Monday, January 26, 2009

artist: Jonah Brucker

When I first look at this piece of artwork, I see a gloomy, rainy day in which everyone comes prepared with either a bright red or bright blue umbrella. This could signify a bunch of different things but I personally took it as people staying optimistic even when the weather was gloomy. However, after reading into it, I realize that my prediction is completely off track. 
The umbrellas represent computers attempting to create a wireless connection and the colors indicate the connection status: red umbrellas represent computers that are trying to connect and the blue umbrellas represent the computers that already are connected. After knowing what this piece of art is really about, I personally think this is a very creative way to represent technological advancement (wireless connection) through illuminated umbrellas. As Kendall Buster and Paula Crawford point out in one of the readings, art can denote one thing and connote another. In this particular case, the denotation of this work is the use of umbrellas to protect people from the rain. The highlighted umbrellas as wireless connection is the connotative meaning of this work. 
As Buster and Crawford also say in one of our readings, "meaning can change as information emerges about the artist's life, earlier works, or intentions." In this case, learning about the artist's intentions completely changed the meaning of this piece of art and how I viewed it. 
 

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