WP3 :: Cursory Analysis

"Variable Wedge" is a sculpture by Sam Richardson that was constructed from 1982 to 1983. It is a part of the Sheldon Sculpture Garden at the University of Nebraska and is located on the southwest corner of the downtown campus. Adjacent to Architecture Hall, this unimposing art object is nestled in the shadow of the Westbrook Music Building and blends into the leave-strewn ground. The seven pieces of steel that make up this abstract sculpture almost appear to be a series of benches, since they only stand about three feet tall. What initially caught my eye were the splashes of orange, blue, yellow, and purple along the almost 50-foot span.

It was fashioned from COR-TEN steel and is accented with various colors of enamel paint. This type of steel is also known as "weathering steel," and is an alloy that has been designed to display a rusty patina when exposed to the elements (Wikipedia). The enamel paint used to treat this art work has prevented it from forming such a surface. Although Richardson has created over twenty sculptures, this is the only one cast in a material other than plastic. This was completed after he had "investigated new technologies offered by plastics to create ... landscape 'sculptures' " (Sheldon Art Gallery Brochure).

Because this art work is abstract, the title plays an important role in unlocking some of the meaning. Variable is used to describe something that is "subject to variation or change" (Merriam-Webster Online). From a distance, this sculpture appears to be one continuous structure. As the viewing distance decreases, however, the perspective is forced to change, and the inconsistencies in the form become more apparent. Wedge is used to describe a material that is tapered for the purpose of "being driven into something" or "causing breach or separation" (Merriam-Webster Online). To interpret this title in a literal sense, this wedge-shaped material is breaching the flat landscape.

As this is an abstract work of art, the rhetorical appeals that are evidenced by the art work are somewhat vague. There is possibly an appeal to logos by the arrangement of both contrasting and similar elements within the seven pieces that make up the sculpture. The title, "Variable Wedge" is evidence of this difference, as each pieces is different from the last. There is also repetition among the parts of this art work. The shape, a wedge, remains constant, as well as the colors used to accent the gray-colored steel. The artist obviously took into account the alignment of the elements, which speaks to the structure of the composition.

I'm curious as to whether the artist employed any other rhetorical strategies. For example, was a visual analogy used that relates this art work to some other object? Does the material that he used relate directly to a social or cultural context? Why did the composer choose to work with steel when he had a history of working in plastic? What type of emotional response did the artist want to evoke when he chose the colors that accent the gray the sculpture. Color choice is usually deliberate and used to appeal to pathos. There is balance in the colors as blue and purple are cool colors and orange and yellow are considered warmer colors. Yellow and purple as well as blue and orange are also complementary colors, since they are opposite each other on the color wheel. Upon further investigation, I will be able to unpack the artists argument as well as his purpose in creating such a work.

Works Cited

"Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden." Brochure. Lincoln: A to Z Printing.

"Variable." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2009. Merriam-Webster Online. Accessed 18 Nov. 2009 from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Variable.

"Weathering Steel." Wikipedia. Web. Accessed 16 Nov. 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weathering_steel.

"Wedge." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2009 Merriam-Webster Online. Accessed 18 Nov. 2009 from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Wedge.

WP3 :: Art Background

My previous experience with art objects (i.e., paintings, sculptures, drawings, etc.) has been fairly limited. I have visited a handful of museums, both in the field trip setting during my K-12 education career as well as of my own accord during my young adulthood. I have developed an appreciation of the aesthetic qualities that art objects possess, and also a respect for the creative process that artists endure to produce their artifact. I am mostly interested in the story behind the art object; I feel that knowing more about the history and context of the object enrich my experience as a viewer. I believe it is beneficial for all observers of any type of artistic medium to understand the context in which the art object was created as well as the artist. Art is a personal experience; it is personal testimony of the artist and has the ability to connect on a personal level with those who view it. Sometimes I avoid attending art walks or art museums because I feel that I don't have enough time or background information to make the experience personal.

My experience in making art objects is even more minimal. The last art class I took was in elementary school. I consider myself to be a creative person and use my creativity to make crafts on occasion. I have previous experience with the performing arts. Generally speaking, I have no formal background in the visual arts. Because of this, I am very apprehensive towards the impending rhetorical analysis of an art object. During WP1 and WP2 I felt that the cultural and historical context of the photograph or comic was easier to uncover. I'm worried that I will not be able to find any culturally or historically relevant information in which to frame the art object that I will be analyzing. I am also concerned that the argument that the artist was making will not be as obvious. I suppose I'm prepared for a challenge, and look forward to the successful completion of this writing project.

WP2 :: Final Draft

Author's Note

In Writing Project 2 (WP2), I was first faced with the challenge of selecting a comic that was both personally relevant as well as socially relevant and, of course, humorous. I settled on a web comic from Savage Chickens that caught my eye as it makes a reference to Twitter, a social networking craze that is gaining popularity of late. In writing a rhetorical analysis of the comic "Fire!" by cartoonist Doug Savage, it was necessary for me to better understand the context in which the cartoon was set. The value of many internet memes, including social networking sites like Twitter, may be questioned by the majority of internet users. My audience would most likely find humor in the absurdity of the response that one of the characters displays in this comic.

