Visual Studies Commons^™

Pathos, Fall 2012, Portland State University. Student Publications Board

Pathos

Editor: Deena Anreise

'Land Of Kami, Land Of The Dead': Paligenesis And The Aesthetics Of Religious Revisionism In Kobayashi Yoshinori's 'On Yasukuni', James Mark Shields

Faculty Contributions to Books

In 2005, Japanese manga artist and conservative provocateur Kobayashi Yoshinori published a graphic work entitled Shin gōmanizumu sengen special: Yasukuniron (Neo-Gōmanism Manifesto Special: On Yasukuni), which tackles the much-debated ‘problem’ of Yasukuni Shrine, the militaristic religious complex that has become a lightning-rod for debates regarding Japanese historical memory – especially with regard to the military expansionism in East Asia that led to the Asia-Pacific War (1931–45). Frequently overlooked in discussions of Yasukuni, however, are a number of complex issues related to its religious doctrines – in particular, the interpretation of Shinto presented at Yasukuni and the dominant ideology of Japan’s …

The Hidden Rhetoric In Hollywood's Closet: An Analysis Of The Conflict Over Homosexual Content And Representation, Lauren Beam

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Culturator: Film Noir Meets Bike Culture, Daniel Dean

Art & Design Faculty Research

Part of this weekend’s nuit blanche Northern Spark festival, project Mobile Experiential Cinema invites goers to embark on a rambling, bicycle-mounted, multi-location cinematic experience that blends bike culture with locally-bred film. Created by artists Daniel Dean and Ben Moren, the project launched alongside the inaugural Northern Spark fest last year as an interactive projected film-focused group ride featuring live performance elements and urban exploration embodying all plot twists and theatrical curve balls we’ve come to expect from the mystery genre. We caught up with Mobile Experiential Cinema collaborators Dean and Moren to chat about the project’s creation, its noir influences …

Package Design Vs. Customer Reviews: A Comparative Study On Influences In Fragrance Buying Decisions, Sarah Willis

Graphic Communication

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of customer reviews, compared to package design, on the fragrance buying decisions of women aged eighteen to twenty-five. The researcher conducted two surveys: the first asked thirty-five random women to choose between two equally priced, but differently designed, perfumes (Perfume X and Perfume Z). This first group’s preference was Perfume X, with 57.14% of participants choosing this product. The second survey asked a different group of thirty-five random women to choose between the same two perfumes, but with the addition of unequally favorable customer reviews. Group 2 participants preferred the …

Lost In The Fire, Nicholas Isom

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In this paper, I will discuss the production of my thesis film, Lost In The Fire. The main subjects of this paper are Writing, Directing, Production Design, Cinematography, Editing, Sound, and Technology. I will also be talking about the ways the Graduate Film program at UNO prepared me to accomplish this project. In addition, I will share my process and reflect on the failures and successes of making this film.

Women And Video Games: Pigeonholing The Past, Allison Perry

Scripps Senior Theses

Academic work dealing with the overlap between video games and female representation is limited in both volume and proper research. Most texts agree on three supposed flaws with video games: they alienate female participants, there are no games for female players, and female players cannot relate to female characters. This thesis sheds light on these points, not only citing specific counter-examples, but also showing how many of these issues reflect on a larger societal problems.

"La Venus Se Fue De Juerga Por Los Barrios Bajos": Nacho López, Mass Culture, And Modernity, Jenifer L. Caneschi

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

A Photographic Journey Along El Camino Real De Los Tejas, Christopher K. Talbot

Faculty Publications

This is a photographic traveling exhibit in conjunction with the National Park Service. The exhibit was made possible through the Challenge Cost Share Program in cooperation with Stephen F. Austin State University. This matching fund program allows the National Park Service and partners to work together to preserve and improve resources on national trails. To view selected images from the project visit El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail.

Happily Ever After Take Two: Rewriting Femininity In Hybridization Fairy Tale Films, Megan Estelle Troutman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The tradition of fairy tales has evolved drastically over the past five hundred years. At the beginning of the 20th century, fairy tale cartoons became widely popular as an independent medium, as well as introductions to larger films. In 1937, Walt Disney started the tradition of fairy tale cinema with the release of Snow White. Since that time, Disney has released and re-released eleven princess fairy tale films. Critics and parents alike ridicule Disney for its depictions of women as submissive and subservient. Recent films have used fairy tale tropes, without referring to a specific classic tale, in order to …

"Carneys Point" - A Short Film, Alexander Parkin

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Carneys Point is a fifteen minute short film shot on 16mm film that tells the story of a woman's life, fractured into three facets each representing an important crossroad of a single life: the disenchanting prelude to the coming of age, the anxiety of motherhood, and the mental decay of old age.

The film is divided into three vignettes, which overlap to paint a multi-layered portrait of a woman, a trilogy of the human spirit, heart, and mind.

