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Identity and Visual Culture

American Transitions from Rural to Urban Life

Webinar #1 | July 7th, 2011

Visual Culture

• Interdisciplinary concept that looks at the cultural information represented in visual media

• Includes advertising, television, art, magazines, video games, design, fashion, movies, architecture…

John Berger’s Way’s of Seeing (art historical connections)Laura Mulvey’s Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema (feminist visual studies and the male gaze)

Cultural Identity

• Social group, Self-concept, Outside influence

• Determined by place, gender, race, history, sexuality, language, religion, ethnicity, aesthetic, age, nationality

• Ever-changing and overlapping

Me: Uline and Olmstead, Woman, Crafty, Professional, American, White, Middle-Class, ProtestantOther: Young adult, Knitter, Hipster, Pet lover

Cultural Identity: Ohioan

Cultural Identity Diagnosis• What images resonate with me?• Are their images that really bother me?• What movies or television shows do I

tend to gravitate towards?• What advertisements grab my

attention?• How do I decorate my space?• Do I like imagery from sports teams?

Hobbies? Music genres? Time periods?

• How do others perceive me?• How does this visual information relate

to my heritage and culture?

African Americans

Picturing America Artists and Representations

• What type of message do these artworks convey about this cultural identity?

• What elements of the image (formal, historical, emotional) convey this message?

• Do you think there is a difference between those artworks created by people representing their own cultural identity and those by people representing a cultural identity from the outside?

Contemporary ComparisonHow is this piece similar to or different from the Picturing America pieces?

What messages does it send about identity?

Do you think this piece could be included in Picturing America? Why or why not?

Native Americans

Picturing America Artists and Representations

• What type of message do these artworks convey about this cultural identity?

• What elements of the image (formal, historical, emotional) convey this message?

• Do you think there is a difference between those artworks created by people representing their own cultural identity and those by people representing a cultural identity from the outside?

Contemporary Comparison

How is this piece similar to or different from the Picturing America pieces?

What messages does it send about identity?

Do you think this piece could be included in Picturing America? Why or why not?

Women

Picturing America Artists and Representations

• What type of message do these artworks convey about this cultural identity?

• What elements of the image (formal, historical, emotional) convey this message?

• Do you think there is a difference between those artworks created by people representing their own cultural identity and those by people representing a cultural identity from the outside?

Contemporary Comparison

How is this piece similar to or different from the Picturing America pieces?

What messages does it send about identity?

Do you think this piece could be included in Picturing America? Why or why not?

Close-up of inset

Other Identities?• What identities do you feel are currently

represented in a negative way? What could we do to provide an alternative message?

• Are there other contemporary artists using identity to send a message? How might we incorporate those images and messages into the art/social studies classroom?

• What artworks do you feel represent your cultural identity? What about the identities of your students?

Essential Information

• Standards• Extensions

– Student cultural identity– Notable American

cultural identity– Add and edit– Time period and group

• Art 21