After writing my statement of purpose with this in mind, I participated in a peer conference in which the argument that my comic presented was examined. During this session I gained a new perspective and ideas for the development of my argument further. I decided to focus on the argument that would not be as obvious to the majority audience, so that "readers might still find the situation depicted in the comic humorous, but understand upon further analysis that sending digital updates to those who care to know isn't such an absurdity." I would begin to frame my argument under the assumption that "technology and culture influence each other, so it is only natural that humans have adapted technology to satisfy basic survival needs."

By most accounts, my first draft was incomplete. Although I felt that I had developed a strong introduction by developing a context that framed the argument my comic presented culturally, I was unsure of how to apply some of the rhetorical strategies necessary for analysis. When I described how "the graphical depiction of two cartoon chickens that our eyes are drawn to seems humorous," I failed to explain why this was the case. When writing my second draft I attempted to expand on this idea more, as humor is one of the main rhetorical strategies that composers of comics utilize. My second draft was more polished as I had refined the overall structure of my WP2 essay, but I still had yet to fully examine the use of humor in my comic. When I introduced "an article by Information Week, which identifies that internet use actually increases physical social connections" I presented my audience with information that did not support my argument. For the final draft, I removed this reference since it did not relate directly to my claims.

When I approached my final draft, I was able to fully develop my argument. When I state "the actions of the chicken on the right contrast completely with his counterpart" I am bringing the contrast presented in the comic to the attention of readers. Overall, I feel that I have strengthened my command of rhetorical strategies used in the analysis of a nontraditional text. I will need to continue to improve the development of the argument, as well as my conclusion skills, but the recursive quality of writing is evident through my personal WP2 writing experience.

Second Draft

First Draft

Statement of Purpose

Final Draft

Survival. Scientist Charles Darwin maintained, "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change." This statement is as true today as it was over a century ago. The need to survive is biologically programmed into the very fabric of our being. In recent years, the concept of survival has taken on new meaning, as adapting to the rapid changes that accompany new technologies has required digital survival. Any number of devices can grant access to the World Wide Web, and attaining digital survival can be as easy as joining a growing number of social networking sites. These social networking websites, like Twitter and Facebook, allow users to make and manage connections among other users within an online community (Common Craft). According to a recent survey by Pew Internet, over 45% of American adults with internet access were members of some type of social networking community last year, compared to only 8% in 2005. This increase punctuates our culture's increasing presence in the digital realm, as well as our increasing focus on digital survival.

Not everyone agrees with the cultural implications that this trend suggests. Some would question the importance, and even necessity, of survival in the digital realm. The above comic by cartoonist Doug Savage compares the necessity of physical survival to the emerging desire for digital survival. The visual argument presented by this graphic requires viewers to consider if digital survival is as essential as physical survival. In attempting to answer this question, it is necessary to examine the rhetorical techniques employed by the author. Analyzing the graphic elements used in the composition as well as the choices made regarding text can help develop an understanding of the author's argument, while providing surprising insight into how technological adaptation has influenced our concept of survival.

When examining this comic, it is first necessary to understand a few of the basic conventions needed in order to read and understand comics in Western cultures. This comic consists of a single panel framed by a square-shaped border. Within this boundary the discourse takes place in two forms--graphically and textually. According to Compose, Design, Advocate (CDA), "our attentions are almost always first directed to the ... illustrations--and only then to words" (301). When we notice the illustrations, our eye is drawn to the left half of the panel. In this part of the panel there is a background, which contrasts with the right half. There seems to be more taking place in the left half of the panel, which is why the reader's attention is initially drawn to this section. This deliberate arrangement is important to the overall construction of the comic, as it helps create a visual path that the reader follows. This path, called visual hierarchy, helps strengthen and order the overall structure, or logos, of the comic.

Next, our attention is drawn to the seemingly absurd graphical depiction of two cartoon chickens. This scene is absurd because real chickens could never appear in a situation similar to the one illustrated. Even though the characters are chickens, readers of this comic can relate because of the anthropomorphic characteristics they are given. The chickens' actions and mannerisms become believable because we assign meaning to them as we read and interpret the comic. As Scott McCloud explains in his essay The Vocabulary of Comics, humans have the ability to "see ourselves in everything ..." and also to "...assign identities and emotions where none exist" (204). Simply put, we can see ourselves in the characters of this comic because we have bodies; "our responses to ... illustrations depend on our bodily and cultural experiences of the world" (CDA, 303).

Generally, the abstract idea of chickens facing the dilemma of physical versus digital survival is almost ludicrous, but this abstraction allows for what McCloud terms "amplification through simplification" (201). This means that the comic medium allows us to focus on specific ideas since we eliminate details during the process of cartooning. Here, the idea of survival is scaled down to a simple interpretation comparing the physical to digital. By examining the specific actions of the characters, we can further understand the argument presented. The chicken on the left is postured with his beak open wide revealing his tongue, and his wings are held perpendicular to the ground. When we observe the position of his body in reference to the leaping flames behind him, we can interpret this as a situation where alarm is warranted. He represents the immediate need for physical survival. His actions portray the "fight or flight" response that would be sensible in this situation.

