A Picture Says a Thousand Words - Report Example

Year: Visual Arts and Film Studies Assignment: Visual Project Introduction A famous saying goes; a picture says a thousand words. Images have the power to stir up people’s emotions and rally them towards a common cause. Images can profoundly affect people and urge them to action. This is a collection of some of the most iconic images in history, analyzing how they influenced people in their particular social, cultural and political context. The images chosen represent the strength and courage of human beings even in the worst of circumstances. They symbolize moments in history when people held their ground in the face of violence and great danger. They are images that affected people all over the world deeply and made them rally together to prevent such happenings in future. They are images that inspired people in the past and continue to do so up to now. Fig.1: Burning Monk Fig. 2: Napalm Girl. This photo depicts Tibetan monk Thic Quang Duc self-immolating in 1969. He set himself on fire in protest of South Vietnam’s persecution of monks. Thic maintains the calm and meditative lotus position throughout the entire ordeal. He does not move or make a sound. The sacrifice, strength and courage to perform such an act is remarkable. The ethical perspective here is demonstrated in the difficult act of taking one’s own life to make a point to the government. The fact that the monk does not express any pain or agony like a normal human is what makes this image stand out from a critical perspective. The man sits calmly and meditatively yet he is on fire. Culturally, Buddhists monks have performed such acts of self-sacrifice in protest of government treatment. The shocking and memorable nature of this photo ignited worldwide interest in the government’s treatment of Buddhists. The government took steps to treat Buddhists fairly so that worldwide condemnation would stop. The next photo depicts people running away from a village in Vietnam after a napalm attack by soldiers. The girl survived by removing her clothes which were on fire. She survived the horrible burns and lived to tell her story. She brought home the reality of the Vietnam War and the suffering people were enduring, helping bring an end to it. Fig. 3&4: Ernesto Che Guevara Ernesto Che Guevara’s image is one of the most famous, adored and recognizable in the world. The Argentinian rebel campaigned for socialism as a means of bettering peoples’ lives. In this image, he emanates strength, courage and leadership. The photo became famous after Che was brutally executed while fighting as a rebel. On critical observation, the nature of the photo gives it the air of confidence that makes it so famous and popular. Che looks roguishly handsome in the photo. He radiates an almost unreal persona. He is wearing the rebel hat of choice; the beret. The combination of the beret and the leather jacket make him not only a political rebel, but also a social rebel. The photo gained worldwide appeal due to its charming and heroic nature. The juxtaposed photo, taken by the Bolivian government, depicts a dead Che. Even in death, he looks reposed and relaxed, with a peaceful, almost Christ-like, demeanor. He is surrounded by people who seem eager to confirm that he is indeed dead. The photo was released to prove that he was indeed dead, and to try to counter his public image. Che’s execution in Bolivia in 1967 made him a historical worldwide martyr and his image a symbol of revolutionaries everywhere. His execution did the opposite of what the government intended; instead of silencing him forever, it turned him into a people’s champion, ensuring his immortality. This image represents the ability of human courage to surpass even the grave. It shows that even though the government may kill you if you go against their wishes, your actions will live on in peoples’ memories. Fig. 5: Hector Pieterson Fig. 6: Palestinian Woman and Soldier This photo represents the 1976 Soweto uprising in South Africa. Police opened fire on school children during a peaceful demonstration. Hector became the first casualty. In the photo, Mbuyisa Makhubo carries the dying Hector Pieterson accompanied by Hector’s sister Antoinette. They run seeking medical help for the wounded and bleeding Hector. They bear expressions of shock and grief. The fact that police could shoot at innocent, unarmed civilians is shocking. That the civilians were children is simply outrageous and disgusting. The Boer government violated human rights severely with this unethical and inhuman action. From a historical perspective, the children were protesting the forced learning of Afrikaans, or Boer, in school. This was a rule enforced by the ruling whites to further oppress the blacks. The photo showed the brutality of the apartheid government to the outside world. People saw this image and comprehended the full reality of what South Africans were suffering. If the government did not consider the rights of children sacred, then what was? The ensuing uprising eventually led to equal rights for Black South Africans. Hector Pieterson’s brutal and tragic death triggered