Collage 1

Collage 1: This collage with its busy colors and patterns, lack of structure, and overwhelming clutter represents the media that our senses are bombarded with daily in our modern culture. The eyes in the right corner represent how much we depend on our sight to inform us, and how much information we absorb visually. Sight may very well be the sense most vulnerable to manipulation by the media, for instance if a company uses a beautiful woman to advertise their product we will subconsciously connect that product with beauty. That brings me to the woman’s face below the eyes. What comes to mind when you look at that picture? Despite the fact that it is a famous work of art, does it conjure any pictures in your head? maybe of wealth, beauty, success or mystery? These are all highly appealing and seductive qualities that mass media uses to attract you. The quote at the bottom is taken from an Animal Collective song and it refers to the idea that we are born blank and our experiences make us who we are like paint on a canvas. We are a combination of all the things that exist outside of us. This is something I definitely believe and it has meant a lot for me. The circles on the left side are what I use to prove my point. With just the small fraction that’s visible I’m pretty sure anyone could tell me what logo that is. McDonalds is a global corporation that spends millions of dollars a year making sure you will recognize it’s logo anywhere. The obscured circle behind it is a fragment of a famous pop-art piece from the 1940s, but who would know that? (That’s why it’s hidden behind McDonalds…visual metaphor). The big colorful shape in the center just represents how media uses bright colors and flashy shapes to attract the eye. We have gotten used to what was considered flashy in the past so companies have to make their ads even flashier and brighter than before. The tinfoil serves the same basic purpose. The pieced-together picture over the collage represents how companies will use fragmented images and words, letting the consumer connect the dots to create a whole image. The shell eon the tinfoil may seem insignificant, but that is the point. It is the visual representation of subtlety contrasted with the distracting nature of our urban environment. We have been desensitized and it is more difficult for us to focus our attention on the subtle beauties that surround us. Nina Channing.