1. Explain why Voices in The Park is an example of a postmodern picturebook.
Voices in The Park is a great example of a postmodern picturebook because it
does not follow the direct causality pattern of traditional stories. It has unusual pictures that don't go with with the traditional stories and it consists of four "separate" sub-plots which are related, but the reader can decide in what way the story becomes meaningful.
2. Give examples of how at least three of the picturebook codes listed on pg 78 are used in Voices In The Park.
Codes of Position and Size: The first story (image 5) is a good example of this code. The mother gorilla it very large in the image and is clearly worried, your attention is drawn to her first--- then the dogs in the background running across a hill.
Codes of Color: My image I chose for my "Analyzing Visual Images" assignment is a perfect example of this code. The fourth story (image 7), the yellow light in the center of the image catches the viewers attention right away. The purple stars in the trees and the evening shade on the trees all set the "romantic" mood of the image.
Codes of Perspective: The first story (image 6) places the reader far away from the characters. We are looking at them down a long walkway. The characters are facing each other, which tells the viewers that most likely the characters are engaged in conversation.
3. Identify and explain the type of "interplay" between the written word and visual images on one of the pages in Voices In The Park.
The font used for Charles’ mother is a classic style and is a hint that she sees herself as a proper and traditional figure. The font used for Smudge’s father is thick and bold and indicates his depressed nature. The font for Charles is thin and delicate as he is lonely and unsure of himself. The font in Smudge’s story is fun and childish, matching her cheerful personality.
4. Identify the art movement or technique that is being used in Voices In The Park.
Anthony Browne is known for pattern and background detail. There are many images in Voices In The Park that have images inside of images--- just to list a few: there are famous paintings in the backgrounds in one of the images, dogs are running in the background, Santa Claus walking through the street, colored tree trunks, and light twinkling in the trees.
5. Conduct an Ideological Analysis and Structural Analysis of Voices In The Park. What is the message? Provide evidence from the images to support your opinion. Use the examples on pg 86, 87,89. I do not expect your analysis to be as in depth but I would like for you to make two or three insightful observations about the perspectives and social context conveyed through the books words and images.
Ideological Analysis-The book allows us to see life through each of the characters in the story.
This is a story that could happen in today’s world. The four seasons in a city park are represented by apes in human clothing: a rich, uptight woman in the fall; a sad, unemployed man in the winter; the woman's lonely boy in the spring; the man's joyful daughter in the summer. Each one sees the place and the others differently, yet together the voices tell a story.
Structural Analysis- Throughout the illustrations in this book, the illustrator used lines in ways to represent action and emotion, such as the case of Smudge's perception of Charles' mother. However, another way Browne used the concept of the line was to explain divisions in relationships and class distinctions. The first picture in Charles' voice shows the dog and him separated by the division of the rooms. By showing the dog, most (man's best friend), off in another room, distant to the boy, shows a division in their relationship.
6. Embed a picture of the cover of Voices In The Park in your blog.
References:
Browne, A. (1999). Voices in the park. Retrieved on June 29, 2014 from
http://research.kingston.ac.uk/booksalive/flash/book.html
Serafini, F. (2014). Reading the Visual: An introduction to teaching mulitmodal literacy. New York, NY : Teachers College Press.
I really like your comment, "Each one sees the place and the others differently, yet together the voices tell a story." And the fact that you said the reader can interpret the story based on how they relate to the characters. That is a fascinating point of view. I know for me the story kept changing as the perspective changed. I definitely did not relate to the first woman and I probably threw her story out the moment I read one of the children's perspective - I'm probably best suited to Smudge and her free-spirit.
ReplyDeleteIt probably took me at least 6 times to notice the seasons changing in the background. I was so focused on the storyline and the faces of the characters that I did not notice the seasons. Also did you note that the Father's background changed too. In the beginning the Mona Lisa is crying for him as he walks to the park but by the end when his daughter cheers him up, the background art and people are dancing for him even if his mood is still wintry.
Miss Phillips, I really loved your idological analysis involving the perspectives of the characters related to the four seasons. It was very poetic and provided a wonderful correlation. Likewise, your structural analysis gave me quite a different perspective relative to the concept of the line and its association to the relationship with Charles and the. You showed great vision. Thank you for sharing this concept which provided a different reference that I had missed in the frame. I had made a correlation to the picture I shared of how the author used the light post to draw a line between the dad and Mum. It is a very interesting picturebook and story. No matter how many times you watch, you are bound to see something new every time.
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