Conversation IX: Media Memes: Images, Technology and Making the News

Exhibition

Exhibition Overview

Conversation IX: Media Memes: Images, Technology and Making the News
Conversation IX: Media Memes: Images, Technology and Making the News
Luke Jordan, curator
Celka Straughn, curator
Michael Williams, curator
August 14, 2010–February 7, 2011
20/21 Gallery and 20/21 Process Space, Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas

With photographic works drawn from the Spencer Museum’s permanent collection, Media Memes explores shifts in the creation and distribution of visual journalism and the impact of new technologies. A significant feature of the exhibition includes a participatory opportunity in which visitors can engage with and consider the ways that new technologies shape image capture, selection, and distribution.

Understanding how we make meaning from photography constitutes a key element of media literacy. Our perceptions of news, privacy, awareness, the past and the present are culturally and emotionally anchored in the visual reality that we perceive in photographs. This exhibition seeks to generate conversations around media literacy and how “media memes,” or cultural ideas and categories of visual information, are produced and transmitted over several generations. It raises additional questions regarding the ways in which technology contributes to our changing relationship with the news media. As the volume of imagery increases, how do we filter the truthful from the fraudulent, the important from the inane, the significant from the random? What message is being delivered and what is being received? What choices are made and who is responsible?

Curated by Michael Williams (Associate Professor of Interactive Media, School of Journalism) with assistance from Luke Jordan (Adjunct Lecturer of Photography, Department of Design and Visiting Lecturer, Spencer Museum of Art) and Celka Straughn (Andrew W. Mellon Director of Academic Programs, Spencer Museum of Art). The exhibition presents a collaboration between the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Kansas and the Spencer Museum of Art.

