Chapter 4: Transversal (Into Cyberspace) & Behind Economy: Farmer's Market into the University

"A MEmorial may not be clear and simple, since, paradoxically, the machinery of mechanical visualization explodes the illusion of the alignment between the standpoint of an observer and the truth". (Ulmer, 103)

As stated by Ulmer,"the notion of cyberspace is relevant to us to the extent that it provides some insight into the transformation of human experience in electracy and the era of spectacle"(96). When I was reading this chapter,however, what I think most is how to transform an idea inspired from life situation into something meaningful, visible and available to the collective.

The movie is taken on the campus of the University. It's about the Farmer's Market in the University. Though the scale is very small, I hope that it could make people see some positive meaning in the action of the sale promotion started by the local farmers in the low economic situation.

The inspiration is from the two students who made propaganda for the farmer's market in the university by waring banana/pumpkin shape clothes and holding slogan "Promote Local Economy".

The movie, I have to say, is conveyed in a light heart atmosphere in contrast with the disasters caused by the bad depression in the states,since the Memorial "treats the disaster as a source for understanding contemporary values, specially as a mode of self-knowledge, rather than attempting to impose on the disaster a predetermined meaning".(109)

Here is the movie:
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-344608

The Call (Abject Monument)

"The assumption of the MEmorial is that the event to be commemorated was not experienced directly by the egents, but was mediated by the spectacle in an image"(Ulmer, 61).

The readings in each week would surely motivate me to think further about the Electronic Monument I need to compose.
In chapter 3, Ulmer firstly assigned the task of seeking for a report or story that "troubles or stings you in some way"(65) which could arouse the feelings as "the Call" for the EmerAgency after introducing two relevant concepts: reasoneon and the auratic axes. The former is actually a hybrid modality which is merged by the reason and neon,suggesting the significance of both reason and neon effect in arousing the anticipated feelings of the mass which is also the necessity for the composition of the Monument; the latter puts more emphasis on testimonial which make the transference from the event to an emblem possible. According to Ulmer, "what clarity is to literate truth, aura is to the electrate truth"(61). He assumed that the formula of the testimonial is: news + art =testimonial (63), as "the MEmorial becomes testimonial when the egent designs it as an image, figure, parable, emblem, using some feature of the news event as an objective correlative for the witness' state of mind, mood, attunement to the world (65).
I guess I can somehow relate the concepts with Aristotle's terms "logos, ethos and pathos",as Ulmer "think of monument as being symbolic and for the people and therefore rhetoric, not honest, not personal..."(75)
Then he further explained how to document the story and illustrated with examples the ways to respond to the Call. From family tragedies to official monumentality to the "mobile monuments", it seemed that to Ulmer, everything may serve as a monument so far as it could be treated in some way as a symbol glowing with a designated meaning.
This reminds me of the flowing army of "peasant workers" in China as they seek every year the working opportunity in large cities during slack farming season as well as the wrecks of the Berlin Wall.The meaning of the monument is not only to record and remind history, but also to stimulate a thinking horizon and in the end promote righteous reactions, turning an individual feeling into the collective resonance.

The traffic sphere (A MEmorial Prototype)

From tourism to traffic sphere,Ulmer always starts us to think something more.

The humanistic ideal he incarnated in EM is in the role the public sphere plays in meditating the relationship of private citizens with the state, which he believes has declined owing to the entertainment media esp. the television(33). Therefore, the proposal of exploring the possibility of the monumental electronic, by taking use of digital technology and the Internet in particular in a "counter-public sphere" becomes the priority in the reestablishment of the community formation and identity.

Like Obama's "yes, we can", according to Ulmer, everyone can do his part in the revival of a thought in helping convert a personal loss or tragedy into the focus to the public sphere of collective value.

Inspired by the meditation on "Traffic Sphere", here is my mini-movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j5fqyyeGwc

The title is TRAFFIC ALARM. Instead of any bloody scene of traffic accidents, the movie invited an unpleasing music as the alarm sound accompanying the traffic signs to signify the warning of danger. Besides, the record of transportation in addition to the the comparatively static exhibition of the rule violation of the drivers and the broken parts of the vehicle indicates the theme or purpose of the mini-project.

However, after uploading, I can still see great space in improving the video. Hopefully, we could draw nearer to the really powerful electronic monument with deliberately furthering every mini step.

Metaphoric Rocks

The theme is repeated time again the relationship between tourism and EmerAgency. It seems that Gregory, L.Ulmer firmly backed the idea that the American national identity could be build somehow through the tourist inventions. Ulmer stated that "the EmerAgency is not tourism, but tourism is a "relay," an analogy (in a CATTt generator) for an Internet-deconstructed consultancy - in particular that inventive aspect of tourism that produces some of the emblems of our collective identity" (31).In page 9, Ulmer also stressed that "MEmorialization is not tourism, but tourism is an analogy for how the EmerAgency uses the information superhighway to participate in public problem solving.
From Mount Rushmore to Florida Rushmore, the value of tourist monument seems to be well established and recognized among the American people.The memorial marks the end of something and the beginning of something else and forces people to confront what they might have already forgotten or would not like to confront and start them to rethink the passed.
This chapter also brings me some remote memory back to my childhood. There was a big bronze sculpture, Yang Jingyu, a hero dead in resisting the invasion of Japanese fascist in the WWII. It is located in a Martyr Park specially for memorizing of the great man.It is said that the General organized many battles against the enemies and gave a deadly stroke to the Japanese army then. However, due to blockage and the shortage of necessary food, he had to command the major army to move north and led in person a small branch to retreat east into deep forests in a cold winter. Unfortunately, he was besieged by the heavy army and shot to death after more than a month's fighting and resisting. When the Japanese Chief cut his stomach, he was stunned and called the unyielding General "God" since he found only cottons from the thick clothes, barks from trees and the roots of grass digging out deeply from under the snow.
The following is the picture and sculpture of the General.


