Choosing the right related text!

[elysepopplewell]

Hello,

Do you guys have any recommendations on a related text for Aos which could also work and help with module C?
Not sure if this helps but my core text for Aos is short history of nearly everything and for mod c it is brave new world.

Thanks!

I know Jamon just mentioned it above, but Humans of New York works magnificently across Module C (for politics and landscapes) and AOS. When looking at HONY, look specifically at series. Here's the link to the series posted. Some gel better with politics and some gel better with landscapes. In my opinion, it's a seriously good related text that's underused!

[Sukakadonkadonk]

I know Jamon just mentioned it above, but Humans of New York works magnificently across Module C (for politics and landscapes) and AOS. When looking at HONY, look specifically at series. Here's the link to the series posted. Some gel better with politics and some gel better with landscapes. In my opinion, it's a seriously good related text that's underused!

Hi again,

Thanks for the kind recommendation, will definitely look into it some more. Seeing that individual stories are quite short, would it work to talk about multiple stories in our essay?

Also, some of the Tropfest short films were made known to me to be a text to analyse. If I were to pick up another related text, do you have an idea on which ones work with discovery?

Thanks for your help!

[sudodds]

Hello,

Do you guys have any recommendations on a related text for Aos which could also work and help with module C?
Not sure if this helps but my core text for Aos is short history of nearly everything and for mod c it is brave new world.

Thanks!

I didn't study your texts, but i realised half way through studying 'Candide' by Voltaire for Mod C ORT that I could have used it for discovery as well.

[elysepopplewell]

Hi again,

Thanks for the kind recommendation, will definitely look into it some more. Seeing that individual stories are quite short, would it work to talk about multiple stories in our essay?

Also, some of the Tropfest short films were made known to me to be a text to analyse. If I were to pick up another related text, do you have an idea on which ones work with discovery?

Thanks for your help!

You can definitely talk about multiple photos from a series. In fact, you could talk about different photos from different series, or you could just keep it in the one series. You've got text and visuals to work with, which is why I think HONY is a strong choice.

I haven't been keeping up with Tropfest recently, but I know that a few years ago they had the theme/symbol of "key" and I remember looking at some of these in class and finding them to be very relevant. Perhaps that's a good starting point

[samuels1999]

Hi Elyse,

When it comes to related text for discoevry I like to cover a broad range of themes that relate to discovery along with different forms.
However I have realised that finding a good painting or photograph that has an obvious representation of disocovery is a bit difficult. Nevertheless, I did manage to find this image by Rembrant called "Belshazzar's Feast".
I have attached it below. Could you have a look at it and tell me if it is a good painting to use...and if it isn't, do you have any that you recommend?

Thanks heaps,
Samuel

[jamonwindeyer]

Hi Elyse,

When it comes to related text for discoevry I like to cover a broad range of themes that relate to discovery along with different forms.
However I have realised that finding a good painting or photograph that has an obvious representation of disocovery is a bit difficult. Nevertheless, I did manage to find this image by Rembrant called "Belshazzar's Feast".
I have attached it below. Could you have a look at it and tell me if it is a good painting to use...and if it isn't, do you have any that you recommend?

Thanks heaps,
Samuel

This is going to sound a little weird, but I think this is the best way. Let's see you prove to us that it is worthy of study! Do your absolute best to answer this question in a paragraph:

How does Rembrant's "Belshazzar's Feast" portray a viewpoint on Discovery?

Answering this question will force you to look for techniques, look for concepts, look for things to analyse. Give it a go! Elyse or I will let you know if we think you've got enough analytical depth there

[samuels1999]

I think I understand why you asked me to do that. I have been spending quite a long time staring at the image and trying to find representations and concepts of discovery. And to be honest apart from the physically obvious discovery of the writing on the wall along with the response it prompts from those viewing it, there isn't much to the image. I mean I can see how the composer creates such an effect with visual techniques such as lighting, vectors, salient point etc. But I feel it is a very shallow one dimensional representation. There is nothing more to it metaphorically or symbolically. It is just a moment in time in which the composer captures a response of shock and awe to a discovery.

So I think I'll look for some text that has more than one dimension of meaning.

I still remember from a previous answer you gave that you said you can use a text if you use it right. Now in the Section where Elyse suggests related texts, she recommends the following:
Picasso - Guernica
Rene Magritte - The Treachery of Images
The Savage State by Thomas Cole

Now I honestly cannot see how they portray or represent discovery...
This is probably because I have no real idea with regard to analysing visual texts and extracting deep meaning from them.
Could you please clarify this?

