romanticism vs. realism

Predicting Your FuturePredicting Your Future

What technology will the future bring?

“Computers in the future will weigh no less than 1.5 tons.” - Popular Mechanics, 1949

Can you locate the face?Can you locate the face?

How people study art…

• Professional/Criticism: what works, from an aesthetic or persuasive point, in visual communication, what doesn’t?

• Audience-Oriented: what does the audience see/believe when they see a particular image?

• Semiotic: what metaphors are used and to what effect?

• Cultural Studies: What do the images tell us about ourselves and our worldview?

• Realism and formalism are 2 main styles a Realism and formalism are 2 main styles a movie falls under in filming technique.movie falls under in filming technique.

• Realism strives for an objective view and makes Realism strives for an objective view and makes use of actual locations, authentic costumes, and use of actual locations, authentic costumes, and handheld documentary style shots to add a handheld documentary style shots to add a sense of reality to film.sense of reality to film.

• Formalism uses techniques that express the Formalism uses techniques that express the filmmaker’s artistic view (even distorting images) filmmaker’s artistic view (even distorting images) and aim for the emotional symbolism in style.and aim for the emotional symbolism in style.

Formalism vs. RealismFormalism vs. Realism

• Open Form: window on the world; random composition in the frame; candid effect; suggests freedom of choice in the filmic world

• Closed Form: planned and elaborate composition; formalistic and expressive; suggests entrapment in the filmic world

• The camps are opposed aesthetically: a The camps are opposed aesthetically: a formalist might argue that realism is too formalist might argue that realism is too plain to be great art, where a realist might plain to be great art, where a realist might argue that artistic value lies in the story argue that artistic value lies in the story itself, and formalism damages that by itself, and formalism damages that by drawing too much attention to the way the drawing too much attention to the way the story is told. story is told.

Romanticism/Formalism/Closed CompositionJulia Margaret Cameron

• 1815-18791815-1879• English photographer known for English photographer known for

her portraits of eminent people her portraits of eminent people

of the day, and for her romantic of the day, and for her romantic pictures which, despite their pictures which, despite their technical imperfections, technical imperfections,

stand the test of timestand the test of time

• Not a great technician.Not a great technician.

• Some negatives show unevenSome negatives show uneven

coating of collodion, and dust particles that lend a coating of collodion, and dust particles that lend a dream quality. dream quality.

• Many prints are faded. Many prints are faded.

• But Cameron had tremendous capacity to visualize a But Cameron had tremendous capacity to visualize a mythic drama--her portraits show vitality that the mythic drama--her portraits show vitality that the work of her peers did not. work of her peers did not.

• Exposures lasting between one & seven minutes.Exposures lasting between one & seven minutes.

RealismWalker Evans

American photographer of the Great American photographer of the Great Depression era. A sensibility that is Depression era. A sensibility that is characterized by isolation, melancholy, characterized by isolation, melancholy, and loneliness.and loneliness.

• Open Form Framing

• Scenes with sparse qualities—city streets, Scenes with sparse qualities—city streets, half-empty theaters, gas stations, railroad half-empty theaters, gas stations, railroad tracks, rooming houses.tracks, rooming houses.

• Chilling, alienating, and often vacuous places. People Chilling, alienating, and often vacuous places. People may appear terribly alone. may appear terribly alone.

• According to Irving Singer, there are two kinds of film According to Irving Singer, there are two kinds of film theorists as well as makers - formalists and realists - and theorists as well as makers - formalists and realists - and since the formative years of film theory their differences since the formative years of film theory their differences have been at the core of controversies in film criticism. have been at the core of controversies in film criticism.

• Basically, formalists adhere to the idea that film is art Basically, formalists adhere to the idea that film is art and not a recording of reality and not a recording of reality

• Realists believe that film is meant to be a more or less Realists believe that film is meant to be a more or less direct reproduction of reality.direct reproduction of reality.

“Every act of seeing is also an act of NOT seeing”(~Shirato and Webb/Roland Barthes)

Types of Visual Messages

Direct/Pure—what we see in the world

Mediated/Interpreted—what we see on photography, TV, in film, magazines, on signs and billboards, on the Internet…