Exhibition images

Works of art

Truckers (not published), Art Kane (1925–1995)
Art Kane (1925–1995)
Truckers (not published), Art Kane (1925–1995)
Art Kane (1925–1995)
Truckers (not published), Art Kane (1925–1995)
Art Kane (1925–1995)
Truckers (not published), Art Kane (1925–1995)
Art Kane (1925–1995)
Truckers, Art Kane (1925–1995)
Art Kane (1925–1995)
Truckers, circa 1970
Truckers (not published), Art Kane (1925–1995)
Art Kane (1925–1995)
Truckers (not published), Art Kane (1925–1995)
Art Kane (1925–1995)
Truckers (not published), Art Kane (1925–1995)
Art Kane (1925–1995)
Truckers (not published), Art Kane (1925–1995)
Art Kane (1925–1995)
Truckers (not published), Art Kane (1925–1995)
Art Kane (1925–1995)
President Kennedy eating an ice cream cone, Cecil Stoughton (1920–2008)
Cecil Stoughton (1920–2008)
proof for cover of Esquire magazine, November 1973, Cecil Stoughton (1920–2008)
Cecil Stoughton (1920–2008)
"Gore Vidal Chooses the Best Man, 1968, Heads it's Bobby, Tails, It's...", George Lois (1931–2022)
George Lois (1931–2022)
"New York...The blood-spattered bodies of Joseph Amberg, and of Morris Kessler, alleged Brooklyn hoodlums, shown lying on the floor at a Brooklyn garage...", International News Photo
International News Photo
Rebel Artillery Soldiers Killed in the Trenches of Fort Mahone, Edward Anthony (1818–1888); Henry Tiebout Anthony (1814–1884)
Edward Anthony (1818–1888); Henry Tiebout Anthony (1814–1884)
Sherman's Grand Army Looking up Pennsylvania Avenue from the Treasury, Edward Anthony (1818–1888); Henry Tiebout Anthony (1814–1884)
Edward Anthony (1818–1888); Henry Tiebout Anthony (1814–1884)
Patrol near the DMZ, Larry Burrows (1926–1971)
Larry Burrows (1926–1971)
Famine Victim, Hengyang, China, Arthur Rothstein (1915–1985)
Arthur Rothstein (1915–1985)
Trafalgar Square on the Day of George VI's Coronation, London, Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908–2004)
Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908–2004)
Surrender on the Missouri, Frank Filan; Associated Press Newsphoto Service
Frank Filan; Associated Press Newsphoto Service
Washington, D.C., 1963, March on Washington, Marion Palfi (1907–1978)
Marion Palfi (1907–1978)
Politician, Republican Convention, Robert Frank (1924–2019)
Robert Frank (1924–2019)
Birmingham Alabama policemen use police dogs during civil rights demonstrations, Charles Moore (1931–2010)
Charles Moore (1931–2010)
Crying Landlord, New York Apartment House Fire, Weegee (1899–1968)
Weegee (1899–1968)
Mississippi River Flood, St. Louis, Missouri, Arthur Rothstein (1915–1985)
Arthur Rothstein (1915–1985)
Evacuation of the Jews, Skanderia, Sarajevo, Bosnia, Gilles Peress (born 1946)
Gilles Peress (born 1946)
Angel of the Quake, Manuel Alvarez Bravo (1902–2002)
Manuel Alvarez Bravo (1902–2002)
All the Good Ice Skaters are Dying, Jon O'Neal (born 1957)
Jon O'Neal (born 1957)
In the Air, Georgi Zelma (1906–1984)
Georgi Zelma (1906–1984)
In the Air, 1932
Junior Johnson, Douglas Kirkland (born 1934)
Douglas Kirkland (born 1934)
Woman at Demolition Derby, Lawrence, KS, Earl Iversen (born 1943)
Earl Iversen (born 1943)
Wes Fesler Kicking a Football, Dr. Harold Eugene Edgerton (1903–1990); Gus Kayafas (born 1947)
Dr. Harold Eugene Edgerton (1903–1990); Gus Kayafas (born 1947)
Austin, Texas, Garry Winogrand (1928–1984)
Garry Winogrand (1928–1984)
Boxers (Joe Louis vs. Arturo Godoy), Joseph Costa
Joseph Costa
untitled, Sonia Katchian (born 1947); Carol Huebner and Steven Watson
Sonia Katchian (born 1947); Carol Huebner and Steven Watson
untitled, 1974
untitled (track meet), Bruce Benedict (born 1955)
Bruce Benedict (born 1955)
Marilyn Monroe, Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton (1904–1980)
Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton (1904–1980)
“Body and Soul: Gloria Steinem and her partner, Dorothy Pitman Hughes, demonstrate the style that has thrilled audiences on the Women’s Liberation lecture circuit.”, Dan Wynn (1919–1995)
Dan Wynn (1919–1995)
Portrait of Sessue Hayakawa, Orval Hixon (1884–1982)
Orval Hixon (1884–1982)
The Holy Family - John F. Kennedy, Alfred Gescheidt (1926–2012)
Alfred Gescheidt (1926–2012)
Nixon and Kruschev involved in the Kitchen debates, Elliott Erwitt (1928–2023)
Elliott Erwitt (1928–2023)
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is arrested for loitering outside a courtroom where his friend and associate Ralph Abernathy is appearing for a trial, Montgomery, Alabama, Charles Moore (1931–2010)
Charles Moore (1931–2010)
Mae West, Diane Arbus (1923–1971)
Diane Arbus (1923–1971)
Mae West, 1965
Plate 361, Eadweard Muybridge (1830–1904)
Eadweard Muybridge (1830–1904)
Plate 361, 1887
untitled (house and photograph), Jerry Norman Uelsmann (1934–2022)
Jerry Norman Uelsmann (1934–2022)
Self-portrait with Children, Lewis Wickes Hine (1874–1940)
Lewis Wickes Hine (1874–1940)
Castle Rock, Green River, Wyoming, Gordon Bushaw (born 1947); Mark Klett (born 1952)
Gordon Bushaw (born 1947); Mark Klett (born 1952)
Green River Buttes, Green River, Wyoming, Timothy H. O'Sullivan (1840–1882)
Timothy H. O'Sullivan (1840–1882)
untitled (unpublished crucifixion scene), Carl Fischer (1924–2023)
Carl Fischer (1924–2023)
Diane Arbus, Central Park, Love-In, Garry Winogrand (1928–1984)
Garry Winogrand (1928–1984)
Atomic Bomb Explosion, Dr. Harold Eugene Edgerton (1903–1990); Gus Kayafas (born 1947)
Dr. Harold Eugene Edgerton (1903–1990); Gus Kayafas (born 1947)
Apollo 15 moon photograph, NASA
NASA
Apollo 16 moon photograph, NASA
NASA
Apollo 16 moon photograph, NASA
NASA
Girls with Newspaper #16, Lewis Wickes Hine (1874–1940)
Lewis Wickes Hine (1874–1940)
Lieut. Col. Hallewell, His Day's Work Over, Roger Fenton (1819–1869)
Roger Fenton (1819–1869)
Jack Guddy, Baseball Parade, Jon Blumb (born 1956); Joseph Judd Pennell (1866–1922)
Jon Blumb (born 1956); Joseph Judd Pennell (1866–1922)
Portrait of George Sand, Nadar (1820–1910)
Nadar (1820–1910)
Alfred Tennyson, Oscar Gustav Rejlander (1813–1875)
Oscar Gustav Rejlander (1813–1875)
untitled (Truman Capote), Richard Avedon (1923–2004)
Richard Avedon (1923–2004)
Stokely Carmichael, Minoru Aoki (born 1936)
Minoru Aoki (born 1936)
Catherine Deneuve, Paris (not published), Helmut Newton (1920–2004)
Helmut Newton (1920–2004)
Jackie Kennedy, Central Park, NY, Ron Galella (1931–2022)
Ron Galella (1931–2022)
portrait of Maria Burbidge, aged 8 years
untitled (Robert Frank with Old Model Polaroid 195...), Allen Ginsberg (1926–1997); Erwin Moore; Peter Orlovsky (born 1933)
Allen Ginsberg (1926–1997); Erwin Moore; Peter Orlovsky (born 1933)
untitled (Marguerite C. Oswald), Diane Arbus (1923–1971)
Diane Arbus (1923–1971)
unidentified photographer and Dana Stone, Thomas Corpora (born 1937)
Thomas Corpora (born 1937)

Events

October 2, 2010
Workshop
Media Me
10:30AM–12:30PM
Gallery 317 Central Court
October 2, 2010
Workshop
Media Me
1:30–3:30PM
Gallery 317 Central Court

Resources

Audio

Didactic – Art Minute
Didactic – Art Minute
Episode 231 Sep-2010, Natalie Svacina I’m David Cateforis with another Art Minute from the Spencer Museum of Art. A current exhibition, Media Memes: Images, Technology and Making the News, is a collaboration between the Spencer and KU’s William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Exploring how viewers construct meanings from photographs, the exhibition examines memes, which are like cultural genes - units of belief or symbolism that are transmitted from one mind to another. Moreover, it questions how various agencies, such as news media, affect perception of people and events. The exhibition addresses the broad themes of news, sports and celebrity. News images of events from the Civil War to the 21st century appear along with photographs of well-known individuals from Martin Luther King to Marilyn Monroe and Muhammad Ali. The exhibition also addresses how changes in technological processes impact the production and understanding of photographs. Editing software on computers in the galleries allows visitors the opportunity to consider how their own perceptions and cultural beliefs play a role in the selection and editing of images. With thanks to Natalie Svacina for her text, from the Spencer Museum of Art, I’m David Cateforis.

Documents

Media Coverage