Monday, December 11, 2017

Images are powerful

Images are powerful, from the Nike swoosh to the Mona Lisa. They comfort, challenge, explain, propel, educate and tell us how to be human. But in our culture they play second fiddle to the word. How to make images and “read” images is generally a largely neglected area of serious study in our educations. We’re awash in images and are often manipulated by them, but we aren’t equipped to make sense of their intent or their meaning.
What sophisticated techniques area at work to make images that seduce us?
Why do images illustrate words rather than words illustrate images?
Why is fine art inscrutable to most people?
Why do people seek to be comforted rather than challenged by artists?
Why is art expected to decorate rather than infect consciousness?
What are artists doing about this?

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