Critical viewing skills

Just as writers have a particular perspective and techniques to get their message across, artists also convey ideas through images. You may have heard the expression "a picture is worth a thousand words". Images can powerfully convey a message that words cannot. However, artists also use many techniques to get their message across. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but you need to know how to analyze the picture to gain any understanding of it at all.

Images are Constructed

First of all, always keep in mind that an image is constructed. Even before photos could be digitally altered, photographers selected time, place, camera angle, focal point and many other features to create an image in a particular way. Photographs are constructed just like paintings, sculptures and other mediums. Images have Meaning Images are created for a reason and artists have a message that they want to convey. They use many technique to get their message across. There are many clues in an image to assist you will determining the artist's message. When you look at an image, look for details that answer the following:

• What dominates this image?

• Who are the people in this picture? What are they doing?

• What feelings are conveyed by the subject(s)?

• Where did this take place?

• When did it take place?

Then:

• How does the title or any accompanying text, relate to the piece?

• What is the artist's message, both explicit or implicit or symbolic?

• For the purposes of this course, what it has to do with globalization?

• What perspective does it represent?

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Let's look at this image and see how one student answered these questions.

• What dominates the image The large numbers of factory workers

• Who the people are in the image and what they are doing Lots of factory workers, all dressed the same, all doing the same work

• What feelings are conveyed by the subject Monotony—because they are all dressed the same, it's like they are robots-not real people. It also seems a little bit frightening because they people seem so dehumanized

• Where this event took place Without more information, it's impossible to say. It's very industrialized, so it could be in the developed world but I don't think many factories in the developed world have so much sameness or so many workers

• When this event took place In the modern day, due to the lighting and industrialized features, plus the use of plastics

• The title Manufacturing #17 supports the idea of the inhuman aspect of the large factory—it doesn't tell you what is being manufactured, or where it is. It's just a number.

• The artist's message Industrialization is dehumanizing. The people are all dressed the same. Hoods cover their heads and masks cover their faces, so you can't see any individual features, ethnicity or whatever. There are hundreds of identical people in this picture, all doing the same work and they go back and to the sides as far as the eye can see.

• What it has to do with globalization Industrialization increases with globalization. The more nations industrialize, and the larger the markets they cater to, the more factories like this will exist. The more corporations and countries focus on profits, rather than people, the less the concern for individualism.

• What perspective does it represent? I would say this image is from an anti-globalization perspective because it shows how individual cultures and identities are sacrificed to make money.