This image consists of 4 main elements which are the empty chair,
the empty suit, the symbol on the wall and the text. Each of the three visual elements corresponds with a line in the text. "Empty Suit" refers to the image of the suit which seems to be standing on it's own with no body in it. "Empty Chair" refers to the chair on the left side of the frame with no one sitting in it. "Empty Promises" refers to the symbol on the wall with the slash through it.
The symbol on the wall with the slash through it is the O symbol which was developed for the Obama 2008 Presidental campaign.
The white circle in the middle of the symbol is meant to symbolize the sun rising over the horizon. The red and white stripes symbolize a road or path. The message being that there is new hope and change just over the horizon if Barack Obama was to be elected president. Placing the slash through the symbol in the imgage and using the text "Empty Promises" is sending the message to the viewer that the promises of hope and change were not fufilled. Without the symbol on the wall with the slash through it we would not know who the text stating "It is time to let him go" is referring to. Even though the symbol takes up less of the frame than the other elements, we could not get the intended message without it.
Not only is the symbol different because of the slash through it, it is different because it, like the entire image, is black and white. I think the absence of the red white and blue colors which symbolize America are also important in the image. The symbol it's self and thus what is represents does not appear as patriotic in black and white.
The empty chair and empty suit can mean that the President is not really there for America the way he should be as a leader. They can mean that he doesn't have the 'head' or intelligence to run the country. However we interpret the empty chair and empty suit, it does not change the main message of the image which is that Barack Obama has not done his job as the President of the United States and it is time for a new leader.
The white circle in the middle of the symbol is meant to symbolize the sun rising over the horizon. The red and white stripes symbolize a road or path. The message being that there is new hope and change just over the horizon if Barack Obama was to be elected president. Placing the slash through the symbol in the imgage and using the text "Empty Promises" is sending the message to the viewer that the promises of hope and change were not fufilled. Without the symbol on the wall with the slash through it we would not know who the text stating "It is time to let him go" is referring to. Even though the symbol takes up less of the frame than the other elements, we could not get the intended message without it.
Not only is the symbol different because of the slash through it, it is different because it, like the entire image, is black and white. I think the absence of the red white and blue colors which symbolize America are also important in the image. The symbol it's self and thus what is represents does not appear as patriotic in black and white.
The empty chair and empty suit can mean that the President is not really there for America the way he should be as a leader. They can mean that he doesn't have the 'head' or intelligence to run the country. However we interpret the empty chair and empty suit, it does not change the main message of the image which is that Barack Obama has not done his job as the President of the United States and it is time for a new leader.
I have never seen this image before and I think it definitely has a strong image. I like your analysis of it.
ReplyDelete5 out of 5