Analysis of Image 1
Description
It is a photographic image that is placed within a wider frame, with text beneath it. The picture shows a young handsome man pointing a gun directly at the viewer. The gunpoint is the main focus in the picture and grabs almost all the attention of the viewer. It is literally pointed at the direct center between the viewer’s eyes so that the picture is somewhat intimidating. It gives a feeling of being really facing the threat of a gunshot. The aim is accurate and the range is point-blank. The gun point is actually in the upper half of the picture and the aim is at the viewer’s eye level. The background is a medium-colored green in two shades, and the man is dressed in black with a little bit of the same medium sea green in front. He is holding a gun directly at the camera and hence his fist holding the gun seems larger than life due to the close-up angle and his face look like a distant small figure. He is holding the gun tightly as can be seen by the rush of blood to the fingers. His finger is on the trigger and looks as if he is about to pull the trigger at the viewer anytime. There are two types of text. The bold one says âGun Controlâ in all capital letters. It is positioned beneath the picture, uses blue colored font against a black background. The first and last letters of ‘Gun Control’ are bigger in size. Beneath this main text, there is a subtext of two lines in white color that says “A political movement based on angering gun owners probably wasn’t the best idea’. At the lower-left, there is a small logo in white with red text saying “IMAO.US”. The picture looks itâs meant to be a poster. The character is taking aim at the viewer at point-blank range. The character in the picture is a young male, white in the race, has well-combed hair, and looks normal. Only one of his eyes is visible as the other eye is hidden behind the gun, probably engaged in taking aim. He makes powerful eye contact with his one other eye.
Content and Message Analysis
There is no particular setting for the action. The colors used in the picture â black and dull green synchronize with the cold expression on his face. He is neither excited nor does he look aggressive when it comes to facial expression. The man is just cold-faced. He has no emotions. That gives a chilling effect to the viewer. He seems cold and also calculated. He is holding the gun far away from his body in a very tight and stretched-out manner. His fist is close to the view and looms large along with the gun opening. The characterization seems to produce a persuasive communication that says anyone â young or old, well-groomed or unkempt â can point a gun at you. The picture is designed to elicit a fear response from an audience. The words beneath the picture ‘Gun Control’ also underline the dangers of having guns freely available. Here, the words and the picture combine to transmit the idea of the dangers of having a gun and why gun control is necessary. The sub-text in the picture says that a political movement based on angering gun owners probably wasnât the best idea. This message is not clear because it is lengthy and has big words and is said in a negative manner. It is not direct and straightforward. It does not have a punch. The picture is direct â very direct. The sub-text is too subtle.
The character in the picture seems cold and distant. He looks as if he is sure that he wants to pull the trigger and murder someone. His face does not reveal much. His lack of emotion shows that this is premeditated action. The focus of the image on the tight fist and the mouth of the gun makes the image loud. Again, due to the immaculate grooming and dress of the character, there seems to be a message that the killer could be anyone, including the viewer. For an adult, who is seething with anger within his self, it is also possible to identify with the killer. I cannot relate to the main character in the poster because I have felt sad about the sniper shootings at schools and colleges. I can relate to the imaginary person who is being aimed at by the character in the picture. I can understand partially how fearsome it is to be facing a gun pointed directly at you at point-blank range.
The image and the words ‘Gun Control’ together combine to give the message that there should be gun control. The image persuades on four levels. It creates fear in the minds of the viewer initially through the pointed gun. Through technical manipulations of visual elements, the gun and the hand holding the gun are made to loom very largely. The threat of the gun is there irrespective of who holds it. There is strategic manipulation of visual elements such as color, and text to synchronize with the picture. The gunpoint is attention-grabbing. The well-dressed look of the white man with the gun attempts to alter general perceptions that only poor people who try to rob others generally hold guns like that. The complete meaning of the visual image is obtained through the verbal text beneath it. “Control” is the word that can provide multiple interpretations to the visual image. Either the man is enjoying power or control using the gun or the gun is controlling the emotions of the victim. The latter metaphorical interpretation seems more acceptable as the gun is held in a manner threatening to the viewer.
