Rhetorical Visual Analysis Essay

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Rhetorical Visual Analysis Essay of the talk
Within the discipline of rhetoric, the study of visual imagery is known as visual rhetoric. This study uses symbols to send a message to the target audience. The paper will conduct a rhetoric analysis of the image of “The Talk” by Michael D’Antuono. It was painted during the period where African Americans were discriminated in American and were killed, without legally charging their killers. The image displays black parents talking to their black son, on the background a television news is running, showing that a police had shot a black youth and was allowed to walk free by the American justice system. The American justice system was corrupted, and a lot of impunity for white police who killed innocent black youths was common.
The following are compositional elements of “The Talk”; Unity, represent the harmonization of the parts of the art. The position of the son, the parents, and the television in the background and the color are perfect. Balance, the image symmetrical and hence creates a sense of liveliness for one to understand the image communication without prior explanation. Movement, a sense of movement is created in this image by the orientation of the mothers hand on the boy’s knee. Also, the images on the Television are in motion since it’s an ongoing news session. Also, the father has rested his chin on his hands folded showing a flowing emotional moment as they talk about their son.

Rhythm Just like music uses beats an image uses color to for a particular pattern to the viewer. In the talk, the use of blue, which is a cool color on the background and bright yellow color in the foreground create a rhythm. The family in the image is the primary object of interest and shading a bright color directs the viewer’s color and interest to the particular part of the image.
Focus, this is the focal point on the image and stated above is where the artist wants the audience to focus more. In the talk, the artist wanted us to see that the family was black, and the current event on the television was black youths being at a danger times and required to be informed by their parents to keep safe. Contrast, the contrast reveal the dark painted and the brightly painted regions of the image. In the talk, the contrast is evident between the backgrounds painted blue that are darker compared to bright yellow painting in the foreground. Ultimately contrast is used for emphatic purposes. Pattern: The lines and shapes create this in the images. In the talk a lot of shapes are rectangles with straight lines on the edges, the shape creates boundaries on the colors used in the image decoration, to pass a specific image. Proportion: This help to show how some elements in the image are small or larger than others, and to display a distinction of colored parts to convey the message powerfully.
Rhetorical dimensions
Purpose/message, the purpose of this piece of art is to be an inspirational channel. It is meant to inspire emotions in the audience for the problems black families faced in America. The image since it was painted in the error where Black people can walk and talk like any white person and even contest and win a legislative seat, it shows the progress that America has faced since the days of Martin Luther to the current black president Obama.
Context, the image was painted to address the injustices in the political stem where blacks are killed without reason, and the white killers do not face the law. A good example is unarmed black youth, Trayvon Martin, and no legal measurements were taken to the killing white officer. The images on the wall show Martin Luther junior and Obama the president both not smiling. The parent and their son are not happy too. In this context, the artist wanted to show that black parents had hard moments in explaining to their sons how dangerous America was when dealing with black people. As young as the boy is parent need to get a good diction to pass a clear message. For that purpose, the art has displayed parent was not talking but trying to conceptualize the situation in getting the right choice of words, to help their son stay alive in then hostile America.
Author, The author, was white and was motivated by the typical stay that the destiny of white people was tied to the future of black people. The artist is a white person and seems to have found the killing of the black innocent and unarmed children as an inhumane act. He is also popular for the painting of President Barrack Obama being crucified before the presidential seal, which hit the news headlines. The author is famous for his fearless criticism of the USA and the injustices it shows. He was quoted saying that Martin Luther might have been wrong to think an African child need to fear to walk on American grounds in 2015.
The audience, The target audience is the American population to show how black American parents had hard times in trying to explain to their sons the times they were living and the dangers that lingered around them from justices system. The image shows how black parents took the advantage on the news on the television to warn their sons about some behavior when they encountered the police. The dressing of a hoody by the victim on the television is similar to the son holding a talk with their parents although they are of a different color. The hoody was used to cover their heads and avoid recognition by the police. This shows the form of fear they had to live with.
The art was created on converse that a rough surface, the material could be used to show a hard time that the Black American parents and their sons went through without intervention from the justice system in the USA.
In conclusion, the art shows the change that the USA has experienced over the year from racial discrimination to a black person being the president. It was a culture of African parent to one in while educate their children on how to stay safe in the streets when meeting the police. The political arena has changed, and African Americans are enjoying equal justice protection as the white persons. The use of sharp color in the foreground and a little dark blue color is to lay emphasis on the family in the talk session. The mood created by the image is a sad one. The family and hanging the portrait on the wall and the family are not smiling, the only smiling person is the police on the television after being let free following the killing of the unarmed black boy.