is Brad DiBenedetto

I'm still not really sure how to go about writing this but I'll just start by saying that this course has definitely enlightened me on the power that images have on society. Before taking this class, I didn't exactly know to what extent images can create and mold culture. I never actually stopped to critically think about what it really is that I'm looking at when I see images everyday, whether it be internet ads, print ads, billboards, graffiti etc. Its the idea of subliminal message and hidden symbolism that really intrigues me about images in our society (the idea of semiotics). Most images we see today are used to promote something...but at the same time, make the consumer feel deficient, thus defining cultural norms. In simplest terms, we all ask ourselves "what is good?" when we see images.

objects acquire human traits (i.e. sexy, cool, romantic, healthy)

I also find it fascinating that subcultures (like the punk movement) rebel against homogenous culture which is originally created by the advertising industry. After subcultures grow and become more prevalent in society, cultural norms begin to change when corporations realize they can make money off these subgroups by advertising and selling products that emulate the style and ideas of these subcultures. This is what is fascinating, the vicious cycle of bricolage and counter bricolage.

We are born into ideology which is formed by place, time and culture.

For me, the dialogue of this course has sparked alot of interest and led to some outside research that helped further my knowledge of image making. For example, filmmaker Dziga Vertov.

Dziga Vertov's Man with a Movie Camera helped me better understand the concept of image database through his use of temporal montage and montage within a shot, where he super imposes images within images.
His use of montage and original soundtrack is what makes this film so visually appealing and revolutionary for its time. It related to the course because it was constructed as three different types of database:

a database of city-life in the 1920's
a database of film techniques
a database of "new operations of visual epistemology"

Personal Assessment

In the beginnings of any course involving large group discussions I'm a little shy and mainly observant. Its not that I don't have any ideas, thoughts or questions to contribute its just a matter of me feeling comfortable when speaking. But, as the course continued and we all got to know each other a little better, I felt more comfortable with sharing my thoughts. I think our group meshed really well in the end and there was no holding back questions or comments. I think for the most part, I contributed a fair amount of time and effort into the class with discussion, crit responses, curatorial work and individual work. A lot of time and effort was spent on me and Emily's tragic sited image project so I feel I didn't spend as much time as I had originally wanted on my individual studio work. I lost alot of speed with that piece due to the barrage of other things I had going on, including Junior Review. I definitely want to read more in the Practices of Looking over the summer and include many of the ideas we have learned throughout the course in future work.

Link to this Page

Fin Inte Stments last edited on 27 April 2006 at 5:52 pm by c-24-11-106-167.hsd1.mi.comcast.net