One is the story of a little girl who is obsessed with flight and dreams of escape. Though she has the naïve …

Defining Industry Expectations And Misconceptions Of Art And Technology Co-Creativity, Vanessa C. Brasfield

Department of Computer Graphics Technology Degree Theses

The primary purpose of this study was to establish whether or not students and industry professionals share the same views about what students should be learning in animation education, what skills are necessary, and whether or not students graduating with a bachelor’s degree would be adequately prepared for an entry level position. To establish where misconceptions lie, surveys were issued to three groups: undergraduate students, post-graduate students, and industry professionals. These surveys were then analyzed using paired t-test for validation and question relevance, and ANOVA models to establish whether or not groups shared viewpoints. These data established significance within the …

Romance Novel Heroines Don't Judge Books By Their Covers, Do You?: Popular Perceptions Of The Romance Genre Investigated, Nicole Koschmeder '12

Honor Scholar Theses

With this thesis, I want to look at some of these stereotypes about the genre and question why it is necessary for the readers of this genre to constantly be on the defensive about their reading choices. It is not my intention to declare that the entire genre is worthy of beatification and deserves a place in the literary canon. I simply wish to reveal the almost instinctual prejudice espoused by society that this genre has no value. I believe that, a minimal exposure to the genre can demonstrate that it is not just fluff and porn, but fulfills a …

Invitation To The Voyage: The Flight Sequence In Contemporary 3d Cinema, Sara Ross

Communication, Media & The Arts Faculty Publications

The soaring movement of the flight scene is a signature effect of the current 3D cycle, with a number of recent films centering on birds or dragon-like creatures. Simulated flight has long been used to display the latest in cinematic spectacle. Analysis of the use of flight in Wings (1927), Avatar (2009) and How to Train Your Dragon (2010) demonstrates how film producers have employed tried and true schemata to make the attractional power of flight serve a narrative master.

Embracing The Threshold, Nicola Barsaleau

Artists-in-Residence Programme : Exhibition Catalogues

Our Lingnan residency, now in its fourth month, is a comprehensive exploration of creativity in day-to-day living. Creativity satisfies a portion of vital human needs: the need for autonomy, adventure, celebration, community, play, and spiritual harmony. Contemplating our artistic self is healthy. In some cases, artistic activity can be immensely healing, leading towards wholeness, balance, and integration. This project was enacted at both a communal and personal level for many of the participants, including myself.

Our own individual life force flows through us in intriguingly personal ways. We all have unique gifts to offer and uncover that no other person …

M16 Globular Cluster, By Anabella Gaposchk, 1911 (Baking Soda), Mariana Tres

SPECS journal of art and culture

No abstract provided.

Politics And Heidegger: Aristotle, Superman, And Žižek, Babette Babich

Articles and Chapters in Academic Book Collections

This essay discusses Heidegger's thinking on the political and technology in the context of metaphysics in an age that is increasingly directed to both technology and the imaginary or the virtual. The context of Aristotelian phronesis is traced back to Aristotle's youth in Macedonia and the circumstance of war and world conquest, to the allure of a comic book character (that would be the Action Comic's figure of Superman) and the cinematic seduction of a pair of eyeglasses to conclude with a review of Latour's network actants and Žižek on Marxism (and Occupy Wall Street).

From Playground To Fetish: The Identity Of (The) Mary Jane, Georgina Ruff

Mid-America College Art Association Conference 2012 Digital Publications

Cartoon characters Buster Brown and his sister Mary Jane both wore Mary Jane shoes in 1905. The style was practical for active children – easy to don and securely fastened to busy feet. Yet by the turn of the 21^st century, Mary Jane styles have been adopted by the high fashion industry and fetish culture in forms that are considerably less practical for certain forms of activity. This research traces the transition of the Mary Jane through the twentieth century, from the feet of children to the pages of Vogue and ultimately the couch of Freud. Along the way, …

Study Guide For United In Anger: A History Of Act Up, Matt Brim

Open Educational Resources

The United in Anger Study Guide facilitates classroom and activist engagement with Jim Hubbard’s 2012 documentary, United in Anger: A History of ACT UP. The Study Guide contains discussion sections, projects and exercises, and resources for further research about the activism of the New York chapter of ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power). The Study Guide is a free, interactive, multimedia resource for understanding the legacy of ACT UP, the film’s role in preserving that legacy, and its meaning for viewers' lives.

Design And Production Aspects Of An Electroluminescent Segment Display, Veronica Kopp, Chris Nixon

Graphic Communication

The purpose of this study was to get a better understanding of the different ways printed circuits could be constructed and then implemented into creative, visual designs for printed electroluminescent displays. A variety of circuit design variables, such as area and length, were tested that will help create solutions for printed electronics.

This study tested different variables of circuit design, such as length of silver traces and the size of the image area, to help optimize ways to build a printed circuit. Then, findings were implemented into a segmented graphic display in order to analyze innovative ways to utilize multiple …