As the semester comes to a close, I reflect upon all the realizations and findings I have encountered in this seminar visual culture class. I think back to the very first assignment we had that asked us what visual culture meant to me. At the time, I defined visual culture as a sound, word, or object surpassing its literal form and having an established cultural definition. Although I can see where my thoughts lied in that statement, I feel as though I have come to know now that visual culture is so much more than that. Visual culture is about looking at the different people from all distinct walks of life that make up our society, and furthermore, taking into account their hidden agendas and what we make of them.
That being said, looking back at this semester, I feel as though I really grew my skills to look deeper past a person, ad, photo, etc. to see what is the true message they are trying to send. Because I am a very optimistic and cheery person, I always tend to see the best in everything, but I have learned that sometimes people, businesses, or our society do not always have the best agenda and rather than doing things for the people, they are just trying to sell product and make money. That is why it is important that when you find people that are working for good, you hold on to them.
This reminds me of the photographer Platon who really has perfected his craft over the year by engaging with his subject to convey their story in his photographs. In the documentary, he spoke much about how he needs to create that comfort level where his subjects are able to let loose and trust him. He uses his art to share important stories that need our attention such as his photography series capturing the grief and strength of those who serve in the Iraq war and their loved ones. I feel as though Platon is a perfect example of someone who really dives deep into the lives of the people he photographs to know what exactly he wants to accomplish and what he wants to say because so many individuals will see his photographs and he is passionate about conveying a specific story for all to know.
Overall, I had a great experience in this visual culture seminar class. I felt as though every assignment, field trip, and documentary taught me something new while still being enjoyable. Personally my favorite part about these were the documentaries shown. I felt as though they strongly linked to the topic we were working on in class, and were very intriguing. Each one was very different, but I enjoyed every single one and enjoyed so much!
