In paper #2 i will be analyzing episode 4 of ways of hearing “Money” by Damon Krukowski. In this episode he talks about music being property, he states that music should be freely available for everyone because it is something immaterial and therefore it shouldn’t be a price on it. This point that he makes is very interesting because ideally, it would amazing having the possibilities of being able to listen to any music without having to pay for it. However, if we look at it from another perspective, music is a type of art, in which people who make it, put their effort and talent with the purpose of it being successful and enjoyable for the audience. We should at the production of music as any other type of job that requires thinking, time and work. For this reason, music should not be freely accessible for everyone as it would have a negative effect in  the music industry and there would be less artists dedicated to this. In my paper will be going over and interpreting Krukowki’s arguments in this episode and consequently stating the advantages and disadvantages of music being freely available for everyone.

The use of technology has changed our perception of life in many different ways, to the point that it is almost impossible to think of a world in which smartphones, computers, or any other technological devices does not exist. This, with no doubt has great advantages and it has made our lives easier throughout the years. However, it also has some pitfalls to it because sometimes we get so trapped into technology that we become completely unaware of what is happening around us and forget to take care of important things in our lives. Multiple times, it has happened to me that i lose track of time whenever im using my phone. For example, when I go to bed at night, with the intentions of “sleeping”, I always grab my phone and start watching netflix or sometimes i just read books that I can find online. When I do this, I tend to forget about time and find myself being still awake at 3 am when I know very well that I have to wake up early for class the next day. For this reason, it is important for us as people to learn how to manage our time and not let technology take away our wellness and productivity; instead, we should use it wisely and know when to put a limit to it. We should use more of our time to be present and share with others.

I decided to write about the image of Donna Gottschalk where she is in a parade holding a sign that says  “I am your worst fear, I am your best fantasy”. I find this image to be really interesting and it also holds a lot of meaning to it. I believe that the message that she is trying to convey is that women have been seen as objects used to satisfy men’s desires, as Berger argues in episode 2 of ways of seeing; but also, the contrast that she makes with the phrase  “I am your worst fear” is trying to say that men are aware of how able and powerful women can be and that might intimidate them a little. Another thing that really caught my attention was the confidence that Donna emits standing there with such bravery to defend her rights as a lesbian (this picture was taken at the beginnning of gay rights movements in the 1970s). Her semblance is a reflection of what many women nowadays try to communicate to society and i would like to talk more in detail about this in my paper along with John Berger’s ideas about how women were depicted in society.

This is a painting by Della Rocca called “A Wealth of Treasure” . In this image we can see a woman that is painted naked, surrounded by a lot of jewelry, money and clothes, along with gold bracelets on her wrist and ankle. As we observe this picture, what catches our attention is precisely the wealth that it illustrates, and how comfortable the woman is depicted in the middle of all the affluence. By looking at it, we can assume that she lived a life of luxury and richness. Instantly, we certify that she was an important person that could get whatever she wanted by just snapping her fingers and chiefly, that is what this painting is trying to convey.

In the same way, the oil paintings that Berger discusses, were mainly used to show the people’s wealth and their power. As he states “these paintings were records of the confidence of those to whom ownership brought confidence” meaning that those portraits had the purpose to show rich people’s worthiness and everything that they could own. On the other hand, the European oil painting’s principal subject was merchandise (food) which served as a demonstration of what gold and money could buy. In contrast, this painting by Rocca, uses luxuries to represent wealth. In different ways, both are conveying the same.

Throughout the years, women’s image has been depicted in many different ways. In episode two of ways of seeing, John Berger explains how in the Western art, the nude figure was used to express female beauty and its forms, but also, nude portraits were made with the purpose to appeal to men’s sexuality. Berger’s central argument was that nudity objectifies women. He mentions that nakedness does not define a woman as she is; instead it just shows their submission to others.

This can be compared to the current situation in society, where women are more acknowledged for the way they look than for their values and what they have to offer. The #MeToomovement is a movement that was created to help and support those who have been victims of sexual harrassment or sexual assault. Many american celebrities were encouraged by this movement to speak their truth and consequently a high number of other victims followed and told their personal stories. All this was done hoping to spread awareness  of how many women are being sexually neglected on their daily lives by the media, in their jobs or even their own family.

Women should start being respected  and acknowledged by their unique qualities and not for their  physical appearance.  

Images often convey different meanings, the significance of an image is usually based on the spectator’s point of view, individual way of thinking or past experiences. Each person has their own unique way of seeing things. Therefore, two people observing the same work of art can have a completely different idea of the meaning that it holds behind it, this is called perspective.

Images are a way of transmitting a message without saying any words, they  also allow us to see historical paintings that we are unable to see personally, and as stated in the book in Episode 1 of  Ways of Seeing, images show us how things were in the past and how people once looked.

This image’s theme is perspective. It shows how the painter is drawing the egg as the way he sees it, which can differ from what others see. As stated before, people see things differently depending on certain factors, and what can be very clear to one might not be to others. This fits with the ideas described in Episode 1 of ways of seeing because John Beger states that “…our perception or appreciation of an image depends also upon our own way of seeing”. Based on this we can also say that although this image is about perspective, it can mean something different for someone else.