Meanwhile, the actions of the chicken on the right contrast completely with his counterpart. He is positioned in front of a computer screen with his wings on the keyboard, lacking the alarmed facial expression that this setting calls for. In this situation the actions of the chicken on the right are completely contrary to what is expected; he is denying the expected biological response of "flight," and therefore ignoring his immediate need for physical survival. The author uses this stark contrast to identify the irony of the situation, evoking humor from the audience. This difference also demonstrate the chicken on the right's need for digital survival. As readers of this comic, we are able to understand his desire to remain connected through the internet, at least on some level, since over 74% of Americans are internet users (Internet World Stats). Because of this, the response of the chicken on the right can be justified. Since the actions of either chicken evoke some type of emotional response from the viewer, the author's decision appeals to pathos. As described in the CDA text, "we can feel similar emotions because we know the emotions ourselves" (274). We can relate to either character because of our own experience.

After examining the characters of the comic strip, we are able to take notice of the other graphical components of the panel. The flames in the background appear to be moving from out of frame on the left side towards the right side. Both chickens are in the foreground, temporarily out of the reach of the flames. As previously discussed, the chicken on the left is interacting with the setting and therefore concerned with his physical safety. Although the chicken on the right appears to be in increasing danger, his actions do not depict any level of concern with his physical well being. Instead, he focuses on sending a "tweet" to update his social network, emphasizing the importance of his digital survival. Does the lack of background mirror the lack of interaction with the physical world that digital survival requires? It would seem that the author of this comic argues that our culture's increased concern with the digital survival should be called into question. In this example, the chicken knows there is a fire, but has chosen to focus on his digital survival even when faced with his physical demise. The author, once again, evokes pathos by crafting a situation where digital survival takes priority over physical survival. This situation created is an exaggerated, or hyperbolic, depiction of a person valuing their digital survival over their physical survival.

We can now focus on the textual elements. In comics, speech balloons appear above characters heads, and contain any "verbal" dialogue that takes place in the comic. There is a pointed extension coming from each balloon that shows what each character communicates. The typography, or the arrangement and style of the text, also affects how the message is interpreted. The bold weight of the words "FIRE!!! FIRE!!!" coming from the chicken on the left create a contrast from the words of the chicken on the right. This intentional choice of textual style emphasizes the difference between the expected response (of that chicken on the left) with the the unconventional response (of that of the chicken on the right). There is also an emotional response, affecting pathos, which the typeface elicits. This choice of typeface provides a visual support of the importance of this chicken's message. Ultimately, the interaction between image and text is created to provide structure, or an appeal to logos, to the composition.

The comic mirrors cultural trends that indicate a shift of priorities from survival in the physical world towards an increased preoccupation with survival in the digital realm. The cultural norms represented in this argument support this adaptation as well. Teenagers would rather compete in online gaming than exercise outside, college students jeopardize academic success by spending hours on Facebook, and office workers get into sticky situations when passing on juicy gossip through Twitter. These choices ensure digital survival while jeopardizing physical, or material, survival. The oversimplification that is possible through the comic genre adds humor, while forcing us to examine decisions we make daily that support this shift in priorities. This is survival of the fittest in the twenty-first century. Adapt or perish.

Works Cited

"Adults on Social Networking Sites, 2005-2009." Graph. Pew Internet and American Life Project. Accessed 9 Nov. 2009 from http://pewinternet.org/Infographics/Growth-in-Adult-SNS-Use-20052009.aspx.

"Charles Darwin." Wikipedia. Web. Accessed 9 Nov. 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_darwin.

Darwin, Charles Robert. The Origin of Species. Vol. XI. The Harvard Classics. New York: P.F. Collier & Son, 1909–14; Bartleby.com, 2001. Accessed 16 Nov. 2009 from www.bartleby.com/11/.

"Internet Footprint." Wikipedia. Web. Accessed 9 Nov. 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_footprint.

McCloud, Scott. "The Vocabulary of Comics." Print. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. Brattleboro: Harper Paperbacks, 1994.

"Social Networking in Plain English." Video. Common Craft. 2007. Accessed 9 Nov. 2009 from http://www.commoncraft.com/store-item/video-social-networking.

"United States Internet Usage Statistics." Internet Usage World Stats. Accessed 29 Oct. 2009, http://www.internetworldstats.com/am/us.htm.

"Visual Rhetoric/Visual Literacy: Writing About Comics and Graphic Novels." Print. Duke University Writing Studio. Accessed 9 Nov. 2009 from http://uwp.duke.edu/wstudio/.

Wysocki, Anne F., and Dennis A. Lynch. Compose, Design Advocate: A Rhetoric for Integrating Written, Visual, and Oral Communication. New York: Pearson Longman, 2007.