Elements of Art
The lines in the diagram are powerfully etched especially the outline of the gun, the details of the fingers, and the line underlining the verbal text. The lines denoting the fingers indicate the tightness of the grip and the power involved in it. The lines defining the gunpoint are clear and the circular mount is outlined in detail so much so, the viewer gets a feeling of looking right into the gun. The shape of the gun in this picture is not traditional and the viewer sees just the circular opening of the gun and the trigger in the grasp of the index finger. The shape of a key-like image is evocative of the power provided by holding the weapon. The character is provided a three-dimensional form due to focus on his hands. The arm holds the gun at a distance away from the body and space is indicated through the looming largeness of the hand and the gun-point, the head that is seemingly far away. The picture is mildly colored with just shades of black and subtle green. There is a very smooth feel to the entire visual image and a steely feel to the gun.
Elements of Design
Balance is created in this photographic image through a harmonious blend of textures, colors, forms, and shapes. The photographer achieves a sense of balance by centering the image on the handheld gun in particular. In this work, the softness of human flesh is contrasted with the steely texture of the gun. Movement is the way a person is guided to view a work of art. In this work of art, our eye moves farther beyond the gun, views the tight fist, the outstretched hand, and then, the face of the person against the mild green background. Emphasis is created in this work of art by having a very close focus on the fist and the gun. Due to emphasis on the gun, the words âGun Controlâ also acquire a new meaning. It means that it is possible for the viewer to be controlled directly by the Gun. Moreover, the colors of the gunmanâs jacket contrast with the muted tones of the background. Hence attention is immediately drawn to the gunmanâs figure even though it is relatively small in scale. The tightly held fingers holding the gun form a pattern in the bottom half of the image. In this image, there is no harmonious proportion. The hand of the man is much bigger in scale compared to the figure of the man. Unity is created when the picture has a complete sense of composition (Glatstein, page 1). In this image, the dual shades of green in the background, contrasting textures, patterns, and colors create a sense of unity and balance.
Analysis of Image 2
Description
This is a cartoon picture in black and white. There are both visual images and verbal text. The name of the artist, Nicholson, is prominently signed on the top left corner of the diagram whereas it is dated on the bottom right corner. The cartoon has a detailed foreground and a moderately detailed background. In the background, there is a park with swings, trees, hills in the distance, and houses with fences. While there is a child on a bicycle in the background, there is another child on the swing playing. The house in the distance is detailed with a dish antenna on top and a car parked beneath a tree in front of the house. The main characters are standing in a narrow pathway in the foreground. There is a man, a woman, and four children â two standing on either side of the couple- facing a large man who is carrying a long gun in his back. While the family in the park is startled to see the man with the gun, the man is saying to them in a relaxed tone, âWith all the odd types around, I feel safer with a gunâ.
Content Analysis and Theme
The scene is set in a small park. There are both visual images and verbal text. There is absolutely no color in this picture and it is done in black and white. The family in the park consists of a couple, a girl, and three boys. All five of the family members have a stunned look on their faces. Their looks are very similar. They are baffled by what the man is saying to them. The man on the opposite side is huge and looks strong. He is wearing a patterned shirt, shorts, boots, and a cap. He is carrying a rifle on his back. Despite his huge size and rifle, he looks quite cool and serene. He explains to the family members that he is carrying a gun mainly in self-defense. The scared look on the faces of the family members shows they are afraid of meeting a stranger with a rifle. They look at him with fear. The rifle he wielded must have added to their fear. The explanation that he was carrying it in self-defense is ironic as the setting is a park where children are peacefully playing. The characterizations seem to suggest, that every person has his own reasons for owning a gun and not all reasons are acceptable. The picture is designed to elicit a reflective response from an audience.
