Month: April 2019

Art; A Vision of context or a sign of the times.

During my Travels through Europe, I was blessed to be exposed to some of the most powerful artworks in history. Da Vinci, Picasso, and Michelangelo, all voices of their generation and displayed in all corners of Europe. Art is not just physical, but emotional and thought-provoking.

To be exposed to Art is to be exposed to culture. I found myself most allured by the Eastern wall in Berlin. Famously known for its incredible street art, the East-Berlin wall is full of pain, loss and the division of an entire city.

A complex image is one with both denotation and connotation. A story for what is first seen and what is represented.

Possibly the most famous mural on the Berlin wall is the ‘The Soviet Union, Kiss.’

  • The complex image.

The denotation-

The image depicted in the mural shows what is seen to be a passionate kiss between the Soviet Union Leader, Leonid Brezhnev and the East German President, Erich Honecker as the two rejoiced in a cease to the elongated civil war. The image shows two men simply sharing a kiss.

The Connotation-

What the image does not show is the complexity and enormity of that moment in history. After years of the Tyrannical Soviet rule, the kiss represents the peace at the end of years of war and bloodshed. The image is solidified in the remnants of the East Berlin war as a Momento of the destruction of the Berlin war that caused a rift in one of Europe’s most influential cities. The mural will remain as a memorial for the loss, suffering, and lives lost in the power struggle of Berlin in the 1900s.

Often the Connotation and the Denotation can mean different things, yet amplify powerful messages at the same time. When I first approached the mural, I admired it for it as a sign of the times, the acceptance of sexual orientation in our society. It wasn’t until further inspection and research when I was filled yet again with a sense of admiration with the literal context meaning so much to the progression of those living in Berlin at the time. (Turnbull 2019)

The image can be perceived in more than that of its context. The mural can also highlight the acceptance of Homosexual orientations and the ability for people to be united in their differences. The meaning of the image is really in the eye of the beholder.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the power of this image and what you take from it?

References-

Senior Prof. Sue Turnbull Lecture 2019

Quote-Quotemaster.org. Quotes about Connotation (77 quotes). http://www.quotemaster.org/Connotation

YouTube. History Brief: The Berlin Wall Explained. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3Xe4AdJaFQ

Michelangelo gif- Gifer.com.   https://gifer.com/en/7Szp

The berlin kiss photo- Pinterest, . https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/174866398008034409.

Berlin wall gif- Gifer.com. https://gifer.com/en/2WZw

Berlin kiss gif and other information source- iHeartBerlin.de. The Story Behind the Iconic Kiss on the Berlin Wall. [http://www.iheartberlin.de/iconic-kiss-berlin-wall-eastside-gallery-bruderkuss

Does the Media control more than just what we see?

Media is often referred to as a voice for society, an informative mechanism that is for the people, by the people. The question, however, remains of the integrity of the media and do the values of publications really align with that of the people, or is it merely a well-oiled money-making machine that fills the pockets of major corporations. Furthermore what effect does the media have on society and politics?

In the Public Image?

Commercial media organizations are majority owned by 5 players. The Murdoch’s, Fairfax, Kerry Strokes, The Packers and The Gordans.
These empires own the likes of the Channel 10 network (the Packers), The Sydney Morning Herald (Fairfax), The Herald Sun, The Dailey telegraph and Nova (The Murdoch’s.)


Australia’s level of media ownership concentration is already one of the highest in the world. – Shadow minister for communications, Michelle Rowland, press release, November 8, 2016.(The Conversation, 2016)

The Murdoch’s, The Packers and Fairfax are names that often circulates around discussion of the media. Who are the people behind the name? Are they merely influential names in the media game? Or are they the finance behind a country with a media empire in which the people who believe they are being represented by the media, are in actual fact, slaves to the corporate mass deception that dictate what we buy, who we vote for and how we perceive ourselves to fit into society? This can be seen as the use of relevant media theory, ‘Hypodermic Needle’.

In terms of Politics, the media ensure that politicians are held accountable for their actions by inspecting and dissecting their movements and decisions and releasing this information to the public. However, the media can sway voter opinions. If Mr. Murdoch has an alliance with the particular party, for example, his media empire could focus on the positives that come out of the favored party and scrutinize that of the opposition.
That being said, Media corporations pride themselves on being neutral but what is to say that a political agenda could be a subtle value that is spread to millions of unknowing people. (Lamb, 2019)


 Malcolm Turnbull pointed to “an insurgency” in his own party and “outside forces in the media” as the architects of his demise. (Davies, 2019)

UMad Turnbull??

Media giants also can hold corporations accountable for their misconduct. Media can ensure that big businesses are not just acting within the law but also acting ethically responsible too.

This is a little insight into the sheer power that the Media has and along with that, who controls the media and the power behind it? We as consumers put so much trust into large Media corporations acting with our interests at heart, but do you feel comfortable knowing that just 5 organisations can monitor everything you see? Do you genuinely feel represented by the Media or do you think that like many industries in Australia, money is the main priority? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

FriendlyJordies input

Reference- Quote 2- Davies, A. (2019). A very Australian coup: Murdoch, Turnbull and the power of News Corp. the Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/sep/20/very-australian-coup-murdoch-turnbull-political-death-news-corps.

Quote 1- The Conversation. (2019).  is Australia’s level of media ownership concentration one of the highest in the world?. http://theconversation.com/factcheck-is-australias-level-of-media-ownership-concentration-one-of-the-highest-in-the-world-68437

Article- Lamb, B. . Australian Media Ownership | VCE Media, Victorian Curriculum, Media Arts, digital literacy, media education, filmmaking. Lessonbucket.com. https://lessonbucket.com/vce-media/unit-1/australian-stories/australian-media-ownership.

Image-Aph.gov.au. in the public interest? – Parliament of Australia. https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/RP0708/08rp01 [Accessed 10 Apr. 2019].

Tom Cruise Gif- GIPHY. Tom Cruise Glasses GIF – Find & Share on GIPHY. https://giphy.com/gifs/5kivQTRtGGllC

Youtube video- YouTube. The Media is Lying to You. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhLUajiVKo4