This semester we discussed different types of "the visual." Pieces of artwork including paintings and photographs were among many discussions. There are many types of the visual depending how you look at it. I wanted to go a different route this blog with a visual we didn't really talk about.
I feel books can be a visual because the paint a pictures through words. I recently read the book The Liars' Club by Mary Karr. It is one of the most moving books I have read because she paints scenes with her words. She creates visuals by word choices that puts the reader in the scene as its happening. The Liars' Club is the first of a series of three books. I am looking forward to reading the next two: Cherry and Lit.
Almost everyday I pass this image on a billboard on 72nd and L Streets.
The main image obviously grabs your attention, especially when you're driving. The cracked windshield and splattered blood send the message of a car crash. Then you read the print at the bottom saying, "GET THE MESSAGE. TEXTING WHILE DRIVING IS A DEADLY DISTRACTION."
I can appreciate this billboard for many reasons. One is because it sends a great message and targets many audiences (anyone who texts on a cell phone). Another reason is because the image, text, slogan, and layout make a great advertisement. It has a large image that immediately grabs your attention. Your eyes see the "OMG" and connect it to the message at the bottom. I think using the text version of "Oh my God" is a great way to pull the ad together. The overall visual creates an appealing advertisement, which can be used on a larger scale billboard, and send a needed message.
After visiting The Moving Company for our class site visit, it made me think of a dance company called Troika Ranch. Executive and artistic director, Dawn Stoppiello, and technology and artistic director, Mark Coniglio, have been friends of the family since before I was born. Mark has been friends with my mom and her siblings since high school, and we have all been privileged to learn about the company and watch it thrive.
Their website, http://www.troikaranch.org/, states "Troika Ranch is the collaborative vision of artists Mark Coniglio and Dawn Stoppiello. Established in 1994, and maintaining a troika of home bases in Portland, Oregon, New York City and Berlin, Germany, Troika Ranch produces live performances, interactive installations, and digital films, all of which combine traditional aspects of these forms with advanced technologies. The artists’ mission in producing this wide range of art experiences is to create artwork that best reflects and engages contemporary society."
Mark and Dawn's pieces are unlike anything I've seen. Their originality comes from a collection of theatre, dance, music, and technology. A couple years ago I was lucky enough to see the piece, loopdiver, live at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln, NE. According to their website, loopdiver is described by "the meaning of the materials grows and changes as it appears again and again, ultimately challenging us to dive in a break free of our own repetitive and potentially destructive behavior. I wanted to share the video of parts of the 60 minute performance found on their website, but was unable to load it on my blog. I encourage you to visit http://www.troikaranch.org/, where you can watch the loopdiver performance and others, and find more information about the company. The video I am showing is the developing and practice of the performance, not the actual end product. There is also a video on YouTube that explains the creative process and development of loopdiver, which is very interesting. You can find it here: http://www.youtube.com/troikaranch
Loopdiver
Choreography: Dawn Stoppiello in collaboration with the performers Videography & Music: Mark Coniglio Dramaturgy: Peter C von Salis Lighting Design: David Tirosh Set Design: Colin Kilian Production Manager: Jennifer Sherburn Performers: Morgan Cloud, Jennifer Kovacevich, Johanna Levy, Travis Steele Sisk, Dawn Stoppiello and Lucia Tong. Commissioning Partners: Lied Center for Performing Arts, Creative Campus Innovations Program (APAP and Doris Duke Foundation), the National Endowment for the Arts, 3LD Art & Technology Center, Jerome Foundation, Multi-Arts Production (MAP) Fund
Last Saturday I went to the Rebelution concert at the Slow Down in downtown Omaha. I heard about this band from my friend about two years ago and have been listening to them ever since. Rebelution is a reggae band from Santa Barbara, California made up of four members. They released their first single in 2007 and has been rising the charts and making their way into the popular music world ever since.
I enjoy the lay back feeling their music brings. Most of their songs are based on morals and have significant meanings about life, and some have a relaxing, go-with-the-flow purpose. One of their more popular songs and one of my favorites is called "Bright Side of Life". The chorus sums of how I try to look at life:
Somebody told me everything's alright That life's too short to be afraid Just leading 'em to wonder what to say Living should be giving it away You're contemplating every single day And learnin so we educate and be positive It is what it is, ima set examples for the kids
Here's a video clip I took on my phone from the concert when the band sang "Bright Side of Life". Sorry about the poor quality!
I enjoyed the concert because of the music and the great show Rebelution put on, but also because it was interesting to see all the different types of people there. To my left was a group of kids in hippie style, all dressed in ty-dye, who were obviously experiencing psychedelic waves of euphoria and expressing them by dancing and swaying back and forth to the beat. In front of me was a group of guys who decided to go with a different drug, and were passing around a joint and releasing the smell of weed into the atmosphere. But the most interesting group I saw at the concert was on my right side, right next to me. I was very confused when I looked over and saw a kid around the age 12. Then my eyes moved to the people next to him, and I realized he was with his brother, mom, and dad. The embarrassed faces on the two boys told me they were not having the time of their lives, and I think the parents realized they were out of their element when the group in front of us lit up.
All these different groups of people show how diverse Rebelution is. Whether they enjoy reggae music, enjoy the positive vibe Rebelution's songs entale, or are just trying to take their kids out for a good time, they all came to experience the concert. Even though the types of people made for an interesting night at the Slowdown, I also saw everyone connect in a way because we were all enjoying the same show.
Hello all! This is my first post for my Visual Communication and Culture class. I am a senior Advertising and PR major. I am looking forward to this class because it is going to teach me how to look at certain things, especially advertisements, in a different way then the norm. When looking at art, a photo, a design, or even graffiti on a building, we need to look past the initial assumption and feeling. If we look at the layers of the piece we can learn what is is trying to communicate and why. I hope I will learn how to look at all the characteristics of a piece and how to interpret them through this course.
