V I S U A L L A N G U A G E : social/cultural research [sweatshops]

Footwear and sweatshops [SOCIAL/CULTURAL]

PRO-SWEATSHOP LABOR

• economic theory of comparative advantage which states that international trade will, in the long run, make some parties better off.
• Developing countries improve their condition by doing something that they do "better" than industrialized nations
• Benefits developed countries because workers can shift to jobs that they do better
• Although wages and working conditions may appear inferior by the standards of developed nations, they are actually improvements over what the people in developing countries had before
• If the factory jobs did not improve the workers' standard of living, those workers would not have taken the jobs when they appeared
• Sweatshops are not replacing high-paying jobs but rather offering an improvement over subsistence farming and other back-breaking tasks, or even prostitution, trash picking, or starvation by unemployment
• Critics of sweatshops compare wages paid in one country to prices set in another
• The $0.15 that a Honduran worker earned for the long-sleeved t-shirt was equal in purchasing power to $3.00 in the United States
• Offer substantially higher wages and better working conditions compared to their previous jobs of manual labor
• Sweatshops are an early step in the process of technological and economic development whereby a poor country turns itself into a rich country
  

ANTI-SWEATSHOP LABOR

• harmful materials
  
• pollution
  
• birth defects
  
• difficult and dangerous conditions
  
• few rights or ways to address their situation
  
• hazardous situations
  
• extreme temperatures
  
• abuse from employers
  
• long hours for little pay
  
• no overtime pay or minimum wage
  
• violated child labor laws
  

all information found at wikipedia.org

V I S U A L L A N G U A G E : comm models: partner interpretation/response

The way Mark chose to respond to/re-interpret my original goal of the postcard is working really well. With my concept I wanted to communicate the functionality of the boot and its utilitarian qualities by focusing on the important components of the boot (harness, sole, etc) and by placing it in an environment that would be similar to an actual place this boot would be worn. Mark has suggested the purpose of the boot by putting it in context of other footwear that each has a specific purpose. The boating shoes for its breathability and functionality on wet surfaces, the basketball shoe for its speed and shock absorbent sole, and the military boot for its durability and cleanliness. 

I really love this idea. I am skeptical about the military boot however because its purpose is very similar to the biker boot. Maybe some other footwear would be more effective in causing people to consider the purpose of each form of footwear (diver flipper, ballet shoe, track shoes, snow shoes, etc.) Using the shoe's natural environment as a background might help communicate the functionality of the individual shoes a bit more. But then again, maybe I can get away with the white background if the shoes are able to speak for their purpose themselves. 

On the other hand, I can also interpret Mark's postcard as an attempt to show the range of ways shoes are fastened or secured. The biker boot uses uses a harness, the basketball shoe uses a velcro strap, but the boating shoe and military boot both use laces. 

Mark's postcard could could produce a shoe exhibition, a shoe store, or even lead to the creation of a strange multi-purpose shoe that could be worn for anything!

V I S U A L L A N G U A G E : comm models: object postcard

final postcard

process

top lit

soft light

side lit

motion

low angle

high angle

hard light

flash

eye level

directional lighting

close-up

backlighting

V I S U A L L A N G U A G E : project two completion/online presentation

1. Explain your object

Engineer/Biker Boot
Originally created to combat the harsh environments engineer workers were exposed to. Later attracted the attention of bikers who also valued the boot for its durability and the protection it provided while riding.

2. Who is your audience?

Engineers, bikers, cowboys, the rough and tough men who wear the boots.

3. What is the mode you chose: icon, index or symbol?

Icon: I felt it was more effective to show a literal representation of the boot in an unabstracted manner in order to illustrate the variety of components. Also, I found both the form and the manner in which the boot aged and distressed particularly attractive.

4. Explain your color/typography choices

My color choice was inspired by the main element present in the environment these boots would be worn; dirt. The starkness of the white provided legibility against the textured backgrounds and spoke to the simplicity and functionality of the boot.

5. Use 5 of these terms throughout your presentation:

Convention
As a convention, I utilized the letterpress/woodblock print aesthetic for because of the mediums imperfections and gritty quality. While providing a theme for the exhibition, this more importantly served as a means of directing the way the viewer interpreted the exhibition.

Motivation
I chose to use an icon of the boot over an index or symbol because it was more highly motivated and signified the concept more clearly.

Anchorage/Relay
Through its play on the word "sole," the exhibition title provided both anchorage and relay at the same time by fixing the meaning and at the same time causing the viewer to evaluate the duality between a man's actual soul and the sole of a boot. The viewer can further the meaning of the title by relating their own experiences and personal connotations regarding the word soul.

Parole
I wanted to convey a specific parole by using heavy, western-style typefaces with which I felt an accent or dialect was associated. Think of Clint Eastwood in any of his movies.

M U L T I M E D I A E X P E R I E N C E : flash assignment 1

action scriptin 

V I S U A L L A N G U A G E : connotative/denotative

V I S U A L L A N G U A G E : icon / index / symbol