Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

I was excited to finally watch this film (and even more happy that it counted for extra credit). From just watching the previews I knew that this movie would be different from other movies based on comic books; Scott Pilgrim vs. the World actually tried to retain the feeling of the comic book throughout the movie. The main way that they accomplished this was using text, color, and animated images throughout the film. Every time that there was a sound or emotion that needed to be emphasized, the style of the movie changed. Take for example the image below when the two characters kissed-- the background gets a pink color added and hearts start floating around. Together both elements place more focus on the kiss and remind viewers of the movie's comic book roots. Additionally there were other parts in the movie were text would come on the screen and make words literally pop out at the viewer. 

Final Part 2.2

4. The 1968 Nixon cover of Esquire undermines the credibility of a contemporary political figure through the use of visual, rather than verbal, associations. Examine images of the 2008 election campaign and offer an example of a similar approach -- an image of Obama, McCain, Palin or Hillary Clinton that makes a powerful visual statement that undermines their campaign or image. Compare and contrast with the Nixon example. 

This Esquire cover of Nixon in 1968 sought to undermine his reputation and credibility. Based solely on the visual images one can quickly determine the message the magazine was trying to get across. The cover portrays Nixon as someone who can't do anything without a little help of some cover-up. He has a team surrounding him that are always there to make him look better than what he really is. By wearing make-up and being made-up, the public gets the idea that he does is put on a facade. 

These political attacks on candidates have continued through the years and were present during the 2008 political campaign. During this election candidates were attacked from left and right for numerous reasons. One of the favorites to attack was Sarah Palin. After holding the position of governor of Alaska, she was nominated to run for the Republican vice-president nominee. Many people doubted he ability to handle the position and they attacked her for every move she made. Since she was from Alaska, she was often associated with the rugged lifestyle that included hunting and fishing. However, there was also the simple fact that she was a woman. The cartoon below mocks Palin's identity--- she is woman running for a (traditionally) male's position. The helmet and gun make her look tough and strong, but she's still a woman in a dress holding a baby. Even without the bubble quotes to the side, the viewer still gets this message from just the image. 

This other image below mocks Palin's capabilities, both as current governor and future president, in foreign policy. After her infamous interview (check it out here!), she was criticized that she doesn't know what she's doing and what she will be getting into. Many claimed that she has no actual experience in foreign policy, but because she is in close proximity to two foreign countries she believes she does. The image below takes this idea a step further. They portray as Palin believing she can do anything if she has the tiniest experience (or proximity) to it--- in this case she's an astronaut because she can see the moon. This image does have accompanying text, but if someone is familiar with the interview above I think they will be able to associate the image and interview together. 

Lastly I also found this image of Bill clinton New York Magazine. This was a direct attack on Bill Clinton's masculinity when there was talk that Hilary Clinton would run for president. If elected Hilary Clinton would have been the first female president, and instead of a First Lady there would have been a First Man. For the first time it would be a male in the backseat taking the role a woman would traditionally fill. In this image Bill Clinton's face has been photoshopped onto the body of a woman making him look like... a woman. It's so simple, but it completely undermines Bill Clinton's masculinity. He is not portrayed as a man would be (in a clean suit with tie), but rather dressed up in a red dress and pearls like many First Ladies of the past have been. 

Final Part 2.1

1. Examine Bayer's "Great Ideas" advertisement (page 347, Meggs). Compare Bayer's association of the female image with excess and corruption with contemporary treatments of women in ads. Do we still see this same association? If so, how has it changed? Is it now seen as a good thing or a bad thing? Use at least two contemporary ads. 

Bayer's ad is a collage of tempting evils--- money, gambling, (expensive) food and wine, diamonds, and even women. By including women into the ad Bayer transforms the woman from a a someone to a something. In short, he objectifies women. The woman becomes part of a group of things that are associated with excess and corruption. 


Today, ads still continue this practice of objectifying women and associating them with excess and corruption. The most obvious way they get this message across is using sexual appeal. Looking through a magazine, it is easy to find that good majority of the ads featuring women have some sex appeal. Most of the time the woman is shown as someone beautiful who gets what they want. Take for example the ad for X-Bra. It has a woman dressed in nothing but a black bra and shawl barely covering her arms; the quote below it says "Buy one X-bra, get free drinks." The look of the ad screams sex, but the quote reinforces the idea that women can use their body as a tool to get what they want. And what they want is more things (drinks and whatever that may lead to in this case). This degrades women down to just sex appeal and thus women are seen as objects (objects that can be used to sell pretty products). Women are also seen as corrupt because they use their body to get what they want. By wearing a sexy little bra they can coerce free drinks out a man and anything else they many want. Therefore once again associating women with a bad reputation just as Bayer did in his ad. The second ad on the right demonstrates how women are still also associated with excess. This ad shows a women sitting on a couch surrounded by shopping bags with just one word for a description: "Jackpot." The quick message you get from it is that women love shopping for lots of unnecessary things. 

