Today our assignment was to find a PSA on racism that was really effective in getting it's point across, then analyze it.

This video is a compilation of fast cutting interviews. All shots are the same zoom, showing people interviewed from the waist up. This video is about stereotyping. It works because the people in it all have the laid back and dismissive attitude about stereotypes, instead of making a big deal over them just make them seem silly. It's original because it doesn't try too hard to demonize racism, it's just a bunch of average people talking about stereotypes and making the mere idea of stereotypes seem preposterous. Lot's of videos have a stereotypical minority being bullied, which only perpetuates the stereotype. I also thought it was really effective having the man with the strong stereotypical Indian accent during his interview saying "do I have to talk like this" with no accent, breaking the third wall and making Indians seem more individual. The video ending is also really memorable, it cuts to an interview of a what appears to be the stereotypical North American named Josh, but he ends up having all the stereotypical traits that are assigned to minorities.

The only sound effect used was the beep between scenes, and only in the out cuts.
There is a slow mellow song in the background. It also highly contrasts with the sound track during the out cuts. There is little in terms of effects, music, sound etc. Also the the final interview seems very conclusive and powerful when he says "My name is Josh, and I'm from Earth" in contrast to all the other interviews where the people say what country they are from. This video is very effective dismissing stereotypes and individualizing people that might be stereotyped.

Rhythm Assignment part A

This part of the assignment was particularly hard for me because I dislike working with straight lines and absolutes. I started off with equally spaced lines going horizontally across the page, and to neutralize the boring effect that horizontal lines might create, I divided them up into three sections. The lines in each section were similar length, relative to each other, but still random enough to break the gridded and boring effect of stacked lines. Then, to add rhythm to the drawing I, again, chose a smooth amd non-absolute technique. I created the illusion of a gradient by having the line boldness pulse thicker and thinner.

The Scream

"The Scream"

by Edvard Munch

Critique from an imitationalist's point of view.

Edvard Munch's art is generally known for being full of emotions like fear, isolation, and anxiety, its imitationalist qualities, however, are quite lacking. The Scream is very emotionally expressive, yet still unsatisfying from an imitationalist's point of view because it is unrealistic. The proportions of the person in the foreground are really exaggerated and inaccurately sized, the colors are bland and unrealistic and the background scene is lacking depth and perspective. As an imitationalist artist, I think this painting is horrible.


Critique from an emotionalist's point of view.

This piece of art was obviously made to invoke negative emotions such as the aforementioned fear, isolation, and anxiety. This is the kind of art work that gives you a panic attack when you look at it. Munch did an amazing job at capturing the key facial features of panic and displaying them on the subject. The man has widely open eyes and mouth, long clenching hands gripping his head, and a curving frail body. The two figures in the left middle ground are also quite emotionally inflictive, they lack detail and are hard to examine, yet you still find your eyes repeatedly drawn towards them, invoking paranoia. As an emotionalist artist, I found this work of art spectacular.

Critique from a formalist's point of view.

This picture has great flow, although simplistic, it gets you to follow the water and then land and focus on the two mysterious figures in the far left. The balance is also very good yet simplistic; the right land mass with the bridge balances well with the more weighted left land mass, horizontally, and with the sky, vertically. Due to it's simplicity there is not much rhythm in this picture but it is very even and well laid out. The perspective on the bridge made with the line flow is also amazing, but line flow in the land and water are really messy. I think the movement could have been made even better, had Munch made the lines better -- mainly in the right land mass. The colors work well with each other but are very bland and uninteresting. I think this picture is very good mostly because of its amazing movement and balance.