The words uttered by the strong man emphasize that even a seemingly odd fearsome-looking person can consider other people as odd and threatening. Here, the words complete the meaning of the picture. Without the text, the family members would just be looking stunned at a fearsome-looking man. The text explains that the man is actually harmless and maybe even docile. The family members are not looking scared but just stupefied by his explanation. The message is thus very clear when the visual image is seen along with the text. Both the images and the text are direct. He says, âWith all the odd types around, I feel safer with a gunâ. It is ironic because the man himself looks like an odd type. Next, when ordinary people are able to walk in the park without any fear, it is strange that such a strong person should want to carry a gun for safety. I can relate to the family members in the park. If I were to see a man carrying a rifle in a park, it would scare me. And I would find it very hard to believe if he explained that he was carrying it in self-defense. The drawing is fairly simple. The threat of the gun is exemplified because of the appearance of the man wielding it. There is strategic manipulation of visual elements through text and background to create meaning. The long rifle at the back of the man is attention-grabbing. The untidy look and strong figure of the man carrying the rifle attempt to alter general perceptions that only meek people carry guns for self-defense. Here, the man could be lying about his reasons for carrying the gun or he could be true in revealing that he is carrying it in self-defense. The first explanation seems more plausible due to the peaceful setting in which the people are placed.
Elements of Art
Lines are everything in this diagram. The straight lines of the houses indicate an ordered life. The trees and the swings bring life and indicate peace in the park. The slanting lines of the swing and the boy on the bicycle show movement. The eyes of the family members are shown as circles indicating their fear. The rifle is shown in many straight lines. The straight rifle is carried by a man with a rounded figure. This is somewhat comical. There are many shapes in the picture: circular eyes, elongated noses, square swings, a man with a rounded belly, the vertical rifle, the houses with sloping roofs and shades, and others. The human figures are all two-dimensional whereas the houses in the background are shown to have three-dimensional character due to the focus on the chimneys, their cubical structures, and sloping roofs. Space is indicated well in this diagram. While the people are standing in the foreground, the houses are farther away, the children playing in the park are still farther away, and in the long-distance away, there is a mountain. Distance is indicated by the receding sizes of the figures in the background. The picture is done in black and white with shades of grey. The texture varies due to the shading of the picture. The unshaven look of the man looks rough compared to the smooth faces of the family members. The hill is shown as rough terrain through grey shading whereas the park is shown as smooth.
Elements of Design
This cartoon image has a lot of balance through a harmonious use of space, textures, and shapes. The artist divides the frame into two equal halves vertically and puts the family members on the side with children in the park playing in the background. On the other side, the strong-looking man is positioned along with houses in the background. In this work, the scary look on the faces of the family members is contrasted with the peaceful park atmosphere where children are playing on the swing. There is also contrast in the rough surface they are standing on and the grassy texture of the park in the background. There is a contrast between the hard texture of the mountain in the background and the wide sky. Movement is the way a person is guided to view a work of art. In this work of art, our eye moves first perceive the human figures in the foreground, the scared faces, the strong man at whom they are staring, the rifle he carries, the words he utters, and then, the background where there are the park, the natural scenery, and houses. Emphasis is created in this work of art through the very similar scared expressions on the faces of the family members. Due to emphasis on the fear factor, the contextual meaning of the picture is exemplified. The words ‘safer with a gun’ also get an ironical tint due to these scared expressions. The emphasis on the scared faces creates irony in the cartoon.
The message in the cartoon is that people with guns always have a reason to explain why they need a gun even though the reasons may not be convincing enough. Here, the family members are controlled by the rifle the man is carrying even though they are not directly threatened by the man with the weapon. They respond to the rifle through their frightened faces. Thus there are indirectly controlled by the rifle. Attention is immediately drawn to the gunmanâs figure because of his heavily designed attire which contrasts with the plainclothes of the family members. The tiled pathway on which the family members and the strong man stand, and the fences of the houses form a pattern In this image, there is almost perfect harmonious proportion. The children and the adults of the family, the strong man are all well proportioned individually and in relation to each other. The children in the back are shown small to depict the distance between them and the people on the path. There is unity in the picture as all visual elements are held together through a central theme, space, shapes, forms, and verbal text.
Works Cited
Glatstein, Jeremy. Formal Visual Analysis: The Elements & Principles of Composition. 2007. Web.
Scott, M. L. and Batra, R. Persuasive Imagery: A Consumer Response Perspective. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Mahwah, NJ. 2003.