Period 6 -- Critical Analysis #2

10/15/2019

Scoreboard, Self-Portrait, © Cig Harvey

Today you will be writing about this image by artist Cig Harvey. Your analysis must be 4 paragraphs, 5 sentences minimum per paragraph. Remember to post your analysis as a comment to the blog post that corresponds to your class. If you post your analysis to the wrong class's post, it will not be graded.

Refer to your "How to See" handout for analyzing a photograph--

Describe specifics.
Describe form.
Describe the content.
Evaluate the image

Your analyses will be graded on:

meeting minimum length requirements
depth of organization
evaluation of the content
grammar/punctuation

Nathan Harrison

10/15/2019 12:27:49 pm

This is an image of a scoreboard in an “old school” bowling alley. The lady that is cut out halfway is sitting and is most likely the photographer Cig Harvey. Since the bowling alley is old school, it is typical for the wall to be a brown wood color that is most likely oak. The light green tint from the metal of the alley equipment, seats and the chalkboard somewhat pulls more attention than the rest of the picture. Although mainly centered on one ceiling light, the picture for the most part is decently bright. Maybe the top center of the wood wall may be a little too exposed. It is interesting that the photographer decided to position the person sitting like that with the upper half of the body cropped out of the image.
I feel that the rule of thirds is used well in this image as the image is unbalanced in content across the frames. The image was definitely taken at an angle perpendicular to the path of what someone would do to bowl, almost as to show a wider image of the small scenery. Since the image is taken in a closed space and isn’t a portrait, the depth of field is deep to show the entire picture, which was most likely the photographers intentions. I feel that the picture is balanced as the scoreboard is in the center along with an object on each side of the image.
The image feels like it could be from a movie or a TV show as a quick scene for during or after a date or a night out and the old school bowling alley is part of the plan that was set by one of the people. This image is the type of image that would be displayed in an event or something close to that and would just be looked at by everyone and probably admired by some, but ultimately wouldn’t be a fascinating image shared throughout a community.
I neither like nor dislike the image in a way, but just that it doesn’t fascinate me or draw my attention in any way. The only thing would be that it would be nice if I was taking the picture as a memory after or during a “night out” or something.

Chloe Clark

10/15/2019 12:30:53 pm

In Cig Harvey’s image, there is a woman leaning back in her chair at an old school bowling alley. She is barefoot and wearing a red sparkly dress. She has her feet placed on a small table. There are trophies on the wall and a scoreboard. There is a lot of pale green within the scene which could be the theme of the bowling alley. Her red sparkly dress stands out in front of the basic greens and browns of the scene. It is fairly light in the scene,but there are some shadows near the chairs.
The image, to me, is pleasing to look at because there is not necessarily a single full subject in the image, so it makes you have to look at everything going on. The point of view could be from a bystander or outsider. The line between the wooden and brick floors lead your eye to look at the scoreboard on the wall. The image is not really balanced, because there is more to focus on towards the left side of the image than the right. The frame of this image crops out the woman’s face, so we don’t have any sense of what she is feeling at all.
The story that I infer from this image is that the woman was at some sort of party prior to being at the bowling alley, which would explain why she is so dressed up. This image reminds me of a song that I once heard about a girl who left a party because she was upset to go sit alone in her pretty dress. I find this image interesting because it makes you want more. It makes you want to see the look on her face and see what she is doing.
In conclusion, I like this image because it really makes me want to know her story. The story of this woman sitting alone at a bowling alley in her red sparkly dress, something you would only wear if you wanted to stand out. Yet, it doesn’t exactly seem like she is trying to stand out here. I like how she seems very relaxed, with her feet up and leaning back in her chair. This photograph is successful because it makes me think and want to know more, and that is exactly what it is supposed to do.

