This assignment is the first part of a final paper, one that shows that you understand and can apply the basic themes and ideas of this course. For this f

This assignment is the first part of a final paper, one that shows that you understand and can apply the basic themes and ideas of this course.

For this final paper, find an image that you think is interesting enough to do a full visual analysis of, using our four approaches. Pick an image that resonates enough with you and your feelings or opinions to probe into more deeply.

Avoid images that are too basic (like logos and symbols), too simple (like cartoons for example), or too familiar (like any famous work of art). Above all, do not use an image for which the meaning is too obvious (like the beach at sunset to represent serenity or the beach strewn with trash to represent pollution). Instead find an image that has enough details to explore and for which the meaning is rich enough (or challenging enough) for you to interpret and analyze and clarify.

For Part 1 of this assignment, write a rough outline applying the basic approaches of this course to a single image that has personal impact to you. The outline should include:

Introduction: A list of one or two ideas about why you picked this particular image.

Content: A brief list of the things you see in the image that you feel are most important to its impact and how you think the image relates to the real world.

Appearance: A list of the visual elements or principles that you find important for the meaning of the image.

Use: A few statements that express your sense of why the image was created or shown or if there is a message being communicated or any other aspect of Use that you think is relevant.

Context: Ideas about whether any outside information impacts the meaning for you in any way.

Conclusion: An idea or two about what you learned from exploring the image in this way.

To complete this outline, you only have to list your ideas; you do not have to write the full paper but making the outline as complete as possible with as many ideas as you can come up with will make the second part of this assignment much easier.

Part 2:

Complete the paper that you began in the previous Unit to create a summary paper that applies what you have learned in this course to a single image that has a powerful impact on you.

Take the ideas of the outline from part 1 and write them out into a clearly explained essay of about 1,500-2,000 words. Make sure you write in complete sentences and check to make sure your spelling and grammar are correct. Keep in mind that the goal is to explain why things matter to you, not simply that they do. For example, in terms of Content, why you notice or focus on what you do. In terms of Appearance, not simply that you notice certain colors, for example, but what impression they have on you and how they add to the impact of the image. In terms of Use, what the relevance is of things that you mention in terms of the various uses of the image. And with Context, how other information that you know or find out is important to a full understanding of the image. In other words, explain your choices. Write the paper as though you were explaining all the many aspects of the image and its meaning and impact to someone who did not take this course. Understanding Images