has more light cast on it and what is more “in the shadows”
Try to recognize potentially symbolic colors or objects:
You can make your own metaphors or interpretations. They just have to be logical.
What feeling or message do you get from how the objects in the image are angled or placed?
Do some freewriting to describe every aspect of the image along with your feelings as you describe it. (will practice later)
Some Terms for visual analysis
| Composition | How the image is put together. Where are things placed in relationship to each other | What is the main figure (focal point)? How are other figures placed in relation to that main figure? Is anything overshadowed? | Drawing our attention to some parts more than others creates tone, mood and meaning |
| Elements of design | Different aspects the creator can use to put together an image | How does the creator use color, lines, texture, shape, size, value (use of light and dark), text? | Meaning can come from what they use and what they don’t use |
| Symbolic Elements | Specific parts of the image that have symbolic or historical meaning (ex: a cross for Christianity, a dove for peace) | Are any of the aspects of this piece symbolic? Does the creator intend to use the symbolism directly or more indirectly? | Symbols draw on cultural meanings which can work differently for different audiences |
| Emphasis | What catches your eye when you look at the image? | The creator will use the various elements of design to create or not create emphasis | What the creator emphasizes could be a key piece of evidence for the claim you make. |
| Proportion | The relationship of sizes inside the piece of art, for example the size of one building to another, or a head to the body. | Are the proportions realistic or distorted? | The creator could be trying to create some sort of metaphor with out of proportion images. |
Questions to help analyze an image.
1. Claims: What claims does the image make? What type of claim is it?
Fact Claim: Is it real or really happening?
Definition Claim: What does it mean?
Cause Claim: What is the Cause? What are the effects? How are these related?
Value Claim: How important is this? How should we evaluate it?
Policy Claim: What is the solution? What should we do about it?
Questions to help analyze an image.
2. Visual Composition: How is the image arranged or composed? Which of the following aspects of composition help makes the claim? Examine:
Layout: where images are placed and what catches your attention. How visual “lines” draw your attention to or away from the focal point.
Balance: size of images and how they compare with one another. Is the focal point centered or offset?
Color: how color (or lack of color) draws your attention or creates a mood
Key figures: what is the main focus? How does this contribute to meaning?
Symbols: are there cultural symbols in the image? What do these mean?
Stereotypes : how does image support stereotypes or challenge them?
Exclusions: is there anything left out of the image that you expect to be there?
Questions to help analyze an image.
3. Genre: What is the genre of this image? (examples: fine art, movie, advertisement, poster, pamphlet, news photograph, graphic art etc.).
How does it follow the rules of that genre or break away from them? How does that affect the meaning of the image for the audience?
Is it something you would expect to see in that genre? If not, what is the significance of that?
Questions to help analyze an image.
4. Text: How does any text or caption work to provide meaning to the visual?
5. Appeals: In what ways does it appeal to the audience to believe the claims? Are appeals to logic? Emotion? Character? Authority? Are any of these appeals false or deceiving?
6. Selling: Does the claim move into a sales pitch? Does it use a cultural value or common cultural symbol in a way that exploits that image?
7. Story: What story does this image convey? How does this story help the claim or appeal to the audience?
Rhetorical situation
To get ready to analyze the meaning of the image for the artist and the people viewing the image, it helps to first find out the rhetorical situation.
That means you need to know what the creator was trying to do at that particular point in time, and how the audience reacted.
Sometimes the reaction of the audience that first saw the piece is very different from the reaction you might have.
Citing an Image
In order for your reader to know which image you are talking about, you will probably want to include a copy of that image. You will also need to make sure that in the first paragraph you include all of the information your reader needs to know, such as:
Title of the Image (underline or italics)
Artist's name
Date of work
Where it was published or the name of museum or collection it is now in.
Medium: magazine advertisement, video, oil painting, chalk drawing, pencil sketch, photograph (what type of image it is and what type of art medium was used)
Activity
Migrant Mother by Dorothea Lange
California in 1936