Kellen Dukatnik

10/15/2019 12:34:39 pm

The image depicts an old school bowling alley with a woman who only has half of her body in the frame leaning back in her chair resting her feet on the controls, she’s wearing a dress I would expect someone from the 80’s to wear. It contains aqua which is on the controls, bench, scoreboard, and ball dispenser. It also contains white, blue, brown, anda red-pinkish dress. The lighting is sort of dim, It uses lights you would see in many old buildings, it's sort of bright in some areas and dim in others. The woman seems to be relaxing, It is hard to tell what may have happened prior to this image.
It’s a little unpleasing to look at because the lighting is all over the place, some places on the image are dark while others are really bright. The photographer takes the image in the point of view of someone who is observing from the lane over. The depth of field is rather shallow, the girl, chair, and control system are in focus while objects behind them are out of focus. The photographer leave a bit of empty space in places such as the wall and floor.
There could be some small narrative being told, but the image doesn't exactly express that, it seems rather basic. The author may have made this image to entertain or to try to get the viewer to imagine a story. This image reminds me of bowling with my friends, as well as an episode in the show Regular Show which had a group of characters bowling to win a tournament. The image doesn’t challenge beliefs, it does not pose any sort of political belief or position, it simply just is, or exists.
Overall I didn't enjoy the image. The way the image uses lighting is unique and emphasizes on the scoreboard, hence the name, but I found it rather annoying to look at because the lighting is inconsistent. Depending on what the photograph is trying to tell us, it is hard to say whether it is successful or not. The image was not successful in captivating, it annoyed my eyes because of the way the lighting, but it also may be successful in other aspects that are not if its’ good looking.

Abby Muir

10/15/2019 12:38:25 pm

The image appears to be of a woman in an old school bowling alley. The color palette mostly consists of a muted green and bright red. The image is bright, except for maybe a little shadow on the left side. There is a desk and several chairs, along with what appears to be a chalkboard on the wall. It’s an obviously relaxed image, the subject has her feet propped up on the desk.
For me, the focal point was the desk. The bright red against the muted colors immediately drew my attention towards it. There aren’t many lines to direct your eye, except for one on the floor. The photographer crops off the rest of the person, as well as having a big empty space in the middle. There isn’t much use of depth of field.
This image confused me because I’m not really sure what is going on. There isn’t much of a story being told, or at least anything that would suggest at what is happening. Is she alone? Why is she there? This bowling alley also looks really old. Why isn’t she at a newer one?
Overall, this image is not my favorite. There is a lot of empty space in the middle and I lost interest in it pretty quickly. I don’t think the photographer got her point across because I didn’t even know what the point was. It didn’t make much sense to me, and I wouldn’t say it’s “beautiful” or “noteworthy”.

isabella grossman

10/15/2019 12:39:32 pm

In Cig Harveys self portrait, she sits with her feet atop a table in a red sequined dress. The image is taken in an old school bowling alley and the focal point of the image is the scoreboard. The colors in the image are very subtle until the eye is directed at the womans dress which calls attention to the left side of the frame. The warm tones of the wood are contrasted by the cool toe of the green used in the bowling equipment such as the scoreboard, table and chairs. The image has bright highlights and not many dark shadows which conveys a happy and bright situation. There are no faces in the image which forces viewers to develop their own sense of the image which leaves lots of room for the imagination. There is not much action in the image and the borders cut off objects in the image and mainly focuses on the one whole object in the center of the photo. Because the scoreboard is the center of the image viewers may conclude that the image’s message has something to do with keeping score. However, because it is empty, the message may be that keeping track is pointless or irrelevant. Furthermore, despite the fact that the scoreboard is in the middle, the most action occurs in the left hand side of the image where Cig Harvey sits in her dress.

The composition of the image is pretty straightforward as the natural eye is drawn towards the focal point of the image which is the scoreboard. Then, because of its eye catching color, the sequined dress then directs the eye towards it. Both the body and bowling machine are cropped off by the frame.The image is divided by three lines horizontally and vertically. The main focus point would fall in the left hand sided column of the image would mean that the rule of thirds applies to the image. The photograph is a self portrait and is taken from a direct angle that faces evenly towards the wall of the bowling alley. The lines that could alter the direction in which the eyes are pointed to would be the lines of the bowling machine and wall that direct us to the read dress as well as the table that pushes us geometrically towards the body. The depth of field that is being used is deep although the setting of the scene is not so large so most of the image still remains in good clarity. The focal point is the scoreboard and is framed by the flooring and the edges of the image. The subject fills the entire image and the frame crops the main subject off. There is no negative and positive space in this image to the abundance of activity occurring in the image.

