Curt Merlo.

Key features in the image:

• The snake has been chopped up , and it is a vicious looking snake.
• The knife next to it looks to have done the chopping as it has blood on it. 
• But these featres together form the word ISIS , a terrorist group and with the text about creates the sentces" How to deal with ISIS.
• So the evil snake represents IS and the knife is destroying it, however the snake could have been chopped up in relation to the beheading that the group have performed.  

The colours used:

• Again this images has a red background and it is suggesting the evil and darkness of the image, also relates to the killing of the snake.
• The snake looks to have quite a few colours but is mainly dark and these colour reflect the dark character of the animal and make it look sinister.
• But the red background really highlights the other features well, and is able to evoke a certain mood.

Technique:

• Print.
• Good to get an idea of the process from the texture left over and add better tonal value to the background.
• The use of using the objects to spell the key word is clever and lead me as the veiwer to make suggestions about what the articular is about and piece it all together.

    

 

Sebastien Thibault.

Key features in the image:

• The hand holding the mouse suggests that the articular has something to do with technology.
• The Balancing weights and the hammer suggest justice.
• and the mask as the other weight bowl is that of internet hacking group anonymous.
• So I think that it is about how crimes like hacking go under the raider of the courts and is not brought to justice.

Use of colour:

• The red background suggests evil as it is a bright red and makes the eye of the mask look angry.
• The black hands and weights are well contrasted against the background and it makes for a better aesthetic to see the print texture coming through.
•   Also how the hand is in one solid black colour makes it appear unidentifiable which relates to the subject of the image.
• The More significant objects are highlighted in white and stand out from the rest of the image. I also allows the viewer to see the first and piece together the image from there.
• It is also smart how the mouse wire leads the viewer up to the rest of the image.

Technique:

• The technique used looks like print as the textures of print are present.
•  I t evokes a rebellious protest feel to me, because most protest posters/flyers are printed in order for it to be mass produced. 
• And having block symbols allows for a universal reorganisation of the features in the image.

Boo Radley

Boo Radley is the creepy neighbour to Jem and Scout, He is described at the end of the novel as a mocking bird. He like Harper Lee is a recluse, and there are various rumours made up about him and his life through out the book. I did struggle with finding good content to include in the image and I eventually decided to add the developed marks and birds in to make it look slightly tree like. As in the story Boo has a tree outside his out that the children discover mysterious objects from him in.

• I again deiced that coloured pencil was the best way to go again as I really wanted the face to have a wide range of tone and I wanted to go to town on the wrinkles I imagen Radley to have. However I not sure looking at this piece, that the tree aspect of the image works that well? However I think that it dose give that element of mystery around the character still. 

Character drawings.

Jem - The reason I have drawn them facing away is to demonstration both Jem's and Scout's obliviousness to what is happening in there community, the racism e.c.t. , And the wings reperesent the innocence in the whole issue. Both characters never see anyone any differently , they are all just people regards of skin colour. They are very powerful characters who have there own values and opinions.  

• I did this drawing in fine liner , which I never normal use now but I like how the line quality is clear and I can play around with the value of it. For example I really liked Jem's hair as it has strong tones and is finely detailed. 

• Scout's image has the same meaning behind it as Jem's, But I did this with coloured pencil and I think that it gives a lighter mood to the image. where as the fine liner gave quite harsh sting lines. Suite the image better to use light , softer medias. I also this that I was able to create a wider tone value in this as the medium allowed me to apply different pressures and get different lines. 

• Over all I think I prefer using coloured pencil because of the wider tonal value , but fine liner dose show detail a bit more clearly. 

Mono Print experiements.

• I have found that by experimenting with the technique of mono print:
• Firstly that the mood of the whole image changes into something more darker. As certain aspects like, line quality and the amount of texture are out of my control, and overall I think for more interesting images.
• I like it when the ink bleeds slightly and distorts the shape it gives a hazy and thoughtful feel to it. 
• I messiness of the technique, I find really satisfying and the fact that I don't have be so precises with what I am drawing encourages me to experiment/play more. 
• Using different colours other then black would be a nice idea in future, see how it effects the presentation of the work?
• Changing stock too ?
• Also printing over other mediums like paper is a good technique to use when highlighting specific points of the images, for example the hand reaching up to the birds. 

Harper Lee Influences- NAACP.

