Too Many Gray Areas.

After reading about the power of photography and the ethics of when and under what circumstances the use of images of crisis is appropriate, I feel like there are simply too many gray areas. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and after hearing multiple perspectives from photographers, editors, writers, and common people this gray area only becomes fuzzier, because each opinion is backed up with reason and evidence to support it. Each of these people come from difference sides, different parts of the world, and all have different positions in this world. It is visible through their articles the differences they feel about identity, society, and culture.

As far as using an image of crisis that you feel depicts the reality of the moment and will have a positive effect on that reality, I see nothing wrong with that. As long as the image is not forced upon anyone. One who comes from this point of view, such as someone taking photos in a poor area to display as help for that area, would seem to me as one with society, yet with a strong sense of identity. Photography is an art, and within art the artist is free to roam. Artists have a certain freedom that is not the case within most jobs. The difference is that an artist creates a work through his own style without pleasing the public in mind and having liability. A newspaper, magazine, or news network works towards presenting a certain message while also keeping the public in mind. Someone working for a magazine may not be so into the society or culture they are shooting, but simply doing their jobs. However, so many individual thoughts and feelings come into play here, and it's impossible to truly judge. 

The quote from James Nachtwey, "I have been a witness, and these pictures are my testimony." describes how I feel about photographs and the stories they tell. I feel his work is appropriate and just through his passion of the topic and desire to have a positive effect. On the other hand, the people gathered around the London bombing sites with cellphone cameras do not fit in this category. I feel that if one wants to capture a major moment in time, like Charles Porter in the Oklahoma City bombing, there is an appropriateness one must follow and adhere to. The problem is knowing which one of these bystanders to the bombing was taking photos for a positive effect, or selfish gain, is impossible. The multitude of people taking these photos or videos could all be portrayed as a group, the cruel one's of society, or as the individuals they are. Some recognizing their identity as one with passion for displaying realistic moments in time, and some lost in society- following sheep.

Art Therapy Bibliography

Art Therapy Bibliography

Lusebrink, Vija. Art Therapy and the Brain: An Attempt to Understand the Underlying Processes of Art Expression in Therapy. 21. Routledge, 2011. eBook. <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/07421656.2004.10129496>.

This article can help contribute the more anatomical side of the argument I am making. It gives explanations and facts I can use about the connections between art therapy and the brain. Also, it gives me tips on how art therapists use this knowledge to teach. Looking closer into the journal I can find specific examples of different parts of the brain and how it relates to therapy, like what the left and right hemispheres focus on etc. 

"History and Background." American Art Therapy Association. N.p., 2011. Web. 5 Oct 2011. <http://www.americanarttherapyassociation.org/aata-history-background.html >.

This article gives me more information about the history and background of art therapy and simple facts about why it works. It also gives my paper ethos because it's from the American Art Therapy Association. It also clearly defines art therapy and can help me understand and portray the concept better. Also, it gives a lot of information on the definition of art therapy and many different ideas on how to word things.  

"What is Art Therapy." Art Therapy. n. d. Web. 5 Oct. 2011. <http://www.arttherapyblog.com/what-is-art-therapy/ >.

This looks like it's going to be my favorite and most used link, there's links all down the side that take me to more specific examples of art therapy and certain things it helps. It gives me another definition and is also simple and not too medical or complicated. Also this article contributes is the different angles to look at and consider for my paper. It’ll give me plenty of examples and stories of different cases of patients and how it helped them.

Rubin, Judith. Approaches to Art Therapy: Theory and Technique. 2nd ed. Psychology Press, 2001. 364. eBook. 

This book has a ton of information so there's plenty for me to use. Also, it's more for me to look into and find out more about my subject to be able to write about it without repeating sections of articles. It's fairly simple and can provide a lot of random facts and more information to go along with whatever angles I decide to take. That will be handy because if I decide to add or subtract portions I can still use this source. 

Pritchard, Joan. “Art Therapy in Schools.” Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties. 16.1 (2011): 105-113. Web. 5 October 2011. 

This article I found through the Clemson Library search and may not be one I use as much, but still provides a lot of information that will help me get a better understanding of art therapy and its effects. It will also give me facts and examples to include. To really use this source it would take a lot of reading to gain understanding but would give me a lot of information on art therapy as a process so I can write knowledgeably.

Malchiodi, Cathy. The Art Therapy Sourcebook. New York: Mcgraw-Hill, 2007. Print.

