What does it mean to ‘read the visual’? What do you understand by the term ‘visuality’? Using a photograph or single image, explore the relationship between seeing and being, as it applies to visual phenomena. Include a copy of the image.
To read the visual, one must look past the initial image and understand the context, meaning, emotions and events that are occurring within the image. We all subconsciously draw a meaning from what we see, we do this by identifying what is known and breaking that down into a simplified meaning. A majority of us see the world visually, yet some people have the ability to reiterate what they see in a visually poetic manner. A literary poem invites the reader to create an image in their mind, contrastingly
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In order to understand Guernica (1937) one must ‘read the visual’; With the help of Ora Attia’s 2011 article “Separation and Individuation in Picasso’s Guernica”, the visual metaphors and hidden meanings in the piece were more evident to me, making Guernica (1937) not only visually but intellectually stimulating as well. The perpetual anti-war symbol has many hidden meanings. The corrida bull and the horse on the far left can be representative of “the Spanish warring factions” (Attia, 2011: 1571). By simply looking at the visual one may see the bull standing over a grieving mother and her child, however if one reads the visual the mother and her child represent the victims of the catastrophe and the bull represents the Spanish people looking after said victims. Reading the visual can be done in different layers, one can scratch the surface or one can dig deep into the abyss of allegorical meanings. An example of this in Picasso’s Guernica (1937) is the light on the roof of the left hand side of the painting. By simply reading the visual the light can be depicted as the symbol for warding off evil, the evil eye, notwithstanding, reading further into the visual the light plays a more significant meaning. Due to the fact that this painting was created by a Spaniard for the people of Spain, there is ought to be meanings in the painting an onlooker will not understand. One of the meanings …show more content…
The process is one step further than simply reading the visual. Visuality is the combination of seeing and being or as Hal Foster is cited by Alexa Sand “the mechanism of sight and its historical techniques, between the datum of vision and its discursive determinations” (Sand, 2012: 90). One text which epitomises both the importance and envy of the visual is Kathryn N. Benzel’s text “Modern In(ter)vention: Reading the Visual”. Benzel discusses Virginia Woolf’s attempt to become imbedded in the practice of visuality; Woolf attempted to combine literature and visual art (Benzel, 2003: 322). She was in awe of the painter Walter Sickert and his ability to “portray life rather than executing a portrait” (Benzel, 2003: 329). Woolf attempted to “create an aesthetic experience for reader[s]” by recreating Sickert’s paintings into a literary experience; As cited by Woolf herself it was “the sympathy of the eye and of the imagination… aesthetic sympathy” (Benzel, 2003: 324). In further writings Woolf goes on to say how imitating a painting is vain and trivial but to writers it is illusive and irresistible (Benzel, 2003: 324). An attempt to describe what visuality is almost as frivolous and Woolf’s plight to recreate paintings into a literary piece. Visuality is seeing and it is being, but one cannot trivialize both in to a
In John Berger’s essay “Ways of Seeing,” he shares his view on how he feels art is seen. Mr. Berger explores how the views of people are original and how art is seen very differently. By comparing certain photographs, he goes on to let his Audience, which is represented as the academic, witness for themselves how art may come across as something specific and it can mean something completely different depending on who is studying the art. The author goes into details of why images were first used, how we used to analyze art vs how we do today, and the rarity of arts. He is able to effectively pass on his message by using the strategies of Rhetoric, which include Logos, Pathos, and Ethos.
The central lighting on the painting Guernica by Pablo Picasso, surrounded by the darker background and the figures with the darker grey values surrounding the edge of the painting. With this layout and coloration choice it brings a greater amount of focus to the scene. The Viewers eye is drawn to the light bulb and the shape of the light fixture. Which seems to be the a similar image to that of an “Eye of God”, casting a light on to the worlds horror. The light bulb itself being the pupil of “Gods Eye”, this light shines onto wounded horse could possibly symbolizes the impact on the countries defensive forces.
Mark Getlein’s book Living With Art defines the eight visual elements as elements that we perceive and respond to when we look at a work’s
Guernica is monochromatic to make its imagery more powerful. Lack of color keeps the viewer focused on the subject matter at hand, as well as keeping the mural cold, which agrees with its general theme of injustice in war. Also, Picasso’s flat imagery does not distract the viewer from concentrating on imagery. The viewer is given no other choice than to concentrate on the subject matter of Guernica and ponder it’s meaning. The flat, grayscale images generalize the imagery and contribute to the general theme of unnecessary suffering and tragedy.
Prior to the bombing of Guernica, Picasso was in the process of creating another piece of art for the Paris Exhibition, but after hearing the horrific news about the bombing of Guernica, Picasso changed his course, and started working on a new mural titled “Guernica.” Guernica was ordered by the Republic of Spain. Picasso’s painting demonstrates his interpretation of the
When I look at the painting of Guernica, I see battle going on in a small town. There is a women holding her dead child screaming up into the air. I see a man being burned alive. I see a dead soldier laying on the ground, at the bottom of the painting there is a flower, I feel like it’s a reference of peace. In the middle of the painting there are town’s people looking out of their homes looking if the battle is over. The dead solider is holding a broken sword showing that he died fighting for the cause. The bull is a huge reference of the Spanish heritage. The war horse looks like its injured or it got impaled by a weapon.
Utilising, “The Study Diamond: effects, techniques, context and meaning” (The Open University, 2013, p. 76), this essay will argue through close visual analysis from an art history point of view that Picasso’s Guernica is a form of protest. The essay will also argue that Guernica’s meaning has changed to include becoming a symbol of peace and continues to fulfil its purpose as a form of protest.