The National Associations for the Advancement of Coloured People is mentioned heavily in Go Set A Watchman as it popularity was growing especially in the 1940's. It's main aim was to get black people the vote , so they where able to gain some control over the miss justice that was happening. The movement is still going today with strong backing and these are the values they stand by:

• ·         To ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of all citizens
• ·         To achieve equality of rights and eliminate race prejudice among the citizens of the United States
• ·         To remove all barriers of racial discrimination through democratic processes
• ·         To seek enactment and enforcement of federal, state, and local laws securing civil rights
• ·         To inform the public of the adverse effects of racial discrimination and to seek its elimination
• ·         To educate persons as to their constitutional rights and to take all lawful action to secure the exercise thereof, and to take any other lawful action in furtherance of these objectives, consistent with the NAACP's Articles of Incorporation and this Constitution.

http://www.naacp.org/pages/our-mission

Harper Lee influences - KKK

In Go Set A Watchman it looks like Atticus (the father) joined a racist Klan. There where hints in the book to hooded faces and burning crosses and this made me think that it could have been the KKK (Ku Klux Klan). In the 1930/40's they where a white supremacist group that has a string following and would unlawfully attack black people. There attacks included tarring and feathering , in which they would cover a half naked black person in hot tar and place normally chicken feather over them. This was used as a painful act of humiliation.

    The KKK also did the horrific act of lynchings. Some of these would be viewed by thousands of people as public entertainment. Also images where taken of the act and where later sold on like souvenirs. Some of the lynchings where brutal and including not just hanging but in some extremes chopping of fingers and castration.  The Klan is still active today but with a very very small following.

 

Influences of Harper Lee- The Great Depression.

Stock Market crash was thought to have caused the depression when it was infact due to the expensive brands and products. And in order for people to afford then the accumulated a large amount of debt and as a result the banks where owned money.

There was mass unemployment especially in the lower classed and thousands had to take to the roads in order to find work. Protests took place out side government buildings. Small makeshift towns where built called Hovervills and Bread lines where huge. The lack of money left many people desperately poor.

One of the most iconic images of the depression. It depicts a mother with here three young children. Who looks like she is waiting for a Husband or another family member to return from the road after seeking work.  There cloth and hair look dirty and torn.

 A Hoovervill,  perhaps deliberately named so after the present of the time Herbert Hover?

influences of Harper Lee- Images from 1930's Alabama.

• These images are taken from Alabama in the 1930's. 
• during this time it was the american depression where these was a huge lack on money and people became poor and starving.
• But there was still a very strong black and white divide, for example this image of the three boys. 
• Black people during this time where seen as a much lower social class , less intelligent to white people. So they refused to be educated with them. 
• On big factor that worries me about this image is the fact that the boys look young. Could the views of the society they live in of had an influence on them? 
• It looks like they are at a protest and they are holding the painted sign , so could this image have been taken to appear in a news paper? 
• As a black person being surrounded by all this hate aimed towards you how would you feel seeing this image? scared, anger, belittled, insulted, isolated. But given it was the 1930's Alabama images and people expressing the views could have been a common occurrence.   

• Example of Black and White segregation laws.

• Poorer outskirts of Alabama, made poorer by the depression.  

• Black workers.

• White family.

• This women looks like how I image the character Calpuria. This women looks like she could have a similar job as she is wearing a white pinny and hair is warped in a cloth. she looks like a maid. 

5 Qutoes: Harper Lee.

• "You deny them hope. Any man in this world, Atticus, any man who has a head and arms and legs, was born with hope in his heart."- (Jean Lousie- Go Set A Watchman.)

• "Every man's island, Jean Louise, every man's watchman is his conscience."-(Uncle Jack- Go Set A Watchman.)

• "The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rules is a person's conscience."-(Harper Lee)

•  "Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy..... That's why is it a sin to kill a mockingbird"(To Kill A Mocking Bird)

• "He likened Tom's death to the senseless slaughter of a songbird by hunters ....."(Jean Louise - To Kill A Mocking Bird.)

Other quotes found:

• "You never really understand a person till you consider things from his perspective."(Harper Lee)
• "Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit'em, but rember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."(To Kill a Mockingbird)
• "Real courage is when you know you're licked before you being, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what."(Harper Lee).  

• "You're colour blind Jean Louise."(Uncle Jack- Go Set A Watchman.)

Go Set A Watchman.

                                                                                                   

Key Points:

• This book was written before to  kill a mockingbird.
• Jean Louise stands up for what she knows is right.
• AND THIS IS THE MEANING BEHIND THE TITLE!:Go set a watchman,
• Uncle Jack"Every man's island Jean Louise , every man's watchman, is his conscience" this means sticking to your guns and do what you think is right and wrong.
• In to kill a mockingbird- Atticus is a man for equality and justice. So when Atticus turns out to be racist in go set a watchman this angered people including me! 
• But at the end of the book this is addressed through the character of Uncle Jack. Saying that even people with extreme views deserve a chance.
• The Book also talks about the NAACP- National association for the advancement of coloured people. 
• And it shows the battle between the blacks and whites , and how this effects the town of Maycomb. Which is a small focus that demonstrates the wider problem.

