Art Expressed through the BLM Movement

 

This photograph was taken by Brandon Bell and it shows an open shot of a man with his left arm raised up in a fist standing in front of a building that is on fire and is burning down. This photo was taken during the Black Lives Matter movement and it is likely an example of the protests and rioting that have been occurring these past few weeks.

I find this photograph very powerful, the large amounts of bright orange fire in the background resemble destruction which symbolizes the amount of effort that is needed to redesign the established racist system that oppresses black people. The system made by white supremacists many years ago that everybody has continued to live in. This photograph shows that people want change and if the higher authorities won’t listen then they will make their voice heard, because ultimately, the people outnumber everybody else, and they have the power to cause change if they work together.

To me, this photograph shows the power of a free world where everybody has the right to speak up and cause change. We only see the silhouette of the person in the shot which shows that this person could be any regular person, not some superhero with incredible strengths. The pose in which the person is in shows strength, power, and a willingness to fight no matter how hard the fight may seem.

It feels as if society as a whole as developed so much, it is already the year 2020 and we would expect to have come together as a human race by this point and all that’s left for us to do is to work towards evolution. Everything that is going on inside of this photograph feels as if it happened many years ago in the past, but the fact that it was taken so recently shows the great distance we still are away from global equality.

The shot is taken from a lower angle looking up at this person which makes him seem powerful like a leader. There is only one person in the photograph rather than many people, which seems to me that even if just one person stands up for their vision, they are able to make it happen. The person seems to be looking at something, it feels as if he could be looking at a large group of people who support his actions and are looking up to this person as a leader. The angle of the photograph is taken from the side which doesn’t make the viewer feel apart of the large crowd he may be looking at, but rather makes them feel like a spectator observing what is happening from a distance, and this is emphasized as the subject is not looking towards the camera. I find this interesting because it suggests that we are not doing anything to fight against the problem, however, it makes the photograph feel like more of a historical event rather than a call for action. It makes the viewer think about the situation as a whole, at a larger scale, where we were, where we are, and where we are heading.

 

Dystopian Opening

RACE: HUMAN

SUBJECT #1,931,421,351

-814//{JOURNAL ENTRY}-

January 2070. It’s only been a few weeks since it all started, and there’s not much left on Earth already. I just lost my daughter and wife, their bodies eaten and torn apart right in front of me. Got nothing but a wounded arm and some leftover shotgun shells on me.  They said they had it under control, that they developed a cure to fight back. Those scumbags had no idea what they were doing all along. Now I’m stranded, nowhere to go, nothing to hope for, nobody to pray to. Everything around me, a complete mess, no order, no rules, a complete disaster. It really does surprise me how easy it was for all of it to fall apart, despite how structured and stable everything seemed. They say this was all just a test, a setup, a biological weapon carefully crafted to manage the population growth. Some believe it is finally the end of the world, the universes natural way of restoring balance, the extinction of the human race. Do I believe any of it? It doesn’t matter. There’s no time left to decide. I have to keep moving, keep my pace, outsmart them, outlast them. Will I ever manage to make it out of this alive? My chances are low, I guess my best bet is to keep surviving until some sort of miracle happens. I think I hear one of them coming from outside.

A day during lockdown: photo essay

 

The COVID-19 Pandemic is very unfortunate, and it has affected my daily lifestyle quite significantly. In this post, I am going to go through what my usual day has been looking like in the past month.

I start my day off with breakfast during my mentor time class. I usually eat french toast or a sandwich with tea. I enjoy the window in front of my workstation because it gives a view of nature and a few buildings in the distance, so it’s relaxing to look out into it and rest my eyes instead of staring at the screen.

During this lockdown, I’ve had a lot more time to try out new things and be creative. I have enjoyed practicing making art and drawing, so usually when I am bored I would just sit down and draw something new on my sketchbook.

After online school, I usually go to my computer and play videogames. I find them entertaining and it’s a good way to use up some time when I get bored.

Every other day, I like to go for walks because I want to a chance to get some fresh air and not be couped inside my room constantly. It’s very refreshing and enjoyable, although the mask I have to wear is quite uncomfortable. Most of the time, I bring my dog with me because I can’t walk with other people during this pandemic.

At the end of the day, after I have finished all of my work, I relax and sleep in my bed. I usually surf the internet and watch YouTube videos/TV shows on my laptop before sleeping, and it is a nice way for me to cool down before sleeping.

Advertisement Analysis (Testimony)

This shampoo advertisement uses Selena Gomez as the subject which portrays their targeted audience. This celebrity is very iconic which would likely catch peoples eyes, furthermore, Selena Gomez has many fans that love her and because of that they would likely want to use the same products as their ‘idol’ or they would be more likely to use their product because they trust that Selena Gomez would only use great products. 

This advertisement for one of Cristiano Ronaldo’s shoes shows that by using the shoes, you will feel fast and athletic. Christiano Ronaldo is a famous footballer with many fans around the world, so people that look up to him and people that are practicing football would likely take inspiration from Christiano Ronaldo and use the shoes that he is promoting so they can be more like him. This advertisement has this testimony of explosive speed.

 

 

Value (Poem)

Stay home!

6 feet!

Indoors!

.

Exercise!

Study!

Have a break from your screen!

.

Wuhan

Coronavirus

COVID-19.

.

Perfect time to stock up on your necessities here!

#Stayhomesaturday

Support your local businesses!

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Self-isolate, social distance!

Say yes to Netflix!

10 home essentials you must have!

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You can help #StopTheSpread!

Up to 75% off!

Buy 1 get 1 free!

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Horror movie,

Money movie,

#COVID-19.

Political Cartoon Analysis

 

This political cartoon addresses the issue of him wanting to build a wall on the border of Mexico to prevent them from crossing the border into America. It literally shows him making an announcement and several caricatures are used to exaggerate how loud his message his, for example, his mouth is really big which symbolizes him being a ‘big mouth’ which is a person who talks a lot without putting much thought into what they are saying. The font used is bold which emphasizes how he is yelling his message across for the full world to hear, and the author made his head quite little which suggests that Trump puts little thought into what he is actually saying. The author uses the object of the wall to symbolize Donald Trump’s attempt to contain a threat, and the author is tackling the controversy of whether to build a wall on the border of Mexico or not. The purpose of this comic is to show that the real problem of America is the president himself, and his call to action is to contain Trump. The author has an iconic style of artwork that makes Trump iconic and easily recognizable with his slightly orange skin color and thin golden hair. The physical object of the microphone further shows how his message is spread across the world, and the author’s choice to design Trump barely fitting into his tuxedo suggests that he believes Trump is not fit to be a good president. Personally, I am on the author’s side of the controversy, and most other people are as well. The political context of the war between Mexico and America helps to understand the purpose of this political cartoon. The second half of the image shows that it is a separate time and the labeling of the ?!? brings the idea that Trump did not expect he himself to be the threat of his nation, which shows how he does not realize how many people disagree with him or maybe that he does not pay attention to other people’s opinions.