Marlene Lawston

Unit 2 Reflection

            To be visually literate, one must be able to use analytical skills to interpret and extrapolate from an image or images. Images are created for a variety of reasons and these analytical skills allow for a story to be told or a message to be obtained from whatever image is being analyzed. For example, in the analysis essay I was able to predict the age of the girl in the painting based on details in the image, “[n]ear the mirror away from the girl is a doll fallen over, and close to the girl by her feet are cosmetic items such as a brush and lipstick. This indicates that the girl has lost interest in the doll and is more concerned with the beautification items, and that she is at the critical time in her life when she is transitioning to a young woman.” This interpretation of the details in the painting became important in further analysis. Many messages and stories are conveyed through images, such a warning signs, artwork, or photographs portraying breaking news stories; visual literacy is important because it allows people to understand the meaning of these different types of images, whether they are to convey a philosophical message or to send out a warning.

            During this unit, my visual literacy skills were improved as I practiced new methods of analysis such as “10 on 1,” and applied the significance of “binaries” to my chosen image. “10 on 1” is a method of analysis which focuses on performing a lot of analysis on a small detail of a work of art or literature; it triggered an important “aha” moment with regards to my analysis essay. In the image I analyzed, The Girl at the Mirror, I focused on the significance of a small detail in the painting, the magazine in the girl’s lap which featured the portrait of a beautiful women. I did research on this aspect of the painting and learned that the woman in the magazine was the popular movie star of the time period – Jane Russel. Further research led me to find that the artist who painted The Girl at the Mirror, Norman Rockwell, regretted the decision of painting the star in and did not think that movie stars were good role models for young women and girls. This research combined with analysis, led to the discovery of significant meaning of the magazine in the girl’s lap, “the girl has her hair up in an elaborate hairstyle that is similar to the movie star’s hair in the magazine…the girl is trying to look like Jane Russell but her facial expression shows that she is sad as a result of what she sees in the mirror. [I]t shows a girl who is clearly pretty, but yet unhappy with how she looks because she does not look like the famous movie star.” Additionally, finding binaries in the image proved to be valuable. For example, the binary of light and darkness was used when writing about the contrast in the girl’s pure white clothing versus the darkness around her; the light and darkness had a parallel relationship to the girl’s purity versus the unhappiness that comparison to unrealistic beauty standards brings.

            This essay was influenced by my younger self. At first when I was informed of the assignment, I was unsure of what image I would choose to analyze, however, after watching the Miss Representation documentary, I remembered a significant childhood experience and knew right away that I would like to analyze The Girl at the Mirror. I remembered visiting the Norman Rockwell Museum with my mother and seeing this painting. I always remembered how sad the pretty girl looked in the picture because she was comparing herself to someone else.