I found my image by delving into the Federal Arts Project Photographic division. I selected this particular image because it showed a direct experience of a child participating in the Federal Arts Project. This, combined with the image’s original caption, was very interesting. In a sense, it encapsulated the need for arts programs and the American people’s need for escapism and movement1
This image has also inspired me to ask questions such as, how did the Federal Arts Project specifically impact children? And to what extent should researchers consider the corruption of digital images when conducting research?
The methods used in this assignment allow for us to consider both the value and the hazards associated with digital images, specifically when it comes to glitching and digital images. We are also encouraged to consider how the source code for an image and an exhibit impact our experience when viewing and studying the information. How easily can these codes be manipulated in different ways? And how does that impact the conclusions that we draw as researchers. I believe that the creation of a glitched image does have some value, as it allows us to, in a way, view the image in the way that computer view images. We are forced to consider different focuses, areas, or outlines.
I was a bit surprised by how much I was forced to think about my image during and after the glitching process. When finding my image, I considered the context a great deal. The discussions of culture and segregation in The American Yawp had already encouraged me to consider the role that race played in the different Federal One projects. 2
However, I did not spend as much time considering the bits and bytes that actually constituted the image. The first time I glitched the image, the little boy, William, was completely gone from the image. Instead, I was left with his outline in varying shades of gray, while the background and outer edges remained mostly in tact. Future iterations of the glitched image continued to show me different aspects that I had not considered closely. The final version that I decided to upload for the assignment caused me to focus on William’s eyes, which are intently focused on the clay at his hands. His mind was not wandering to the other aspects of his life, which is part of the goal of the Federal Art Project. When people are creating artwork out of nothing, they focus their brainpower on their creation, instead of thinking about the uncertain future, things that were lost in the past, or the hardships of the present.
Links
http://jessicadoeshistory.com/cnd/items/show/197
References
Dickstein, Morris. “Facing the Music.” The American Scholar, December 11, 2014. https://theamericanscholar.org/facing-the-music/#.XZ9W8UZKg2y.
Wright, Benjamin, and Joseph Locke. American Yawp: A Massively Collaborative Open U.S. History Textbook. Stanford University Press, 2019.
