4 - An Image That Has Shaped Western Culture

First, I would like to make a note:
It was announced in class that the entries in this blog should be 250 words. Because this was not announced on the actual project description, I have decided to leave the previous entries as they are. All new entries will conform to this requirement.

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Source: www.wallstreetoasis.com

In the years since the release of  George Orwell's 1984, versions of this image have pervaded western society (and ultimately societies reaching past our own). The image above is the standard template that is frequently altered to reflect a governmental leader.

This image is given a great deal of power because it reflects the public's fear of a loss of control due to an overpowered government, and inspires viewers to consider the consequences of big government.

It could be argued that it is not the image, but rather the book which so powerfully illustrated the implications of an overbearing leadership which provides the image with its power. However, I believe that the concept of 'Big Brother' has evolved past the realm of reference to it's source material. With modifications, the image brings up an entirely more real meaning:

 Source: www.spinebreakers.co.uk

Source: img84.imageshack.us

Source: miamei.com

The image brings on a powerful feeling about the state of a nation, culture, and ultimately the entire governing body of the world. It is the ability of an image to become a 'meme' and adapt to the culture that sees it that truly gives an image power. When an image ceases to be a single picture and instead becomes a mentality, it has truly evolved into a higher power.

The images we discussed in class were typically not memes, but rather single pictures. These images, I feel, lack the ability to truly shape a culture. While it can be said that the Mona Lisa shaped European culture, I do not believe that it did so with the power of the big brother image. The Mona Lisa represents an achievement to the artistic age, but lacks the power to shape a people. for that, an image requires the inspiration of a message to the end viewer, a message that can be adapted over years to change an entire culture. The power of an image is in its ability to become real, become a symbol of a movement, and to challenge a persons view of their lives.