Another thing that we often see in today's ads is women portrayed in traditional gender roles. It's hard to get women out of those roles when they have been around for so long. Very few ads try to take the women out of that role, but most don't or they make the women appear more "modern." Take for example the ad below. You see a woman dressed up in business attire, so it makes you think she might have a job outside of the home (something"professional"). This is modern because during the mid 20th century women generally stayed home and men worked. Even her attire is updated, she's wearing pants and not a frilly dress or skirt. However, the primary message that you get from the ad is that her "job" is really more associated with the traditional homemaker--- she takes care of/deals with the kids at home. The ad says her job is to be a mother first, and then maybe whatever career she may have comes second. 

AL Relief Poster

After studying Lester Beall's posters for the Rural Electrification Administration, I tried to apply similar elements into my own poster advocating relief efforts in Alabama. The obvious similarity is the limited color palette-- red, white, and blue plus one black and white photograph. Many of Beall's works stuck with this color palette. Red, white, and blue are America's traditional colors and often evoke a sense of pride and unity whenever seen together. In my poster I tried to combine the use of these colors, elements of the American flag (white stars and red/white strips),and the Alabama "A" (to steer attention to the state of Alabama specifically) with the phrase "All for one, one for all" to evoke similar feelings. The phrase is particularly important and wraps up the whole image together. I wanted to show that  we are all part of one nation, and as individuals of that nation it's our responsibility to help those in need.

I posted it here!

Art Nouveau Poster

So here is my poster based on the Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts movements. I based my poster on one of my favorite movies, which happens to be Aladdin. I specifically focused on the main female character, Jasmine. I tried to show her torn between the freedom she longs for (symbolized by the bird in her hand, just like the doves she releases in the movie) and being loyal to her father and kingdom (shown at the bottom). 

Pieces I was inspired by:

I used the girl as the focus of my poster. 

Used the flowers in her hair to add to Jasmine's hair. 

Used pattern in the background. 

Used border for my poster. 

Used the bird. 

10 Common Elements from Art Nouveau & Arts and Crafts Movement:

1. Soft Organic lines can be seen in both her hair and the green border. 

2. Black outlines are are seen throughout the female figure form, as well in her hair. 

3. Women were often the center of art nouveau posters, so for that reason I chose Jasmine and not Aladdin from the film.

4. Centering images or having a focus point (often a woman) was very common in posters back then. Although the city scape at the bottom is a little big, your eye first goes to the woman in the middle. 

5. I tried to stick with a bright color palette as well. Most posters tended to use only a few colors. I used about five main colors, and a few shades of those. 

6. Natural inspiration was a big influence during the art nouveau period. it was very common to see floral and plant-like images seen in posters. I tried to incorporate it throughout the image- floral pattern, flowers near border and in her hair, and the bird in her hand. 

7. Borders were often seen as additional element to many posters, something Grasset often did. 

8. Pattern became particularly popular during the arts and crafts movement. William Morris was a great designer of theses patterns, so I included one his patterns in the back. 

9. Simplified, flat shapes were something that started emerging in Herni de Toulouse-Lautrec's work. I tried to include that in mine with the city scape at the bottom.   

10. Symbolic shapes were also another element that became popular. I used the city to represent Jasmines' loyalty to her father and country, and the bird represents her freedom. 

Day at the Frist

So this past weekend the Frist was celebrating their (10th?) birthday and had free admission all weekend. So I took advantage of it and went to see the Vishnu: Hinduism's Blue-Skinned Savior and William Eggleston: Annoiting the Overlooked exhibits.

I was really excited about the Vishnu exhibit because I really enjoy Indian culture. However, I'm not very familiar with their main religion, Hinduism; so the trip was very informative. Most of the exhibit consisted of sculptures or stone carvings with a few other pieces such as small icons and paintings, but they were all so beautiful. The elaborate details, especially in the stone carvings, were so detailed and ornate. It made think of the illuminated manuscripts we studied in class earlier this year. The stone carvings were the equivalent of the hand-painted pages of the book. I couldn't take pictures and I don't remember the name of the one particular piece, but I remember seeing it and just thinking "Wow, someone actually carved all of this out hundreds of years ago probably only using primitive tools."It was a piece about two feet wide and consisted of a large group of people within a triangle (think the artwork above the columns on the front side of the Parthenon). The details on each person's face were so small, you could point out the eyes and each finger on every individual who were only a couple of inches tall.