After the war, the place he sacrificed his life was named "Jingyu" county, which is also the birthplace of mine. The memorial built for him is a reminder of the General, also a reminder of the mournful history.
Ulmer believed that "a nation is an idea - an idea with history"(10) and "monuments are to a nation what the superego is to an individual"(14). The carved or sculptured memorials would no doubt promote the collective identity and unity of a nation, just like the Mount Rushmore or the sculpture of the General.Ulmer also believed that an electronic Rushmore would produce a mourning identification that is flexible and diverse rather than one that is carved in the stone(14). I suppose there are two main reasons for Ulmer to say so: one is that it could be established by you and me, the common people instead of merely fine artists; the other is that via the electronic monuments, the spreading of the idea is beyond the limitation of time and space. Most of all, it is a time for action instead of viewing as an outsider.

The meaning of composition

When I was reading this chapter, what I think more about is the composition of multimodel texts. The focus is how to organize the given messages into an integrated one to convey new meaning expected. According to Kress, G & van Leeuwen, T,three interrelated systems have revealed their advantages in connecting and presenting the representational and interactive meanings of the composition.They are: Information value, Salience and Framing.(177)
Some ad.images came upon me as I further read the details.

The first one is titled as:"advertisement is from the one who knows you best."


Obviously, this should be from an ad. company. The close touch of the spotted deer and the little squirrel is through the tongue of the deer. The layout of the designer's putting the squirrel on the right hand, which represent new information, would no doubt highlight the feelings of the squirrel. He seems to quite enjoy the gentle touch from the big deer. The whole image harmoniously conveys the text message , that is, he knows me best. The use of the spotted deer,such a gigantic creature in contrast with the little squirrel, I suppose, is to stress the power of the company itself.

Next three pictures are from puma company.




Though different in color, the figures chosen are all energetic and athletic. The first image is simple, with light blue background and a medium shot of a young woman. The logo of the company is located at the left bottom and the representational images occupies the right hand.The most appealing part, the smile and sweat are sharing the feelings of satisfaction. I'd like to put stress on the latter two. Though different in background, they seemed to share the same logos. The most salient element _ both figures are placed in the foreground, running towards left. I specially like the use of the light. Ahead of the figures, more light is shedding. It might be a morning exercise picture. The first picture gives a horizontal impression while the framing of the latter one is clearly distinguished by lines of dark and bright light.I also like the eye portrait of the second figure, from which you can probably see her goal ahead since it looks more active.

Another ad.:


Being placed in the center of the picture, the protruding left arm and hand holding a card is obviously introducing or inviting. This might be from a professional blogger company.The breakthrough of the design is that it is not limited to the normal plane frame;instead, the part of the arm with a magnified fist protruding from the computer screen is easy to draw more attention and may suggest more about the new promising product.

What can you see?

I selected some pictures that had left me deep impression.The first one:


Tell me your first impression, what impress you most, what you think about the girl, and what is her situation?

Can you see the big eyes are looking straightly at you? Can you see the hope, desire, and maybe a little alarm from the eyes? Can you see the little hand is holding a pencil? Can you see this is actually in a simple classroom?

This "Big Eyes" was taken in 1991, by a photographer driven by the mission of making more people aware of the real situation of the children from poverty areas in China, and was immediately selected as the poster for the "Hope Project" which was set up for saving poor children from dropping out of school.

The photographer uses simple black and white but maybe the most complexed colors to illustrate the theme. The desiring eyes and holding hands are to offer a strong sense of demanding, which push the viewer to focus and maybe get concerned unconsciously. The frontal angle also creates the power of involvement.The blurred images of the desk and her classmates in contrast with the highlight of the girl and her paper reflect the authentic crowded situation,which is something really need to be worried about.

Another picture:

Can you tell the modality of this one? Is it real or ...

It was made by a peasant last year. I have to say that his status might be a little misleading. Also, seldom might someone except zoologists know what a typical tiger in south of China should be like. However, it's a photoshoped one. I think the rigid face and motionless eyes can prove everything. As a matter of fact, before the beginning of dispute concerning weather there indeed exists the precious creature, the truth has been revealed.It is from an old Lunar (Chinese) New Year painting, along with which the comparison of the "real" and the fake would be posted later.

The next four should actually be one for they seem to convey the same message (and actually, they are all from the file formerly sent by one of my teachers):


Can you see "Love" made out of the doves?



Is the woman real or merely part of the picture?



There are five heads; however, ten kids can be counted.



You have seen the red lines? Which is longer? The answer is: they are totally equal.

We've always heard: seeing is believing; however, it seems that eyes can also be cheating. This might leave more space for us to think about the design art.


Postscripts:

1.The "big eyes" entered college and now works as a bank clerk.



2.The Lunar New Year painting and the comparison:

photoshop

The original images:

and


After processed by photoshop, it looks like this:



The first picture is from a store window and the second is a small lake taken in Alabama.The process is simple.I just use the magnetic lasso tool to select the mice, then copy, then open new picture,then paste. If the size of the two pictures do not match, the image size in "Image" can be changed accordingly.

Another picture after being processed:

Repeat the same procedure by using the lasso tool. By applying Inverse Select, the background is chosen. Then change the background color into dark green, then Edit- Fill- Background color, the Opacity = 80 and Mode = Soft light, then done.
This process may create a soft green background color which seems like a soft green light is on at night.