The reason the book was published:

• Harper Lee at this time was elderly and had a stroke previously which left her in a care home.
• Her sight and ability to hear was failing.
• She was unable to make her own decisions.
• Harper Lee's lawyer/ assistant said that Lee would sign anything you put in from of her. And this was exploited in the publishing of Go set a Watchman.
• After the assistant died her junior lawyer found Lee's Go set a watchman , got it published then claimed the money. 
• BUT LEE NEVER WANTED THE BOOK PUBLISHED AND SHE HAD SAID THAT FOR DECADES.!!!
• This was taking advantage of Harper Lee's vulnerability and it was just down right mean!

My view:

• I am really sad about the chance in Atticus views as he grew older , he was a strong and influence character in Mockingbird and now he is owning leaflets that talk about the so called black plague!
• Harper Lee I think it still expressing herself and her views through Scout(Jean Louise), even though some of her story is written in the 3rd person , she is the character that carries the story. 
• The circumstance under which the book was published was cruel and went against Harper Lee's wishes. I think that she still wanted to keep the character of Atticus as he was and knowing that Watchman would wreck this perception of him .
• Even though Lee's books really do take a bit of getting into they really do says some significant facts about people and how judgemental we can be and  the different views and beliefs people hold  

 

Chosen Harper Lee.

Author is Harper Lee.
Reasons for choosing:

• Herself and her beliefs and characteristics relate with the characters particularly Scout. And also how she based it on her child hood and so gives a unique insight into the racism that occurred in society in the 1930's.

•  The Topics of Racism and sexism really makes my blood boil and it is something that I am becoming increasingly interested and passionate about. I want to investigate more into how it effected people, as it is evident these issues still here are today.

• The passion and frustration people feel towards these topics is inspiring and amazing ! 

•  It is to do with real peoples issues! Even though it has been put into a fictional story things like the miss-justice in the trial of black people , slave trade and the segregation laws still happened. And I really am fascinated by real people problems and stories as I find it is more relative  when it comes to communicating. 

• There aren't many stories that are set during this time period , that I know of. And again because some of it is based on first hand accounts of that time it is more likely to give the reader a better and deeper understanding , rather then coming from secondary information. 

• I really empathises and relate to the characters in both books. Scout is a child and seeing the civil rights war , a child who has no prejudgements on people and there appearances and is viewing everyone as equal. She also has a nanny/maid called Calpuria who is black and she is like a mum to scout. But she like Scout has moments where she sees all people as equal and this had a impression on Scout.  

• The time period and the mistreatment of black people. I want to investigate more into, why there were mistreated by whites ? How this impacted on them? And why are we still battling for equal right now?
• Also the is a very specific amount of information on Harper Lee and the topics she addresses have a good amount of focused information on them.  I think it would be good for me to do an author who's doesn't have loads and loads of information about them. I made that mistake in Person's of note and I don't 

Why not Kafka and Shakespeare:

• Kafka was interesting and his work reflected him a lot but his work is very morbid and sad and for this brief I would like to do something that could have a softer side but also a big issue for many more people.

• Shakespeare I feel he has tones of work and a lot of information on his which is still debated weather it is true or not .So trying to filter all that down to come out with focused clear outcome would be tricky and I would just get too lost. As in passed projects I have always over complicated things. Even though he is a phomonial writer and there are loads of theories surrounding him , I would prefer to try something new and focus more on real life political/cultural issues.

London Globe Theature and the V and A

On a trip to London I went to the globe theatre to see the space in which the plays where performed and to gain a better understanding of the time period because the building is very historical and authentic. Unfortunately there was a staging of Mcbeth on so there were no tours going round. However though got some went to the globe a few years previously and went on a tour. And the theatre is a very clever piece of engineering as no microphones are used it is all acoustics , and apparently the architect had philological issues after building it and was imprisoned in Bethlehem Hospital. The theatre was also smaller then I expected and thinking about how many people went there it would have been very cramped. And as a consequence of the teatre being so cramped and small , on hot days the theare would get very warm and audience members would and still faint due to the heat. Particularly in the standing areas. The stage itself is also quite small too but is can be seen clearly from all angles and it called thrust stage.  It was good to know that plays are still being performed there as they would have been in the 1500-1600 . It really help develop peoples understanding and able to feel the impact of Shakespeare's work. Also in an V and A exhibition there were Shakespearean costumes , there is a huge amount of crafting that goes into making to cloths and the flamboyance of them really echos the time period and the styles. The colours and shapes used in them too is fascinating as they are very expressive and would communicate things for example that the character to have wore this would have been rich. There was also a small model of the inside of the globe.

