Project #3: Disciplinary Literacy(create a website)

Cultural Artifact: Polaroid photo

The cultural artifact I chose for this project is a Polaroid photo. A photo is an image that can record the most real moments that become a memory to us for recalling in the future. Notably, photographs can be used to witness the traces of time, leaving the moment of happening, and revisiting everything that happened in the past, whether it is happy or unhappy. If you take some pictures every year, let the time gradually tell you to grow old every year. According to Edwards, 2012, the Polaroid photo constituted as the most sophisticated and innovative product of its time based on its ability to enable users to recall their long-term memories. The ability to share the most precious moments is enhanced by photography, images that are turned into long-lasting memories. Besides, images are meaningful as they make us cherish everything we do now. Thus, the Polaroid photo brings backs memories that our minds have stored away, some of them better while others are worse, as the image captures a moment that will be frozen at our fingertips.

The Polaroid photo is a famous fast imaging camera brand. It is a kind of image that can be immediately displayed on photo paper. The white frame on four sides can also be decorated and wrote. Many people also use this camera to record their life. Compared with the general flush-free borderless photos, it is a fascinating way to record lasting memories for refection in the future (Foley, 2017). The photos have seared their way into the American culture. The use of Polaroid photo is evident in visual art, movies and songs as the instant images symbolize a memory that is to be cherished. Their importance in the modern day society is highlighted by their ability to recapture memories stored away in people’s minds (Edwards, 2012). Unlike the digital images that are widely embraced in the modern day society, the Polaroid photo shares a unique aspect of recapturing the most important long-term memories.

Images tend to bring back memories that have been long forgotten or stored away. While these memories might be both good and bad, they constitute an experience that is worthwhile remembering. Specifically, the Polaroid photos capture moments that forever will be frozen at the fingertips of its users. Even when the memories are long gone, and flowers have bloomed, the images will capture the unique memories each of which will be frozen in time (Foley, 2017). This as an important aspect of the society today as people are intrigued with recapturing long gone memories. Most important is the fact that every image has an enchanting aspect to us. By capturing the memory with a click of the finger in a second, the long-lasting memory is almost timeless (Edwards, 2012). With the Polaroid camera, you can capture a timeless smile, a timeless love and a timeless moment of happiness.

The Polaroid photo is something that I can readily pick from my purse. The image captures the moment when I was having my eighteenth birthday at high school. Eighteen is a really important age in China. Its significance is that a child has become an adult thus can make his/her own choice. During my eighteenth birthday, I got a lot blessing from my classmates, my friends, and my family whereby this photo records my moment of happiness during that day. When I take a glance at this photo, I get the deep emotion of the fascinating memory. After few days, my twentieth birthday will come whereby I will compare myself to the picture. However, the friends with whom I was with at that time will not stay with me for this year's birthday. Despite this, I consider this as being part of growing up that nobody will accompany you all the time. Thus, this is a long-lasting memory that I will always cherish as I can readily accompany myself with it.

The Polaroid photo recaptures a memory that will always stay with me. The importance of creating art is by sharing fascinating memories with other people. Our minds can recapture these timeless moments. However, most of this information is long stored away, a memory that can be evoked with the Polaroid photo. The impact of the Polaroid photo in the modern day society is highlighted with its vast use in photography primarily because it recaptures timeless moments that ought to be cherished (Foley, 2017). In turn, this shapes the societal culture as individuals tend to cherish long lasting, timeless memories. For example, the picture captures the moment when I was having my eighteenth birthday at high school, a moment that will forever be part of me as I can carry it around. When people think about it, this is a timeless moment whose occurrence can succinctly be recaptured (Edwards, 2012). Primarily, this is because the images bring back memories that our minds have stored away, some of them better while others worse experiences. Therefore, the Polaroid photo has a significant impact on the society based on its ability to capture moments that will be frozen at our fingertips.

References

Edwards, O. (2012). How the Polaroid Stormed the Photographic World. Accessed June 1, 2018 from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/how-the-polaroid-stormed-the- photographic-world-98275389/

Foley, G. (2017). Exploring the Cultural Impact of Polaroid. Accessed June 1, 2018 from https://magazine.polaroidoriginals.com/exploring-the-cultural-impact-of-polaroid/