PHOTOGRAPHY

Lucinda Chu, London UK Artist/Photographer

When I ran across Lucinda Chu’s work browsing the web, I thought how amazing it is that a piece of artwork – whether it’s photography, a painting, sculpture, or words – can really have an effect on a person.

First I saw the photo of the girl in the chair. Then I saw the photo of the girl wearing the red dress, crying. Immediately I wanted to know, “What’s wrong with these two women? What happened to them to make then look so sad?” Afterward I noticed they were photographs constructed by LC, a photographer known for her still and moving images, musical scores, musical recordings and performance. I’m assuming her goal was to strike an emotional cord with her audience. As we all know, an artist’s intent (whether it’s using words or images) is to persuade and create an effect on his/her audience using one of the three rhetorical techniques: ethos, pathos, or logos.

It’s interesting to note my visual process, which can be found in Visual Communication: Images with Messages written by Paul Martin Lester. The visual process is how we perceive what we see and hear; it’s a continuous cycle that involves: sense, select, perceive, remember, learn, and know. “The more you know, the more you sense. The more you sense, the more you select. The more you select, the more you perceive. The more you perceive, the more you remember. The more you remember, the more you learn. The more you learn, the more you know.”

So, instead of only observing the photographs, I was intent on finding the meaning behind them so I could perceive what I was observing, to learn from it, and remember what I saw, how it made me feel, who the artist is, and the artist’s intent to store it away in my memory.  

SHOW & TELL A NARRATIVE

Maybelline Define-A-Lash Volume Washable Mascara

This zero clump volumizing mascara creates voluptuous volume with clean definition.

Sweep brush upwards from root to tip to separate individual lashes and to achieve definition and volume. Continue building lashes until you reach your desired look. Do not let dry between coats. Repeat for lower lash line. Removes easily with soap and water or Maybelline New York Expert Eyes Eye Makeup Remover Towelettes.

Maybelline’s Define-A-Lash Volume Washable Mascara’s narrative makes you feel like you have a wonder stick in your hand and you’re able to create those volumizing lashes you’ve always wanted. The narrative is written in active voice, which Constance Hale reminds us in Sin and Syntax, “Is strong, direct, muscular.” Reading the narrative we see the “rich images develop from the capacity to observe [the] subjects in action.”  It also uses strong dynamic verbs like, “sweep” rather than "apply" and “building” rather than plain ‘ol "put on". 

SHOW & TELL MY FAVORITE WORDS

Meditation

Peace

Love

Harmony

Happiness

I love what these words mean in my life. They are simple, straightforward, and to the point – like me. Just the act of meditating alone will have a positive effect on your mind during the entire day (Meditation: Peace of Mind). Which, in turn, can cause you to have a positive impact on someone else’s day. Not that I am perfect in everything I do. I’m not; I’m human – I have the worse road rage.

But think about how acting out these words could potentially affect you and someone else. If we consciously incorporated these words into our everyday thinking, we could better ourselves and create a positive environment around us.    

SHOW & TELL A CALL TO ACTION

Pepsi Refresh Project

What a great way to call on us to vote for people, businesses, and non-profits with ideas that will have a positive impact on society. Using the face of Pepsi, rather than creating an unfamiliar trademark, is brilliant. Pepsi is, of course, a well-known entity. Visual Communication: Images with Messages written by Paul Martin Lester says, “The purpose of an advertisement is to attract attention, arouse interest, stimulate desire, create an opinion, and move the viewer to a specific action (to buy the product).” Well, Pepsi entices Pepsi lovers to buy their beverage product, but also uses it to sponsor its refresh project.