There was a lot more to the exhibit, but I don't remember everything. Here are a few interesting facts that I randomly wrote down:

• Hinduism originated in India, however is practiced worldwide.
• There are multiple gods, but three of the most popular deities are Vishnu the Preserver, Shiva the Destroyer, and Devi the Great Goddess.
• Vishnu stands out from the other gods because he balances his behavior just as he balances the cosmos. He is the savior as well as the creator and destroyer of the of the universe. The story goes that Vishnu was dozing off on the serpent Shesha who floated over the ocean. While he slept a lotus flower grows from his navel, inside was the god Brahma and the universe was created. 
• Vishnu is often depicted with his wife, Lakshmi. Sometimes he is depicted with two wives, Bhu Devi and Shri Devi, who are the two parts of Lakshmi. 
• Men and women are often depicted together, such as Vishnu and his wife. By being placed together this encourages worshippers to acknowledge both sexes. 
• The male represents intellect and spirit. The female represents emotional and physical energy. 

The exhibit also had showcased some worship spaces/shrines. Although there are multiple public places of worship, many people choose to worship at home. The size of the room of worship does not matter, but the area is very symbolic to its worshippers. There are five objects symbolizing the earth's elements found in most rooms: fruit for the earth, flowers for space, incense for air, lamp for fire, and water.

The second exhibit I saw was all photography by William Eggleston. Unfortunately, I lost any notes I had on this exhibit. But the one thing I do remember was that I found out that the cover for one of my favorite bands, Jimmy Eat World, had photography by Eggleston. There were other bands had also featured his work, but again I don't remember. This is Jimmy Eat World's cover:

Overall very successful (and free!) trip to the Frist. Oh, and here's proof of the trip:

This Week in Class II

I was really excited when we began talking about the Art Nouveau period this week. I spent a good portion of time last semester studying the design for a group project, so I became really familiar and interested in it. There are so many pieces that I like, so there isn't one that I can pick as my favorite. I really love all the pieces that have strong nature influences- floral/plant elements and strong organic lines. Alphonse Mucha was one of the first who began incorporating these elements into his works. He focused on a beautiful women surrounded by flowing plant and floral figures:

This poster isn't by Mucha (it's by Henri Privat-Livemont), but I found it online and I loved it:

This Week in Class

So this week in class we began talking about the Industrial Revolution and Victorian Age. Although we didn't talk about this in depth in class, I really found the typography of this time really interesting. Since the advent of the printing press much of typography had been about developing a standard. As time progressed it wasn't just a matter of using type to show/read words, they were used as an art form. We begin to see designers really experiment with typefaces. Some designers played with the size, width, and decorative elements of letterforms. I think today we may take it for granted that we have such a wide variety of typefaces and so many appear each day, but it's something that truly  began evolving during this time.

Books Before & After the Printing Press

Book of Kells. Chi Rho, Folio 34r (right) and Mathew 6:5-10, Folio 45r .

Created around 800 A.D. by the monastery on the island of Iona.

The Book of Kells is one of the most renowned hand-drawn illuminated manuscripts worldwide and probably the best example of book design before the advent of the printing press. “Countless hours of work were lavished upon individual pages, whose vibrant color and form are in stunning contrast to the stark, reclusive environment and rule of silence found in the monastic scriptorium” (Meggs 45). Most of the books then were made in monasteries so the content focused on religious material. The Book of Kells is largely based on the Vulgate (Latin New Testament). It also adheres to much of the traditional Celtic design of the time: intricate and complex patterns, bright pure colors used in juxtaposition, and full coverage of pages with design. Celtic manuscripts are widely legendary for the their decorative designs. Full color carpet pages (usually following the gospel pages), detailed embellished capitals, and ornate borders were common elements in the Book of Kells and other similar scripts. Additional elements also included lacertines, interlaces, zoomorphics, Celtic knots, plant forms, and human figures. At the time, illustrators were not concerned with the need to make images look natural or realistic. Traditionally work on manuscripts was in a scriptorium, a special room set aside for work on manuscripts. The work labor process usually began with preparing the animal skins used to make parchment or vellum. Once ready, scribes would first write in all the text and then illustrators would finish the job by illuminating the pages.

