Monica Estornell's Weblog

The two chapters on audiencing have an interesting relationship. Chapter 9 mainly touches on the way an individual or family interacts with a specific image, whereas chapter 10 focuses more on the social and cultural values associated with the image. In the beginning of the audiencing series the idea of the image’s content was still a factor for discussion, it played a role in how and why the individuals reacted to the image in a particular way, however the second portion of the series is directed at how the image is handled and the values it possess socially as an object, rather than an image. Chapter 10 is essentially asking the readers: aside from content, composition or artistic value what place does imagery hold in society; why; and how does it effect our treatment of that image?

It is interesting to explore the video clip of the Pink Panther opening sequence because of its social value. It is fascinating to gain a different perspective and understand it for its place in society. Being a film implies that it could have different attributes and create different connotations than a still image. It can create specific scenarios, such as a couples first date to see this movie or any movie. The concern does not lie in the film itself but rather in the connotation created by the film. Although, in my opinion, this method would almost always need to be accompanied by another method in order to come to a concise and understandable conclusion, I do feel that the flipped perspective is a good approach to gain a fuller understanding of the image and its grip, or lack thereof, on society as it becomes more of a symbolic valued object rather than a specific content with an image.

In the last several chapters, Rose informs readers about specific ways of exploring images where the main objective is to categorize imagery, to interpret and appreciate it for its aesthetic appeal, or to approach images by documenting and researching data on a wide scale in order to search for patterning among imagery. The chapter on audiencing is set apart from the others because it focuses specifically on the audience’s reaction to a work of art or a motion image.
Personally, I believe the audience is an essential part of image making, especially in graphic design. Graphic design is specifically for the people; its central purpose is to educate and inform people, and to draw them to the composition. If an artist creates an image he/she has to keep in mind that what is being created is not only for the view of select designers, rather for the common person; in most cases, the audience is composed of individuals who are not formally educated on design. Taking the audience into consideration is vital to creating a successful piece of work because if the masses cannot appreciate or relate to the work, then who can? An artist, specifically a graphic designer, cannot make an impact on society if he or she is only appealing to a small sect of designers who understand the work. This does not mean to dumb down what would be an amazing composition, in order to appeal to the masses, but rather to rid a work of its “artistic jargon” and make it appealing to all, while still respectful in the art world. That is where the true challenge lies and that, in my opinion, is the essence of art and design.
Understanding an audience makes an image more important. Looking through historical political posters and advertisements would be meaningless if a viewer was not educated on who these images were geared toward and the current events of the time period. Russian propaganda posters*, we can do it early feminist posters*, images of men wearing zoot suits in rebellion would all be meaningless with out a clear understanding of the audience at which they were directed.
Much like the historical posters mentioned, when focusing on the opening credits for the Pink Panther, it is important to understand who would typically be watching this scene. The Pink Panther is a comedy series released in 1963, whose plot focuses on a clumsy, mishap-prone inspector who is always off target in finding criminals. Viewers at the time were intrigued by the irony of people in powerful positions actually being silly, accident-prone characters. Other comedies of the time period include Get Smart a satirical comedy based on a gawky secret agent with ridiculous equipment*, and The Andy Griffith Show a family based comedy with a goofy law enforcement agent taking center stage as the shows comedian*. Understanding the humor of the time period helps to understand the audience and their appreciation for the goofy opening credits of the Pink Panther.

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