This source provides lots of information and facts I’ll be able to use to back my paper up with ethos. It also gives me facts in different aspects of art therapy so I will be able to use it multiple times. One concept I plan on using this source to discuss is art therapy in groups and its effects. Another concept I can use from this source is creativity and the drawing process.

Riley, Shirley. "Western Journal of Medicine." Art Therapy with Adolescents. BMJ Publishing Group, 07 2001. Web. 18 Oct 2011.

This source is about art therapy and adolescents, so I’m not sure if I’ll use it a lot but any once as an example. It could help me as an example of how it helps different types of patients, not matter the age. Also, issues adolescents deal with are a widely known concept for most people and could be a subject the reader could relate to. It can always be a source I can look to if I need an example or a subject to discuss to help contribute to whatever point I’m making. 

Rohrer, Ken. "Color Symbolism and Culture." The Incredible Art Department. Princeton Online, 2001. Web. 18 Oct 2011. <http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/color2.htm>.

This is a very interesting source that looks into color therapy so I can include it in when discussing art therapy and how it relates to psychology. It will help make a break between all the complicated psychological talk and provide an interesting subject to read about. It can also be another subject than readers can relate to. The source provides plenty of examples that will help the reader understand how art therapy relates to the brain (like blue being calming).

Kramer, Edith. "As art therapists." Art Therapy. N.p., 2009. Web. 18 Oct 2011. <http://www.edithkramer.com/Edith_Kramer_Art_Therapy.html>

This article is different because it is from the point of view of an art therapist and goes into detail about how they work. It’s a source I will definitely use because I can not only talk about art therapy but go into the concept of art therapist and art therapy as a profession.  It discusses different techniques and processes art therapist’s use on different patients. This would be good in my paper to either go along with the examples of patients or as bringing up the different aspects of art therapy as an occupation. I could even go into the challenges art therapist’s face when dealing with a variation of patients.

Hutson, Matthew, and . "Art Therapy:The Healing Arts." Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, 19 July 2011. Web. 18 Oct 2011.

This is another source that will be one I read and gain more understanding to write my paper without repetition of facts. Also, it includes a lot of information in simple terms that can help me interpret the information I gain and be able to put it into my own words more easily. It’s also another source that can relate to the reader through the subjects it discusses. Also, depending on which parts of the article I plan to use, it has the potential to provide pathos through the patients it describes.

Olivarez, Brittany. "Art Therapy as an Alternative Treatment." Helping Psychology. Education Maverick, 15 Nov 2009. Web. 18 Oct 2011. <http://helpingpsychology.com/art-therapy-as-an-alternative-treatment>.

This source will be good to use when comparing art therapy to other methods of therapy. It also has information in simple terms, which helps me understand without getting too complicated to paraphrase. Its discussion on art therapy being used more often can be another subject to discuss when writing about art therapists or when explaining the lack of knowledge most have on art therapy. It also provides specific examples of how art therapy helps and why it should be used, which are two main things I am looking for. 

Cherry, Kendra. "About.com, Psychology." What is Art Therapy?. New York Times Company, 2011. Web. 18 Oct 2011. <http://psychology.about.com/od/psychotherapy/f/art-therapy.htm>.

This source provides a lot of the same information as previous sources, although it benefits me to read it in different ways to get a better understanding. The article discusses main points I am looking for, such as when art therapy originated, why it should be used, and examples of how it is used. These are in simple terms on this site so I don’t have to feel confused when I try to write about what I read from the source. It also discussed how art therapy works in simple terms, which was extremely helpful because other articles I found on that subject went too deep into medical jargon about the brain that I, or my readers, would not understand.

Freewriting on Art Therapy

Most of the time when one thinks of art therapy, it is either a small and insignificant thought of a rather useless concept for money and time to be spent on, or confusion and lack of understanding on what exactly it is. Most do not consider the deep psychological insight and workings behind the scenes of using art as a means of therapy. Most do not see the help it provides in many different types of issues, whether children or adults. What I would like to accomplish with this paper is a better understanding of art therapy and to boost its small town status into one of other therapy sources, such as counseling. I can achieve this through providing insight on the different psychological methods used and also the difference art therapy has made in a variety of people.

