Perception - Weeks 3 & 4

Week 3

This week we had a lecture about how to write our essays. This has really helped me with understanding how to write degree level essays... I didn't realise how much detail you had to put into referencing!

From this lecture I also took away the idea of making a spider diagram after every lecture detailing the key points and issues that are relevant to my essay idea. This could be easier for me to look back on when it comes to writing.

Week 4

We discussed the alienation effect or as Brecht said the "Verfremsdungseffekt." I had learnt this all in A level drama, but it was nice to re-cap these points.
Bertolt Brecht devised Epic theatre, which looks at detaching the audience from the characters enabling them to form a critical view.
I have seen a production of Brecht's Threepenny opera (Where one of the characters constantly picked on me)  and after devising a play myself in the style of Epic theatre, I can definitely see how Epic theatre is used to make the audience aware of an issue, and by detaching the audience from  the characters it is easier for them to form their own opinions.

On the other hand Stanislavski devised Dramatic theatre. This makes the audience empathise with the characters and immerses them in the action. A fourth wall is created like the characters do not know the audience is there (as opposed to Epic theatre where the characters address the audience.)

It hadn't even crossed my mind that both Stanislavski and Brecht are perfect examples of how to manipulate the audience's perception. Also, their difference in perception of how theatre should be could be an interesting subject to explore.

Seminar

We looked at restricted and elaborated codes (which I'd never really thought about before)
Restricted code - How close knit groups speak to eachother e.g families. It is developed slang with abbreviated words/ codes etc. It presumes shared assumptions.

Elaborated code - For everyone. It communicates beyond close knit communities. Communicates to a wider varity of backgrounds and is thorough.

We then looked at:

Pieta - Michelangelo (1499)

Stations of the cross - Barnett Newman

A little death - Sam Taylor-Wood (2002)

We discussed these in terms of elaborated and restricted codes:

• All 3 are about death which is essentially an elaborated code. Everybody knows and understands  death.
• Pieta by Michelangelo is elaborated code as everybody can clearly see what is happening here in this sculpture. It is also elaborated by nature as the marble carving is very detailed in itself. Also this is a religious figure and this is supposed to reach out to as many people as it possibly can. 
• Stations of the cross by Barnett Newman is restricted code. My group felt that we wouldn't know what these paintings are about unless we were told or read the title of the piece. 
• My group were undecided about the Sam Taylor-Wood piece as it is elaborated in a sense that all things die and decay. However it is set in a small room showing that this could be restricted as it is somebody's personal space. We also thought that there must be significance of the peach being left on the side; whilst the hare decays the peach remains intact.