Visuality, defined in a most straight forward way, is the quality or state of being visual or a mental image or picture relates to the process of glimpsing with the eyes. Even though the term encompasses a broad array of explanation and it conveys different things to different people, it relates with the prism with which people construe the world. It applies to both tangible and intangible and depending on one’s ability to exploit the visual senses. Visuality plays an integral role as a cultural tool in the society. In the contemporary context, it refers to the manner in which people see and how they are seen. However, on numerous occasions, mentioning of the word elucidates the idea of construing contents via media
The painting Guernica by Pablo Picasso was created in response to the bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War and it serves to highlight the atrocities that resulted from it. This essay will explore the relationship between art and war, with particular reference to Picasso’s Guernica. This will be achieved my discussing firstly the background that came prior to the painting and to the event itself. Secondly, it will be proved by drawing conclusions on what the painting serves to resemble. Lastly, it will discuss the effects of that the painting Guernica has continued to have even after the Spanish civil war.
The Guernica is one of the most famous paints from the 20th century. According to (http://www.pablopicasso.org/guernica.jsp) Guernica is an Anti-war symbol. An incident that stood up for picasso to create the Guernica was, when Monday 26, 1937 around 4:30pm warplanes of the German condor bombed Guernica. Guernica is a town in the province of Biscay in the Basque country. During the attack all the mans that lived in Guernica were at war during the spanish civil war. The reason why I like this painting is because of the significant it has to all Spanish people, not just for the spanish people but for the world. According to (http://www.pablopicasso.org/guernica.jsp), The Guernica's images represent several events from the Guernica bombing. For example, the Lady with a dead child represent the innocent people that were killed and the effect on the innocent people that died and survived. Knowing that bulls and horses are a big importance to the Spanish culture it has been hard to interpret the meaning of the bull and horse in The Guernica . According to (http://www.pablopicasso.org/guernica.jsp#prettyPhoto) The bull may represent the onslaught of fascism and the horse all the innocent animals and the innocent animals that died. This is the reason why I want to visit Centro de Reina Sofia, because this painting has a big meaning
Furthermore, Picasso being born a Spaniard assuredly motivated him to focus what was happening during the bombardment. Guernica is a visual representation of the way that he felt about the world. With Guernica, Picasso wanted to establish his uniqueness and develop as an artist when opposed with political authority and unbearable violence. In the mural, the newspaper used in the background of the painting reveals how he found out about the bombing. The light bulb at the very top of the painting is a reference to the sun, depicting that nothing is going to bring warmth and happiness with the circumstances that it’s gone through. With all the atrocities that the people of Guernica has fought for, it really made an impact on the community and everywhere surrounding
To fully appreciate this piece of artwork, one needs not only carefully it’s analyze elements of art, but also research more in depth on Picasso’s history and background. Pablo Picasso was strongly influenced by personal and spiritual contexts throughout his artistic career, which in turn drove him to create some of the most modern and cutting edge work of his time. However, in this 1937 oil painting titled Guernica, his strongest influence was political, more precisely the tragedy and death of war. This painting is said to be depicting the aftermath of the Bombing of Guernica, which took place April 26th, 1937. Along with this bombing, The Spanish Civil War is also taking place at the time, a war between two political parties- the Republicans
Picasso’s artwork “The Weeping Woman” is a silent protest to reflect on the Spanish Civil War that caused people pain. In 1937, many unarmed innocent civilians were slaughtered in the German air force’s bobbling of the Basque town of Guernica during the Spanish civil war. The woman in the painting is one of the victim sufferers and whose baby died in the war. The almost grotesque features of the woman expresses unmeasurable pain caused by war and violence, suggesting the social commentary that human violence is hurtful and terrifying. Similarly, Guayasamín’s work, “Hands of protest”, is created in response to Ecuador’s social, political and economic problems from the year 1912 to 1999. Ecuadorian society became deteriorated and its political corruption led to an outbreak of violence. “Hands of protest” is part of the series named La Edad de Ira (The Age of Fury). Through the painting’s name we can guess the author’s intention for the painting: Guayasamin aimed to show people’s pain caused by violence in Ecuador during the 20th century. It is representative of universal human suffering created by injustice, poverty and war. Thus, both paintings have the same social commentary: the pain from war’s violence results in agony and harm, and hopes for an end to this
Guernica is another perfect example of Picasso exhibiting history in his work. The mural-sized oil painting on canvas was painted by Pablo Picasso in 1937. It is painted in a palette of grey, black and white and is regarded by many as “modern art’s most powerful antiwar statement”. The mural exhibits suffering people and animals wrenched by violence and chaos. A gored horse, a bull and flames are prominent features of the artwork. Guernica displays the tragedies of war and the suffering it imposes on individuals, specifically innocent civilians. The lack of colour intensifies the chaos and the tragedy. Guernica is a town in the province of Biscay in Basque Country. On Monday 26th April 1937, warplanes of the German Condor Legion bombed Guernica for two hours. At the time. Picasso was working on a mural for the Paris Exhibition that was to be held in the summer of 1937. On May 1st, news of the bombing of Guernica reached Paris. Picasso was appalled and enraged by
“Guernica” is one of the most well-known paintings in the world. It was painted by Pablo Picasso in 1937. The painting itself measures 11ftx 26.5ft. “Guernica” depicts the bombing of the Spanish town of Guernica during the Spanish civil war. The whole thing is done in a cubist style not surprising since Picasso is known for his cubism. In the painting there are people and animals alike all of them in pain and or suffering. “Guernica” is also filled with symbolism that Picasso incorporated into it, and hidden messages. The painting is also colorless it only uses black, white and, gray.