                The sources I have found provide me with an ethos, information on the psychological side of art therapy, and plenty of examples and stories about lives it has changed. Three of my sources provide ethos, because they are legitimate books, and also a large amount of research material on explanations behind art therapy and the brain. This kind of information will help me better understand art therapy and be able to write and be descriptive with proper knowledge on my subject. I also have on source from the American Art Therapy Association, which will also provide a major ethos effect, and can lead me into writing on the different types of art therapy and how it works as an organization through different groups. Having all these books and formal websites as sources might be hard to comprehend, so I do have another source to help me get a better general understanding through simple terms. Also provided by this source is a look into the different issues art therapy has helped and why, which can lead into my writing on examples of lives being changed and people being helped. I could definitely use more simple sources to help me understand and connect with the more complicated ones, such as the books.

                I expect a lot of problems understanding, explaining, and describing the psychological side of art therapy in ways that are not too complicated or flow easily. My plan to overcome this is to look deep into my sources and spend a lot of time learning about art therapy as a concept instead of looking at what sentences make sense to me and seem simple enough to include in my paper. I want to be able to discuss it like a subject I understand and not one I am completely using my sources to explain for me. I also expect problems from using too many personal examples that will make my paper less informational and more of a story to persuade. To avoid this I will have to pick and choose what I will say about the people it has helped and get peer review to make sure that what I have chosen works well.

Sources for Art Therapy

• http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/07421656.2004.10129496 - This article can help contribute the more anatomical side of the argument I am making. It gives explanations and facts I can use about the connections between art therapy and the brain. Also, it gives me tips on how art therapists use this knowledge to teach.

• http://www.americanarttherapyassociation.org/aata-history-background.html - This article gives me more information about the history and background of art therapy and simple facts about why it works. It also gives my paper ethos because it's from the American Art Therapy Association. It also clearly defines art therapy and can help me understand and portray the concept better. 

• http://www.arttherapyblog.com/what-is-art-therapy/ -This looks like it's going to be my favorite and most used link, there's links all down the side that take me to more specific examples of art therapy and certain things it helps. It gives me another definition and is also simple and not too medical or complicated. One more thing this article contributes is the different angles to look at and consider for my paper.

• http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=kTYI3nzRgLUC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=art+therapy&ots=6Ire1X1GXn&sig=jes2UEGDtfhzjNPULuKSKG10QNI#v=onepage&q&f=false - This book is a TON of information so there's plenty for me to use. Also, it's more for me to look into and find out more about my subject. It's fairly simple and can provide a lot of random facts and more information to go along with whatever angles I decide to take. 

• http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/13632752.2011.545649 - This article I found through the Clemson Library search and may not be one I use as much, but still provides a lot of information that will help me get a better understanding of art therapy and it's effects. It will also gives me facts and examples to include.

Research Paper Topics

Art Therapy: Art therapy would be a good topic because there's psychological reasoning behind it to analyze and discuss and being a Visual Arts major, I find it intriguing. One thing i'd like to argue about this topic is that it should be more respected and understood as a means of therapy because of how many people it's reached and helped. 

The Holocaust: This topic has always been a strong interest of mine and there is plenty to dig into and write a paper on. An argument to make for the Holocaust is that it should be more frequently used in school curriculum because of it's major historical significance and how deep into history it's roots run. 

Was last night really worth it?

     This anti-drinking advertisement effectively utilizes the rhetorical strategies ethos, logos, and pathos to reveal a strong, solid message to the viewer. Ethos is displayed through including a logo to demonstrate credibility and valid reasoning. Logos is brought into play by the male figure, contrasting the main person of interest. Serving as the most substantial strategy, the use of pathos enabled the photograph to bring emotion to the viewer and contribute to the message being sent.This is all done through the woman curled into the fetal position, eyes cast downward, consumed by a shot glass.

Ads I might use?

Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty.

