ANALYZING+VISUAL+MEDIA

ANALYZING VISUAL RHETORIC If rhetoric is the art of communicating effectively and persuasively, it stands to reason that communicating visually can be as much an exercise in rhetoric as communicating in writing.

In writing, we examine various rhetorical strategies in order to analyze the author’s purpose. When we examine visuals, we consider the analogous strategies of the artist – the elements of visual composition – to determine what the purpose of the image is. Visuals may come in a variety of forms:
 * maps, charts and graphs
 * political cartoons
 * posters or advertisements
 * paintings or photographs

In each case, just as with written or spoken rhetoric, your task is to observe the details of the visual material, consider how they work with one another to create understanding in the audience, and determine the artist’s purpose in creating the visual piece. Every genre has its own conventions. You should adapt your analysis to consider the usual ways of representing ideas visually within that genre. For example:
 * Photographs use composition lines, contrast, and color to establish relationships between people and objects.
 * Political cartoons use exaggeration to emphasize traits of characters and symbolism to communicate concepts and situations in a compact way.
 * Paintings use color and symbolism, and may often use allusion to tell a story about their subjects.
 * Posters and advertisements use color and composition to attract attention, and symbolism and imagery to persuade.
 * Graphs and charts select sets of data and present them in a manner that makes them easy to interpret, sometimes showing trends or contrasts.

Use the handout as a template for note-taking when presented with a visual. Remember that the genre of the visual may determine which questions are relevant to your observation.

Let’s begin with this VISUAL ANALYSIS TUTORIAL: ONE

TWO:

THREE: View the video/slideshow on WWII. SPATER 5-6

media type="youtube" key="eAttrxM0nN4" width="560" height="315"

FOUR: Read an analysis of the Obama campaign logo, OR read the article about Superbowl logos. Please take notes on the article of your choice. SPATER 5-6



FIVE: Complete a visual analysis on an image of your own choosing; The image can be and of the following formats:
 * maps, charts and graphs
 * political cartoons
 * posters or advertisements
 * paintings or photographs

A. Select your image and use SPATER to get a deeper understanding of the visual. ** DUE FEBRUARY 18, 2015 ** B. Complete a plan for your analysis essay (outline or TOWER diagram) ** DUE FEBRUARY 18, 2015 ** C. Write an analytical essay that reveals the strategies the author uses to reveal their purpose in the image ** DUE FEBRUARY 20, 2015 **