Image Production

Reproduction is defined as a copy of an original work. (Pg.183) In chapter 5, it talks about the reproduction of images through technological means and the social and cultural changes that accompany those. Although technology itself does not determine social change, it has important and influential effects on society but that they are also themselves the product of their particular societies. (Pg.184) The book uses a great example when it says the U.S. Department of Defense used a computer communication system called ARPANET for military email back in 1971, without knowing within two decades this would be the basis for a network used by civilians, businesses, and governments around the world.

Intellectual Property

What constitutes intellectual property?

Intellectual property refers to creations of the mind such as inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, symbols, and names and images used in commerce. So Lessig talks about a few different things that constitutes these different forms of property. A copyright is one, which is a legal term used to describe the rights that creators have over literary and artistic works. Patents is another, which is an exclusive right that has been granted for an invention. A trademark another, which is a sign used to distinguish the goods or services from one business to another. Although that’s not all that constitutes these, what Lessig mainly discusses is getting the rights to watch, hear or see film, recorded music, radio and cable television. He talks about a “compulsory license” which he calls a “statutory license” is a license whose key terms are set by law. (Pg.57) That is by LAW. He also states that, all across the world, especially in Asia and Eastern Europe, there are businesses that do nothing but take others people’s copyrighted content, copy it, and sell it without permission. (Pg. 62) In my opinion, there is always going to be ways around copyrighted works, or just simply people breaking the law, so the only thing we can do is increase the punishments for plagiarism and hope that it would maybe open some eyes.  

Truth of a Feather

After reading in POL about the meaning of images, and how we see so many different signs and symbols, it really gets you to think on why people do what they do, and if there is really meaning behind it. One great example of this, is how so many people have a tattoo of a feather, in all different shapes and sizes, in all different areas, but do they really know the meaning behind that feather? It’s not something that just falls out of a bird, I can tell you that. It actually has great meaning to Native American Tribes. The feather symbolizes trust, honor, strength, wisdom, power, freedom and many more things according to 'Indians.org.' When a newcomer is acknowledged in a tribe, he receives a feather from all the other men in that tribe, and they are to wear or show off that feather with all the upmost respect. I think this is a great example of an image that not everyone may not know the real meaning behind..

Viewers Make Meanings

In chapter two, it discusses how Images generate meanings through the complex negotiations that make up the social process and practices through which we produce and interpret images. (Pg.49) It talks about how we create these images, like art, photographs, and media text, not as so much for the audience, but more for the viewer. In focusing on the viewer, we are emphasizing the practices through which images and media texts reach out and touch audience members in ways that engender experiences. (Pg.51) Producers are usually the ones to make up that meaning that is intended for the viewer, but as we all know, sometimes they may not always get the right meaning across that was intended. That's where critics come in. It's very interesting though, because we see all kinds of images everyday, every where we look. But do we really analyze these images to get their full meanings out of them? Just take a minute out of your day next time you may be in the mall, or walking in the park, and look at some images and think about what meaning the producers were trying to portray through that image. You may learn something new..

'Internet Piracy'

The next section in Lessig's "Free Culture" online forum, he states that there has been a war against "piracy" and copyright laws. "A person may use the copy by playing it, but he has no right to rob the author of the profit." (Pg.17) And that is exactly true, It is harder for music artists for example, to sell their albums and make profits when there is so much illegal downloading going around now-a-days. But copyright laws cover a vast majority of things, not just music. You see it happen all the time in plagiarism, with kids copying essay stories they find online, people making fake art works or clothes and shoes. We see it happen everyday and the sad part about it is that, "the law's role is less and less to support creativity, and more and more to protect certain industries against competition." (Pg.19)  

The Internet Today

In Lawrence Lessig's article, "Free Culture" he describes the effect upon how culture is made based on the internet. (Pg.7) He has some really good points in the article, stating that the 'internet' was not founded by just one person, and how the law has a good effect on the internet. But the biggest concern is this "war" that has been waged against the technologies of the internet. (Pg.9) "Piracy" and "Property" are the two main concerns, and it is definitely true, because our class right now is doing a 'digital footprint' project, and I think that is a great example of how our property is not 100% protected anymore. So, as Lessig states, we really need to remake the internet, before the internet remakes us..

El Dorado

On Sept. 4th our DTC356 class went down to the art museum and found one piece that greatly interested us and we made up a story on that specific piece. I picked the piece labeled, "El Dorado" because I come from a Texas family background and it's the one that I felt like I can relate to the most. Although all the pieces were amazing, I felt like this piece really stuck out to me the most. I'm sure a person that is just coming on to the piece can make up any story to go with it, but I understood it as the artist was most likely coming from a field worker/owner background, and it was a piece that reminded him of his history. I really liked how well it was done and the story that was untold behind it.

The Value of Images

This particular section ‘The Value of Images’ was just mind blowing to me! I was shocked when reading about how much value some of these paintings brought. In 2006, Jackson Pollock’s 1948 painting titled, No. 5 brought its seller $140 million. (Pg.34) That is just insane! But as stated in POL, Beliefs about a work’s authenticity and uniqueness, contribute to its value. (Pg.34) As well as myths about an artists’ life and work can be great value to their paintings as well, as seen with Van Gogh. So that makes a lot more sense now, because when you go to the mall for some shorts, you’re not always paying for how cool the shorts look, but typically for that brand name that everyone can see. But if it was my money, I would not spend nearly as much on these paintings that some people are willing to fork out!

Blog 2: Pg.9-26

I found the first chapter to be very interesting when it talked about the practice of looking. It starts off by saying a single image can serve a multitude of purposes, appear in a range of settings, and mean different things to each observer (pg. 9). An example is the painting by Rene Magnitte, labeled “This is not a pipe”. He is testing the boundaries between words and things and how it is not a pipe itself; it is in fact a representation of a pipe (pg. 15). I think Magnitte did an amazing job at making the painting produce meanings that are not understood by someone just looking at it. The book points out that we are surrounded by images that experience much more layers of meaning beyond the obvious or their original objectives.

Blog 1: Intro

In practices of looking, the introduction is based solely on, what is visual culture? According to Raymond Williams, visual culture is one of the most complex words in the English language (pg. 2). Defining the term in just one sentence would be almost impossible. Culture, in POL, is defined as a set of processes through which individuals and groups come to make sense of things (pg. 3). Visual culture would then be taking visual media (images, television, internet, etc) and making sense of it. It is not only about seeing what is shown, but how things are shown and what we can’t see (pg. 6). I think this will give me a better outlook on how I perceive things in everyday life.