                 

 

I swear by horrible histories!

The film give an imaginative interpretation of what happens to Shakespeare in between moving from Stafford to London. There is a lack of information about this time in Shakespeare's life and this film is also another example of how his life and work has been introduced to new  younger audiences again resonating his impact. It also shows significant issues that were happening at the time like the Spanish invasion and the range of Queen Elizabeth 1st.

3rd author - William Shakespeare.

• Shakespeare was born in Stafford upon Avon and was the 3rd of 8 children. 
• He married Anna Hathaway at the age of 18 and had 3 children - Susanna, Judith and Hamnet.
• Hamnet sadly died at the age of 11 , and in later years Shakespeare his sons death inspired him to write Hamlet. 
• Shakespeare was widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. His words and phrases are still being used today in mordern language for example, "Be all and end all" ( Mcbeth.) , "Laughing stock"(Merry wives of Windsor). And his plays appeared in a wide range of genres , comedies, romance, dramas, tragedy and historical. In total he wrote 38 plays, 154 sonnets and a series of poems. 
• However there is much contrivercy surrounding weather Shakespeare actually wrote his own works. It was said it could be a series of writers or other individuals like Francis Beacon or Edward De Vere 17th earl of oxford. 
• Being a play write at this time is very controversial and it could have been that any of those people hid behind the persona of Shakespeare. After his death doubts started to arise.     
• But a analysis process called Stylomatery allowed experts to go through the plays looking for things like similar word arrangement, how they were written e.c.t However it was proven that it was just one person that wrote them but 100% sure it is Shakespeare. 
• It is in no doubt that the works themselves have had a lasting impact and that they are still being adapted and modernised for new audiences. 

• And when Shakespeare Grave was excavated they found that his head was missing. unknown why. 

Author influence -Jim Crow - anti black laws.

The name Jim Crow came about from a popular white entertainer in the 1830-40s who portrayed a black slave caleed Jim Crow. In the 1930's these laws where set to dictate black peoples way of life.  

• 
  
• A black male could not offer his hand (to shake hands) with a white male because it implied being socially equal. Obviously, a black male could not offer his hand or any other part of his body to a white woman, because he risked being accused of rape.
•  
• Blacks and whites were not supposed to eat together. If they did eat together, whites were to be served first, and some sort of partition was to be placed between them.
•  
• Under no circumstance was a black male to offer to light the cigarette of a white female -- that gesture implied intimacy.
•  
• Blacks were not allowed to show public affection toward one another in public, especially kissing, because it offended whites.
•  
• Jim Crow etiquette prescribed that blacks were introduced to whites, never whites to blacks. For example: "Mr. Peters (the white person), this is Charlie (the black person), that I spoke to you about."
•  
• Whites did not use courtesy titles of respect when referring to blacks, for example, Mr., Mrs., Miss., Sir, or Ma'am. Instead, blacks were called by their first names. Blacks had to use courtesy titles when referring to whites, and were not allowed to call them by their first names.
• 
  
• If a black person rode in a car driven by a white person, the black person sat in the back seat, or the back of a truck.

• White motorists had the right-of-way at all intersections.

Stetson Kennedy, the author of Jim Crow Guide (1990),:

•     Never assert or even intimate that a white person is lying.
•     Never impute dishonourable intentions to a white person.
•     Never suggest that a white person is from an inferior class.
•     Never lay claim to, or overly demonstrate, superior knowledge or intelligence.
•     Never curse a white person.
•     Never laugh derisively at a white person.
•     Never comment upon the appearance of a white female.
• http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/what.htm- (referance)

Feminist Theorys of Harper Lee.

Harper Lee shares a lot of characteristics with the main character in to kill a Mockingbird Scout. Scout is contently told by her aunt who live with the family that the way she dresses and acts is inappropriate and she is forced to get involved in her Aunts social events (when scout would much rather go and play with Jem and Dill), in which the women are all fit with society supposed norms of how women should behave. Scout appears like a stereotypical male child , she goes on adventures, played with her brother and Dill, goes outside and plays in the mud for example.

Also in the trial of Tom Robinson the Judge asked the women at one point to leave the court room as there where seen as two fragile for the intensity of the case. This was an example of Harper Lee's view on how society viewed women, Weak, Fragile, less opinionated , should behave with elegance and politeness.  I love the character of scout because she is a prime example of showing how you should just act as yourself regardless of gender and how you are per sieved based on that.   

Feminism is still a huge topic today and i think that this speech by Emma Watson is inspiring and the campaine she represents, highlight very important issues that need to change. I think it also realates to a lot of what Harper Lee is saying through the character of Scout.