       Dove's campaign for real beauty presents not only an effectively innovative and new method of advertisement, versus most product ads of that nature, but also an opportunity for much needed change in society. The fact that little girls are considering their body images to the extent of hating parts of themselves most would see as darling, is overwhelming. Kids need time to be kids, not worry about their tummies or freckles, and that's only where it begins.
       Most companies used the same types of advertisement methods, although it seems to vary because products vary. For example, everyone knows that sex sells. Whether it is a new fashion line or a an online website, the spokesperson for such ad is more likely to be an attractive and appealing individual. In the advertisement world Dove faced, most products revolved around having sexy, appealing, and unrealistically "beautiful" models sell them. In completely switching this idea around into the opposite perspective for the viewer by using realistic women and portraying them is obtaining "real beauty", a new direction was born. This new direction enables Dove to display their products with a self esteem boosting aspect and also a rebel-like quality that people crave. This is me, this is who I am, so deal with it.
       This inspired movement to reveal real beauty through Dove and the media stands strong as a beginning to a progressive and benevolent change in the world of women who struggle in this warped society of beauty being one thing, and also the most important thing. Anne Becker, the Harvard psychiatrist, discovered that in Fiji 11.9 % of adolescent girls were developing eating disorders after only three years after the establishment of television in those parts. This fact in itself sends out a clear message of the destruction the media can do on self esteem and body image and also the necessity for change. Through advertising with realistic women who display happiness and acceptance with who they are and how their appearance stands, Dove had created a method of changing viewpoints of beauty and boosting self esteem for not only young girls, but adults as well. 

Rihanna is quite a beauty.

In this Covergirl ad the celebrity Rihanna is used to carry out the rhetorical strategies ethos and logos. Ethos in how she empowers the make up by being well known as a beautiful, sexy, seductive public figure and logos in the idea implied, "If Rihanna is beautiful because of Covergirl then I can also be beautiful because of Covergirl.

Check Out These Hamsters.

     When viewing this commercial, I am automatically inclined to laugh. Come one, the hamster in the middle even has a shirt that says "Hamstar". The music playing is mainstream and plays on the radio, so well-known to an extent, but also is upbeat dance music to make a viewer feel good even if they don't know the song. The hamsters not only make you laugh, but are also introduced almost as saviors. The ad begins with a gloom and doom appearance through mechanical figures in mid warfare and an overall gray color scheme. Then, all of the sudden the car being advertised, the Kia Soul, comes cruising in with it's vibrant lime green exterior and out steps three hamsters in comparable brightly colored clothing. The combination of these factors display the rhetorical strategies pathos, ethos, logos, and kairos.
     Pathos is revealed through multiple occasions, one example being the humor of dancing hamsters. As a result of laughing at the hamsters, most viewers are likely to have warmed up to the idea of having this car. Who doesn't want to be like those hamsters? The video game like appearance of the machines in battle also contribute to pathos by resembling popular games, like halo or gears of war, that people can recognize and feel comfortable with. Ethos, on the other hand, is exhibited mainly through the Kia symbol that appears in the conclusion of the ad, altering the humorous tone to a more serious defined undertone- you could actually have this car, this isn't just a funny video. Also, the way the hamsters arrive like saviors appeals to both pathos and ethos through being a feeling someone could relate to, like someone feeling like they need someone or something to come help them, and establishing a sense of authority over the situation. It sends the message: if you own this car, you can roll up anywhere and have the utmost authority and attention.
     Logos as a rhetorical strategy is more subtle than pathos and ethos, but still present. Throughout the commercial a fun and enjoyable time is displayed and at the end a line comes across the screen "Starting under $14k", implying 'you can have this much fun for only this much money'. This line would not always be effective in that manner, which is where kairos comes in. This ad contains recent popular music and fashion that adds to it's overall acceptance from the public. Years from now, that acceptance would be very different once that song has become old and the clothes are not in style. Also, the video game appearance of the machines fighting might not be as popular in a different time period as it is now either.
     This advertisement contains strong rhetorical strategies throughout and is in a constant state of persuasion towards the viewer. With that being said- it is still hilarious.

I pass them by, they go unnoticed.

             When I wake up in the morning, I don't watch the morning news. The newspaper doesn't get any attention from me either. There's a chance I will remember to check my Facebook, but most likely not. So how does it find me? Rhetoric, whether it be political, social, or economical- the range is widespread, is everywhere. The convincing nature of rhetoric can lead one to a changed opinion, to an urge to laugh, or even an urge to cry. I may not watch the TV, read the paper, or get in the Internet in the morning but what if I happen to go to the store and get a drink? There's magazines inside waiting for you beside the counter. In fact, the products in the store are another great example. You see a box of crackers with a picture on the front that makes them appear perfect, that company is using visual rhetoric to sell their product. Visual rhetoric is not the only method of this persuasion, text and public speech can also be rhetorical in the same nature. Oprah is a perfect example of using speech as a way to move people. Her process of incorporating humor, sadness, and dramatic situations tug at the emotions of the viewers while the live audience displays the emotions they are feeling, intensifying the moment. These daily words and images seen everyday are all around me. I pass them by, they go unnoticed.