The theme of this image is a depiction of self analysis and self exploration an expression. The artist used this medium to create her self portrait and used herself as the subject of her photograph. The artist intentionally made herself standout by her eye catching sequined red dress and used the linear objects in her image to manipulate the eye to draw them towards her. The idea of this image was to provide background sense into who the artist thinks she is or what she thinks of herself personally from a first person perspective. I think that the image is trying to put across a sense of self awareness and promote self love. In my opinion, the image is very inspirational without being aggressive. Its colors call attention to it and make viewers question the true meaning behind the photograph. The image reminds me of the 70’s and makes me think of what is was like for my mother when she was in highschool. Personally, I love the image and its tones and hues. The image is calming with a small touch of jazz which I believe to be the artist’s own personal touch.

I believe that the artists was successful in her creation of the image. I thoroughly enjoy the composition as well as her usage of the linear advantages she has in the objects in the setting.

Mateo

10/15/2019 12:40:50 pm

This photograph taken by Cig Harvey is of a female with their feet on top machine in a vintage or old style bowling alley. There are 3 main colors or shades being used. There is red, green, light brown, white and blue. There is a studio setup lighting being used. There is a chalkboard and an award on the wall. There are two machines that help bring back the bowling balls and one to control the game itself. There is also a lady with a glitter red dress sitting on a blue chair with her feet up. The image is pleasing to look at because it gives off a chill and relaxed vibe. The point of view is from a spectator to the game. The depth of field is a shallow one because there is some blur in the backdrop. The focal point is the scoreboard. The light is shining on it and the lines on the wall directly line up with the edges of the board. The lines all lead to the center of the photograph where the scoreboard is located. The image is unbalanced with color and the brighter colors are on the right side and there is also more things going on on the right side. There is a lot of extra space left that could be filled up and nothing is cropped out. The idea of the image is to capture nostalgia and vintage things that are more modern and make the old things not needed anymore and it captures that time period. The story behind the image is to live a little and to have fun with friends or family and go bowling or do other activities. The intention the artist had for this image was to capture a time period that they miss or want to live through again. This image reminds me of stories and movies that I’ve seen and heard of past time periods. I like this image because of the relaxed vibe and I think it was successful.

Ben Barlow

10/16/2019 11:29:09 pm

Scoreboard is a self portrait taken by Cig Harvey in her visual autobiography titled, You Look at Me Like an Emergency. This scene in particular takes place inside an old-fashioned bowling alley dating back to the ‘60s, even though the photograph was taken in 2005. The camera was positioned facing a wall with the scoreboard primarily taking up the frame. Sitting in a chair right below the scoreboard is Cig Harvey herself, resting her feet on the control table without any shoes on. One bowling ball is visible, resting on the return machine that just collected it. The wood panelling is showing its age, with visible discoloration from where previous scoreboards were hung. The room is well lit, although it does give the impression that the building is quite dated. The strong mint green color seen works nicely with the general aesthetic of the time period. Although Cig Harvey’s feet are visible, her face is obstructed from view.
The image overall is not pleasing to look at predominantly because of the peculiar circumstances. The author purposefully cut herself out of the picture and all that is visible is the tarnished floor. The view takes place from someone that is sitting in chair, the same height as Cig Harvey. The focal length is quite short, because of the close proximity to the wall. The depth of field chosen is shallow, focusing everything in the foreground, while the back is mostly out of focus. The image is not symmetrical because of the uneven break up between the bowling alley and the hard tile floor. The subject hardly fills up the frame, considering all we can see are her legs. Most of the shot is taken up with the unsightly tile and wood paneling that does little to add to the composition of the image
I believe that that this image conveys a major theme of independence, confidence, and insouciance, a lack of concern for others. Cig Harvey photographing herself relaxing her legs on the table shows an attitude of indifference which helps describe her own character. As a self portrait, I think that this picture is brilliant for learning more about the artist from her being obstructed than her visible in the frame. I think it would be hard to specify her exact intention, but I do think Harvey wanted to show a side of her personality in this photograph. Although she might find the photo significant, I myself am not able to draw any notable meaning. I do not find it to be particular fascinating either, considering the strange setting and the fact that the main subject is not within view.
Overall, I personally do not like this image since it is not pleasing to look at. Although Cig Harvey might’ve been able to convey an obscure message to some of her audience, I do not think this photo was successful since it was quite difficult to look at. For most ordinary people I think a picture of a wall in a bowling alley will not appeal to them, and that is why I don’t think they will find it to be exceptionally interesting.

