Blog # 2 Chris Coleman, Micheal a. Salter, The Vocabulary of Comics

Dear World,

I have been dipping my feet into the deep waters of icons. Wow...they are everywhere! Icons are what we first see from our businesses to our entertainment. "The sorts of images we usually call symbols are one category of icon, these are the images we use to represent concepts, ideas and philosophies. Then there are the icons of language, science and communication. Icons of the practical realm. And finally, the icons we call pictures: images designed to actually resemble their subjects." (The Vocabulary of Comics pg. 27) Icons are or rather can be used as a manipulator to get into your brain. As Micheal A. Salter (our guest speaker) would put it, "Everything you look at matters and its having an effect on you." Whether we are conscious or not of it, this is true. The shoes you wear, the dish detergent you use, the food you eat, etc. were all chosen for some kind of reason, and subconsciously, icons guide you with whatever choice was made.

Micheal is mainly a digital artist that for years has been fascinated by the iconic world. He is constantly observing the images surrounding him. He questions 'what are my relationships to the stuff I look at?' Icons are designed purposely to get into your head. Some even remind us of ourselves. "We see ourselves in everything...we assign identities and emotions where none exist and  make the world over in our image." (The Vocabulary of Comics pg. 33)  Take for instance, Micheal's robots, although they are only made of recycled styrofoam, we can relate to them as though they too had feelings and thoughts. We are instantly drawn to icons that have a certain human quality to them, because its what we know and is familiar and safe. Micheal suggests that by taking 'something that everyone is familiar with and re-design it,' it will have a new life and meaning, but still have that familiarity to comfort people. Learning about icons from Micheal, I've suddenly have become far more aware of my own surroundings. Observing what a normally would skim by. What a wonderful opportunity to explore.

Micheal has done a variety of work, some of which had been collaborated with Chris Coleman. Chris, also primarily a digital artist, creates images and digital videos mostly having to do with issues of the world. In one of his videos called, Modern Times, he uses terrorism readiness pamphlets, provided by the Department of Homeland Security. In this piece he, "examines the issues we cope with regularly such as racism, surveillance, and apathy by using imagery from specific safety brochures." (Blackboard) Chris uses a very unusual style. I truly enjoyed how his videos take you on this unpredictable journey. who knew that Safety pamphlets could be that beautiful and profound. Chris has, to relate his work to Micheal's theories, taken something that is familiar to everyone (safety pamphlets) and created a new life and meaning for it. I always thought of safety brochures as being really humorious. The imagery or icons always seem to be perfectly at ease and calm in their high risk situation. When in reality, most people in those presented situations would probably flip their shit. Check this link I found on Packard Jennings' art. I think he gives a much more insightful view into safety pamphlets. This is called, Business Reply Pamphlet.

 Micheal, Chris and The Vocabulary of Comics have all used icons and shown us the different was they can be used. What do they mean? How do they effect you? How do you relate to them? What are their purpose? Its another way of looking at this bizarre home of ours and continues to teach us these bizarre lessons.