Study Task 01: Image Analysis Exercise

In todays Context of Practice session, we were taught how to analysis two different images that represented slavery in America. On the given piece of paper we got given with the two images in, we had to compare and contrast the two images in relation to the following: the choice and organisation of font and style of illustration, purpose and meaning of the image, target/potential audience of the image and historical contexts relevant to the production of the image. We also had to mention the following in the analysis.

• Society (Social values (structures) at the time)
• Culture (The culture of images production, and that it depicts - Cultural Values)
• Technology (Technologies relevant to the production of the image)
• Politics (The political context of the time and the images politics)
• History (Does the image lay claim to history, or write a biased history as fact?

The first image that we analysis was "The Uncle Sam Range (1879) Advertising Image by Schumacher & Ettlinger, New York".

In this image, we explored how this picture represents America with other countries discussing trading or celebrating importance of goods between countries. This is indicated by the list of trading food which the global is reading, this highlights how America has more dominants compared to other countries which is shown on the picture. Because of the few amount of people representing the countries, this reference how America has more control to a larger amount of people. Another way America is portrayed by it's powerful, this is due to the colours in the picture. The colours on the image is the iconic American colours: red, blue and white. This has heavy American colours indicating the American spirit which is similar to Britannia's spirit. The image presents how America is providing food and feeding other countries by the slave trade, this is demonstrated by the slave in the left corner cooking with all the pots and pans. Here America is advertising how slave trade can be good as they can cook and provide a meal to the table for families, not only American family but families all over the world. The global is represented by a person due to how America is satisfying the whole world, thus they're purpose is to make the whole world happy with the use of the slave trade. The use of serif typeface makes it look like this image is like an advertisement, the word "range" means the range of goods that America possess. Therefore, the slave trade is a one of these goods that America provide. This is symbolises by the one African doing the domestics, as though he is swapping places with women. This identifies how this slave trade is a good thing for domestic women, meaning they do not need to do the typical house jobs, this also adverts how the slave trade is a good thing. The art design is very cartoony, chaotic, busy and unorganised, highlighting how hectic that time period was trying to keep and make money. The way that the image is layout is though they are having a discussion like a politics meeting. The slave trade is similar to a sort of business this is strengthen by the word "range" in the image. The clock in the image also tells the time of year this image is set in, "1776-1876" this is significant as this was the time of the slave trade era, proving how this is mostly impacting the slave trade moment. The people in the image have all smiley faces, and mostly higher/wealthy class people. The old fashion clothes strengthen the time era as they are higher class people. They drawing is also mainly hand drawn symbolises that there was no technology that time era.

The second image that we analysis was "Empire Marketing Board - 'East African Transport Old Style' and 'East African Transport New Style' By Adrian Allinson, from the 'Colonial Progress Brings Home Prosperity' seris of poster, displayed December 1930-January 1931; Waterlow and Sons Ltd.

In the top image it shows an African Tribe of women, children and animals. They are carrying food and water on foot, thus the women in the picture look very unhappy and tired. Therefore this image advertises how African women are struggling working in this kind of environment as a way of surviving and living in their country or homes. In the image underneath the top one, it presents the African men working with a English person as I can see who is in charge. This can be depict by the big contrast of clothing between the Englishman and African men. Even though this era was during the slave trade times, the African men are not seen to be captured at all, there are no chains on them. This is could suggest they are working out of their own liberty.This is strengthen by the environment the working African men are in is still the same as the one the women and children are. Overall the message could be that there is no slave trade but only that the Englishmen is helping the African men discover that they are made to do this sort of labour in life. The Englishmen might be teaching the African men about how to do industrial work to provide them with the skills and knowledge of working in this kind of area of work. This is strengthen by the transport that some of the African men are travelling on. Thus this means how the bring technology to the Africans can help them survive in their daily lives. Or even the way that African men can help provide money, food, water etc. for their family so they women do not need to do labour. This statement can be supported by the chosen wording of the poster "EAST-AFRICAN TRANSPORT - OLD STYLE" and "EAST-AFRICAN TRANSPORT - NEW STYLE". The words that they have chosen contrast between on other "OLD" and "NEW". This could indicate how with this new system that life for the Africans can be much easier and enjoyable. Therefore it convinces the audience how this new slave trade system is a good thing as they are providing and aiding them from their problems. The style of this artwork is very cut out and printed compared to the pervious image. Highlighting how modern this time era was, the same goes with the san serif and capital letters stands out.

In conclusion "The Uncle Sam Range" advertising image is very relax and comfortable piece of artwork. It is very abstract and it is quite colloquial as though it shows off the wealth and status of the people within the image, whilst the one African is working hard by multitasking cooking all the "range" goods that Uncle Sam's Range provides for the world. Whereas, the "Empire Marketing Board" image is more serious due to the focus of detail with the expression of the Africans faces and the colour of the background or environment it is set in. There it advertises how slave labour is a good thing as it can provide food, water, skills, money etc. for the family and that way African women do not need to do anymore labour for their families and let all the men do all the hard work.