Flint Rose

10/17/2019 06:07:42 pm

This piece is of a lady relaxing at a bowling alley. Described like that there is nothing to this image, but in reality it goes deeper than that. Looking at the first thing that pops out is the scoreboard, an old chalkboard without any scores on it. Looking out from the board we see a 1960’s style bowling alley machine. The viewer then sees the lady relaxing at the chair. She is wearing a bright red dress, the is in stark contrast to the alley, almost as if she is not meant to be there. The alley is not in good repair, this is shown through the second floor starting to sink and beginning to expose the granite foundation.
The rule of thirds can be seen in this image pretty easily because the women in the dress takes up 1 third of the image. Not only does the rule of thirds come up but light is also used very efficiently here as well. The bright light on the scoreboard guides the viewer's eyes to there pretty quickly. We then see the lady laying in the chair. As she is the subject not only does her bright red dress makes her stand out but the rule of thirds is used her perfectly.
Even though the piece has contents which appear to be from the 60’s I believe the intention of it was to be set in present day. The piece gives off this feeling of an old 1960’s bowling alley that has not been used in a long time. Some of the ways you can tell is from the fact that the woman is not doing anything, the floor is in disrepair, and the title object the scoreboard has no scores on it. This piece tells a story of a failing business, with an old scoreboard with nothing to count.
Personally I like this piece. I like how you could perceive this piece in multiple ways. The way I perceived it, or you can also look at it as a time capsule of a time past. I like how through only the piece we can get multiple stories. Stories are what I look for in art, so this piece gives me just what I am looking for.

Isaiah Rettig link

11/5/2019 06:57:14 pm

The photo is a shot of the scoreboard at an old bowling alley with the alley to the right showing the ball dispenser and the left someone relaxing with their feet on the table. The image has a brown background with green objects and a person wearing red. The images’s lighting is bright and focuses on the scoreboard in the middle.
The image is pleasing to look at because of its vibrant colors and contrast. The point of view is from the next alley. The focal point is the scoreboard in the middle. The next thing you will probably see is the person since their feet almost crosses the board. The bowling dispenser and the person are both cut off from the frame.
While nothing is happening in the image it can be assumed that things have happened. For instance you can see that around the wall decoration it looks like the scoreboard was there originally but was moved for some reason. The ball dispenser shows a bowling ball still out so perhaps the person isn’t done playing. Or you might notice that the person is wearing a sparkling red dress, an outfit not commonly worn while bowling so maybe they weren't playing at all. The person is also not wearing shoes. While bowling you are supposed to wear bowling shoes to stop yourself from slipping. Not wearing any shoes could be dangerous because you might drop the bowling ball. A theme could be carefree or reckless. Because the person is at a bowling alley in the wrong outfit and with no bowling shoes or any shoes at all.
I hate this photo, everything about this image is wrong. Why move the scoreboard to the right it leaves an ugly mark where it was. Was it moved to put the wall decoration? The wall decoration doesn’t help it still looks ugly. Why not put the decoration where the scoreboard is now. Why is the girl wearing a dress at a bowling alley. This image fails to in aesthetic beauty and anything it was trying to do.

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Period 6 -- Critical Analysis #2

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