            One of the problems that arose dealt with the use of large, embellished capitals. In order to solve this, designers used a principle called diminuendo. By doing this designers were able to create the large capitals and still fit the other text because it would decrease is size. Insular script, a half-uncial script, was used as the national letterform in Ireland. These letterforms were characterized by full, round strokes and connected at the waistline or baseline of each letter. One of the greatest features of this script was that it left room for spaces between words making it easier to read. Although beautiful in appearance, “the text [was] careless and contain[ed] misspellings and missreadings” (Meggs 46). In 789 A.D. Charlemagne sought to reform to manuscripts. He set up a “standardization of page payout, writing style, and decoration” (Meggs 47). Although they had some successes of standardization (including the Caroline minuscule and sentence/paragraph structure), most countries reverted to regional characteristics over time. 

Ormesby Psalter. Psalm 38 (right) and Psalm 52 (left). Created during the early 1300s A.D. in England.

The Romanesque period quickly progressed into the Gothic period, which lasted from about 1150 A.D. until the Renaissance in the 14^th century. The Medieval Ages had left people in a time of darkness. However, the Gothic era saw an increased stability in social and economic matters. As conditions improved for society, universities became more prominent. More educated people at universities meant increased literacy and demand for books. At the same time that this demand for books arrived, there was also a revival of religious zeal. This resulted in the production of liturgical books, including the Ormesby Psalter. This privately commissioned book, like the Book of Kells, is intricate and decorative. However, unlike the Book of Kells, the Ormesby Psalter was written in a new Gothic lettering form, textura. Textura (also known as littera moderna) eliminated the rounded strokes from before and became “quite functional” for producing books (Meggs 54). These letterforms were created by drawing all vertical lines first, and then adding serifs and additional strokes to transform the group of vertical lines into a word. In order allow as much text as possible on a page, space between letters and words was reduced. This created a “dense black textured effect” (Meggs 55).

            As stated previously, much of the decorative style during this time was similar to that of the Book of Kells. However, one major difference started emerging, an increased attention to naturalism. Illustrators were making attempts to replicate human and plant forms with some realism. Human figures were no longer distorted, but instead elongated and becoming venerable. The increase in naturalism has often been quoted as leading to the Renaissance. Marginella, ornate frames bordering pages, were used as a way to give visual cues retaining to the text. In the examples above, and many others, human figures were drawn in into these frames. Slowly, “the everyday life of the people had found its way into… religious texts” (Meggs 55). During this time the Crusades and privately commissioned books, made it possible for illustrators to travel abroad. Many elements from various countries began to merge, making it difficult to distinguish nationalistic styles.  

Gutenberg Bible (42 Line Bible). Created in 1455 by Johannes Gutenberg in Germany.

The Gutenberg Bible marked the monumental transition from hand illustrated manuscripts to printed books. It was the first book ever printed on Gutenberg’s press, which has been credited with revolutionizing society worldwide. However, there was some resistance to the printing press. In particular was Pope Julius II, who had scribes hand-letter a typographic book. The advent of the printing press is responsible for the largest spread of human knowledge. Before its creation, books were very expensive and limited. However, Gutenberg made it possible to print multiple copies of a book easily, quickly, and much less expensive than before. This rapid and cheap production of books meant that the book and the knowledge and ideas contained within it were much more accessible to the common person. Eventually, the book becomes an everyday commodity. It was also able to unify languages across countries, making French, English, and German “mass media communication” available (Meggs 79). Furthermore, the ready availability of books to everyone caused a decrease in the illiteracy rate. Study became much more prominent and people began to interpret things on their own, instead of depending on others, such as the church, to dictate what they believed. One of the best examples where this notion took off was the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the Castle Church. Later copies of it were made and handed out. His ideas quickly became widespread and lead to the division of Christianity forevermore.

Key characteristics of the Gutenberg Bible: use of the Gothic textura, double columns, good craftsmanship, distinct lack of color and ornamentation (though some decorated capitals were present). Overall, the printing press created a loss of individuality for books. We were no longer seeing beautifully ornate pages, but rather simplistic, conformed books.

Nuremberg Chronicle (Folio 9v & 10r). Created in 1493 in Nuremberg, Germany. Author: Hartmann Schedel, Illustrators: Michael Wolgemut and Wilhelm Pleydenwurff, Printer: Anton Koberger.

The Nuremberg Chronicle, produced during the incunabula period, is a “masterpiece” work chronicling the history of the world (Meggs 83). Various “sketch artists” and scribes made the exemplars, guides for the woodcut illustrations, typesetting, and page design (Meggs 83). The result was a book full of 1,809 woodcut illustrations. The Nuremberg Chronicles layout varies from page to page. Some have double-page illustrations and others contain only text. Woodcuts and unexpected page design are seen throughout. A combination of the Gothic textura and woodcuts created a visually interesting layout.

