"Reading" Images: A Field Experience Activity

Group Members: Tiffany Hall and Sabrina Becker

Analysis:

We analyzed the Knight (middle) and came up with some interesting discoveries. The first thing we noticed was McCloud's concept of "icon."  The knight is well known and is an icon for being brave and being the protector of the realms. The knight being an icon draws the eye to it, in addition to Bang's concept of the center of the page gains the most attention if it is not pulled somewhere else. Even though the knight is not a cartoon and is very realistic, the fact that there is no visible distinction of what gender this character is, it allows the viewer to identify more with or project on the character. A few of Bang's and McCloud's theories stated that different shapes can evoke different emotions. This can be seen through the trees because they are jagged and vertical which makes the artwork seem exciting and tension filled.  Bang also points out that darker backgrounds can make us feel unsafe.  This is also present through the dark lining of the trees.  She also mentions that lighter backgrounds can make us feel safer, which is also present in the picture. In addition to all of these other points, the last point is that the knight is the largest aspect of this image and this makes it feel the strongest. This is another one of Bang's points.