WP3: Third Post

With the sculpture I selected, there are multiple ways to analyze its rhetorical strategies, appeals, and concepts. One prominent feature in the sculpture is the use of shadows. When the shadows change, so does the rhetorical argument. During one session with my sculpture, the shadow from the massive leg made it seem as if the figure was crossing its legs and indeed had two legs. This contributes to the reality of the figure and is interesting that it only occurs at certain time periods during certain days. When viewing the figure from the right side I noticed a multitude of new rhetorical appeals that contribute to a variety of arguments. First of all, I observed that the leg, especially the between the knee and ankle, was extremely emaciated. Yet when I directed my eyes to the foot I was shocked at how elongated it was. The juxtaposition between the elongated foot with a bump on the top and the smooth, thin leg was intriguing and perhaps represents that the first step in doing something is the largest. Another juxtaposition I noticed was between the arm that was in close proximity to the torso and the leg which extended far from the torso. I felt as if there two conflicting feelings within this figure. One persona wanted to stay sitting and relax with a cigarette while the other wanted to leave this safe haven and explore the world. However, it was ironic that the foot was supposed to represent freedom, yet was bolted down, not able to move. The arm was loose and could swing with the wind, yet wanted to stay close to its owner and safety.

When viewing the figure from the side and a little behind I became aware of how prominent the shoulder blade was since it protruded to a great extent. It made me wonder if our shoulder blades really stick out that far. The buttock was also blown out of proportion and had small indentations so it wasn’t a perfect curve. I was intrigued because the shoulder blade gradually descended into the back while the buttock was simply a semi-circle with no smooth connection between it and the torso. This piece tinkers with our normal perceptions of body parts and challenges us to question what is “normal” or “attractive”.

One final concept is the presence of two bumps on top of the cigarette. It is assumed that the viewer recognizes these as two fingers holding the cigarette in place. In society the accepted way to hold a cigarette when smoking it is with one’s index and middle fingers. If one looks closely though, the picture doesn’t make sense. Looking from the side, the cigarette is visible with two bumps above it (the fingers). However, in reality only one finger would be visible with the view of the other one being blocked by the first one. A play on perspective is meant to make sure the audience can identify with the object, even if it’s in an unorthodox way.