Among the illustrators for the Nuremberg Chronicles was Albrecht Durer, probably an apprentice at the time. Durer is known for setting a high standard of illustration. Before the printing press intricate detail was common among the manuscripts; however, this was lost when with the shift to the printing press. Durer changes this and develops beautiful pieces of work using lines to create tonality. In 1498 he published The Apocalypse, a work of “unprecedented emotional power and graphic expressiveness” (Meggs 84). At an early age, Durer had been exposed to the Italian Renaissance and brought much of that knowledge over to Germany. He was inspired his first book, A Course in the Art of Measurement with Compass and Ruler, which focused on theoretical discussions geometry and its relation to art. This was one of the occasions when we begin to see a subtle change in content of books. Before many of the books printed were religiously related. However, the spread of ideas (such as Luther’s Ninety Five Theses) and the Italian Renaissance encouraged many to begin printing unconquered material. 

Geometriae Elementa (title page). Created in 1482 in Italy by Erhard Ratdolt, Peter Loeslein, and Bernhard Maier.

            The Renaissance was a revolutionary movement that swept through Europe during the 14^th-17^th centuries. This cultural development flourished in Venice and transformed the typographic book design. Johannes de Spira made typographic progress with the development an “innovative and handsome roman type” (Meggs 94). It eliminated some of the Gothic characteristics of pervious types. However, it is Nicolas Jenson who is credited as the most influential typeface designer. He constructed the complete roman type, which is what today’s modern fonts are based on. The legibility and used of space between letters and words made Jenson’s fonts popular.  

            Up to this point books still consisted of a partnership between the printers and illustrators. Soon Erhard Ratdolt came upon this dilemma and took the first steps to develop a fully printed book. Ratdolt’s work, Geometriae Elementa, showcases some of the significant progresses he accomplished. His developed the title page (first done in Calendarium) which we are now accustomed to seeing in any book. Additionally, Ratdolt’s use of woodcut borders and initials revived the use of floral ornamentation on pages, like seen above. These new designs were visually pleasing and showed worldwide influence (from Islamic and Western cultures). Although the book had not yet reached it’s full graphic ornamentation, this was the start. Lastly, Geometriae Elementa, fit well with the progress of the Renaissance. At this time there was an increased interest in scientific inquiry. Geometriae Elementa focused on geometry, one of the subjects being studied at the time.

            Over time the book has undergone multiple changes, beginning with the illuminated manuscripts done by hand to printed copies. When the first printed books arrived in Italy at the end of the 15^th century, they were still not complete. However, influence from the Renaissance and contributions from various designers transformed the book into the basis of what we know today. 

Illuminated Manuscript

After learning about illuminated manuscripts for weeks, I took a stab at making my own for class:

These are some of the images (aside from the Book of Kells) that I looked at for inspiration:

Book of Kells and Secret of Kells Film

After watching The Secret of Kells I could certainly see similarities to the actual Book of Kells. The first thing that stood out the most was the use of bright colors. The Book of Kells is known for it's beautiful color range and that was displayed throughout the film. There were deep, rich colors in every scene. Additionally the designs used through the Book of Kells were seen throughout in various objects. The forest in the movie was the best example that showcased intricate details.

Lastly, when they showed Brendan's work on the book in the film, it looked exactly like the actual Book of Kells (especially the design within the circle on this page):

Celtic Inspired Designs

One of the first things that Celtic illuminated manuscripts reminded me of were filigree designs and patterns. Filigree designs can be simple or get really detailed. LIke the illuminated manuscripts, they usually create repeating patterns using floral elements. Nowadays we see filigree designs in everything including jewelry, home decor, and stationary.

Wedding rings are a common place where you often see the use of the Celtic knot. Today you can find rings that have the traditional appeal of the Celtic knot or Claddagh ring incorporated with modern designs. 

Lastly, I was reminded of designs you often see on scrapbook paper or journal/daily planners. 

Drawing from the Past

Some of the first things I thought for "art inspired by primitivism" were the logos/posters for the Olympics and World Cup. They usually have a simple human figure formed from contour lines that we often see in cave art. These posters from the 1930 Uruguay World Cup and 2000 Sydney Olympics stood out as following those guidelines. 

These posters from the Art Nouveau period reminded me of the illuminated manuscripts (The one on the left particularly remind me of the Book of Kells). They're both very decorative, have a detailed patterns, and flowing lines.  Even though the text from the first poster is one of the simpler ones from the period, it' still has a decorative feel to it that matches the image.