(Sorry for the long response. And for not writing out my paragraph (which was quite pathetic))

Thanks a whole lot,
Samuel


 

[jamonwindeyer]

I think I understand why you asked me to do that. I have been spending quite a long time staring at the image and trying to find representations and concepts of discovery. And to be honest apart from the physically obvious discovery of the writing on the wall along with the response it prompts from those viewing it, there isn't much to the image. I mean I can see how the composer creates such an effect with visual techniques such as lighting, vectors, salient point etc. But I feel it is a very shallow one dimensional representation. There is nothing more to it metaphorically or symbolically. It is just a moment in time in which the composer captures a response of shock and awe to a discovery.

So I think I'll look for some text that has more than one dimension of meaning.

I still remember from a previous answer you gave that you said you can use a text if you use it right. Now in the Section where Elyse suggests related texts, she recommends the following:
Picasso - Guernica
Rene Magritte - The Treachery of Images
The Savage State by Thomas Cole

Now I honestly cannot see how they portray or represent discovery...
This is probably because I have no real idea with regard to analysing visual texts and extracting deep meaning from them.
Could you please clarify this?

(Sorry for the long response. And for not writing out my paragraph (which was quite pathetic))

Thanks a whole lot,
Samuel

Ahaha it's totally okay. I almost don't expect a paragraph response when I ask that question. Most of the time when I ask it, something clicks, and you realise that you don't quite have enough (though in saying that, you explained yourself well, you could have done it if you tried I reckon) you'll know you are on to something when you feel confident writing that paragraph

Visual texts are tough. By nature, they will not portray as much conceptually as a poem or a novel or a film. Using them is a hard road - You are right, you need something special. Either that or you need to semi-cheat and use several related visual texts (EG - Multiple images from Humans of New York) to get the required conceptual breadth. Depth isn't usually the issue - Visual texts can portray a single concept extremely well. But portraying multiple concepts is near impossible.

Those visual texts are very interpretive, very abstract. There is no actual discovery taking place in the image, rather the use of techniques conveys aspects of discovery. For example, Guernica is an anti-war piece, but the composition of the piece and the bland colour palette conveys negative aspects of discovery. You need to work harder to make those connections yourself!

Keep working at it. Is there a reason you definitely want a visual text? If you are after conceptual breadth as you stated earlier, a visual text may not be the best choice to satisfy that purpose

[samuels1999]

Oh Ok
Thanks, that really helped.

Just one more personal question....if there was one photo or painting that you would choose, what would it be?

Thanks,
Samuel

[elysepopplewell]

Oh Ok
Thanks, that really helped.

Just one more personal question....if there was one photo or painting that you would choose, what would it be?

Thanks,
Samuel

It's hard to say, visual texts weren't what I gravitated towards. But, if I did, it would be this artwork here which is a Cold War piece. My knowledge of the Cold War as an influence on texts is pretty good because I studied it in Extension One, so it would be my pick!

[parthie]

I had to do Dobson poems for discovery do you think that these related texts would be okay

Unbroken the film by Angelina Jolie

and

Eat Pray Love the book

any help would be great thanks

[elysepopplewell]

I had to do Dobson poems for discovery do you think that these related texts would be okay

Unbroken the film by Angelina Jolie

and

Eat Pray Love the book

any help would be great thanks

I definitely think you can work with those texts! I don't know your prescribed text so I'm unsure of how the arguments that you would present would follow, but from a quick search online there doesn't seem to be a lot of critical analysis of the Eat Pray Love book, it's not a well-studied English text by the looks of it. If you're confident in your own analysis, you have no need for this, so carry on! But if you're a student who wants to fall back on other people's experiences of studying the text, then this mightn't be the one for you.

I think you could do great things with it though, because the book is in such clear stages you can easily identify shifts in perspectives!

[parthie]

I definitely think you can work with those texts! I don't know your prescribed text so I'm unsure of how the arguments that you would present would follow, but from a quick search online there doesn't seem to be a lot of critical analysis of the Eat Pray Love book, it's not a well-studied English text by the looks of it. If you're confident in your own analysis, you have no need for this, so carry on! But if you're a student who wants to fall back on other people's experiences of studying the text, then this mightn't be the one for you.

I think you could do great things with it though, because the book is in such clear stages you can easily identify shifts in perspectives!

Thanks so much elyse!! I think I am going to go with it because I generally tend to write my own analysis then get it marked so I think I can manage it

[elysepopplewell]

Thanks so much elyse!! I think I am going to go with it because I generally tend to write my own analysis then get it marked so I think I can manage it

I'd love to know how you go with these texts, when you get further into the analysis please let me know how you go with these related texts!

[ajajaj]

Hey guys,
I'm thinking of doing V for Vendetta for AOS and was able to find two themes in the movie that related to discovery. Jamon - if you still have them, could you please send me your analysis / essay of the film? It would really help alot! Apologies if you've already answered a question like this.
Thanks!