a revolution that earned children of the future human rights in their country. The photo next to it shows a Palestinian woman pleading with a soldier while her village burns. It also shows one person standing up against oppression and destruction. Fig. 7: Tank Man Fig. 8: Anti-Vietnam Flower girl This image is famously known as The Tank Man or Unknown Rebel. The image comes from the Tiananmen Square Massacre of China in 1989. The man stands resolutely in front of oncoming military armored tanks. He shows no fear and does not waver in the face of such great personal danger. From a critical perspective, in the photo, the man is holding shopping bags. This makes him an ordinary citizen, perhaps coming from a shopping trip. This image is iconic because it depicts a common man literally standing up to an entire government. This is a solo protest of monumental courage. In China, it was culturally unacceptable and unheard of for citizens to talk against the Communist government. This image inspires the spirit of revolution and rebellion in people who see it. Historically, the image came to symbolize the victory of one man’s courage over an army. The image made the Tiananmen Square Massacre a vivid and real incident that will forever be remembered. The photo next shows seventeen year old Jan Rose Kasmir placing flowers in soldiers’ bayonets. This was during protests in 1967 by Americans to withdraw American troops from Vietnam. The photo captures the innocence and bravery of a young girl faced by soldiers carrying deadly weapons. Like the Tank Man, it is a depiction of one unarmed person daring to stand firm against an army. Fig. 9: World Trade Centre Burning Fig. 10: Fireman Mike Kehoe This image is of the September 11th 2001 bombings of the World Trade Center. It depicts the towers burning in the middle of a bright sunny day. The smoke and flames contrast with the backdrop of a clear, blue sky. It looks as though hell has come to earth in the form of fire and death. It shows how chaos, death and destruction can disrupt the pattern of life. In one violent moment, the course of history was forever changed. The buildings are full of innocent people who got up in the morning, kissed their families goodbye, and went to work. They never in a million years expected that this would be their last day on earth, or that they would die such a violent and pointless death. They died for a cause that they did not even know of or participate in. The pain of the people trapped in the fire and chaos is unthinkable. The second image is of a fireman climbing up the tower to save people from the fire as ordinary people run down the building in panic. Moments later, the tower collapsed. This is but one of many displays of courage of the firefighters that day, many of whom perished. Their actions went beyond the call of duty to display bravery and self-sacrifice. The images from the September 11th bombings shocked the world and rallied people against terrorism. The lack of ethics and respect for human life that terrorists have is displayed in this image. The killing of innocent people to prove a point can never be right. The event united people from all nations in condemnation of acts of terror and eventually led to the War on Terror. It also changed the landscape of personal, cultural and national relationships with the Islamic world, with people viewing Muslims with suspicion and distrust. Conclusion Images have the power to deeply affect people’s emotions. The images in this presentation arouse feelings of outrage, rebellion, shame and pity. They move the viewer into wanting to do something about the situations they depict. These images show human strength, courage and rebellion even in the face of violence and danger. They prove that though humanity has a darker side, ordinary human beings have the capacity to stand up and counter this darkness. All the images, apart from the September 11th ones, are in black and white. This provides a stark contrast. The emotive nature of the images ensures they stay with the viewer for a long time. By capturing these iconic moments, the pictures outline the tragedy that is the human condition. Images that evoke such deep emotion manage to accomplish the creator’s purpose. References Browne, M. (1963). Burning Monk. World Press Photo. Retrieved March 27 2012 from http://www.famouspictures.org/mag/index.php?title=Burning_Monk Korda, A. (1960). Guerillero Heroico. Time Magazine. Retrieved March 27, 2012 from http://todayspictures.slate.com/20080610/ Nzima, S. (1976). Hector Pieterson. The World. Retrieved March 27, 2012 from http://www.sahistory.org.za/people/hector-pieterson Platt, S. (2001). Moment of Impact. Getty Images. Retrieved March 27, 2012 from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/09/pictures/110908-about-911- september-9-11-twin-world-trade-center-towers-indelible/#/september-9-11-attacks- anniversary-ground-zero-world-trade-center-pentagon-flight-93-smoke- tower_40014_600x450.jpg Widener, J. (1989). Tank Man of Tiananmen. Associated Press. Retrieved March 27, 2012 from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,988169,00.html . Read More