- Jan 2018
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spring2018.robinwharton.net spring2018.robinwharton.net
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We begin with the premise that in objects there can he read essential evidence of unconscious as well as conscious attitudes and beliefs, some specific to those objects' original makers and users as individuals, others latent in the larger cultural milieus in which those objects circulated.
Objects can be interpreted by beliefs that are prominent in object or some that are more hidden but nonetheless important. It is simply a matter of correctly interpreting and trying to go into as much detail as possible to gain the best results.
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The longer and harder une looks, the better one sees; the better one sees, the subtler the connections one tinds one-self able to make.
This is a true statement and is relevant to the project. The first day we visited the quilt gallery, i chose the panel i wanted to work with and wrote down some ideas that i could use for the project later on. Ever since, i have looked back about 3 times and each time i think of new ideas and new interpretations of the panel, whether it be the color scheme, the materials the people used, or the statements they places on the panel. Every time, I found out something different and more unique from the panel. In conclusion, this statement is very true. The more time and effort one puts into something, the better the results.
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They constitute a sort of pedagogic sampler, an anthology of essays in the strictly etymological sense: experiments in or elaborations of a rigorously practical (as opposed to purely theoretical) approach to understanding things.
in simpler words this means that the essays written are meant to show a different perspective on things or a different way of thinking. I am guessing Haltman will explain how to properly interpret and object or ways of doing do throughout the reading.
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Matenal culture begins with a world of objects bur takes place in a world of words.
In society we pick an object and give it a deeper meaning. Haltman explains that material culture, as in how we interpret objects in society, more or less is given more meaning than the object has as an object. So, an object can be chosen, then it is given a deeper meaning through language and literature.
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In searching our an object to interpret, these are factors co be kept in mind. Moreover, such polarities and oppositions offer effective analytic "hooks" of use in organizing insigh
Haltman, in this section of the reading, gives examples on how to interpret an object. He suggests we use "polarities" because often times this will be easier to identify how the object looks, what it feels like, etc. However, this interpretation is only physical.
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The supplemental article I chose originally was "Material Culture", by Sophie Woodward. This article basically touches on the similar ideas that the first paragraphs on "American Artifacts" focused on; how culture relates to objects. Basically, Woodward explains how materials relate to culture. She states that the way that people interpret the object, either culturally or historically, gives it a deeper meaning. For example, a glass coke bottle can be a way of culturally and historically interpreting an object. A glass coke in all can mean nothing, but time, place, date it was made can all add to the meaning of the bottle.
During World War 2, Coca-Cola trademarked their bottle to be unique and unlike any drinking bottle in America. As time progressed, the traditional coke bottle changed its for, but regardless, the glass coke bottle remained known by consumers that this was a traditional coke bottle originally designed during the early 1900's. Therefore, the coke bottle has become more than just an object to Americans. It is a symbol of patriotism, of interaction, of the growing economy.
In conclusion, all both Haltman and Woodward are saying in their articles is that any object can have more in depth meaning other than its literal meaning. The ways that the an object can have more meaning is based on cultural meaning, or phycological meaning but nonetheless a more in depth meaning.
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All objects signify; some signify more expressively than others.
This statement, while simple, really calls out to me because of its accuracy. Every object, if given the time, has a meaning beyond its outside material. For example, a drinking cup is simply a drinking cup, but if one goes more into depth as to what it means then it can have several alternate meanings. If a cup is placed on a flag, it can mean that the state is hardworking (because of thirst) or if it is a clean cup then the state is "clean." While this example may seem silly, it's a way of viewing what Haltman is saying in its entirety.
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Our investigations-analysis followed by interpretation-necessarily begin in the material realm with the objects themselves but gain analytic hold and open upon interpretation only through vigorous attention,
In the second part of this paragraph, Haltman goes over the "steps" that historians go through in order to interpret an artifact. He lightly touches on what the analysis consists of. For example, he makes it evident that when analyzing an artifact, they begin my interpreting the artifact itself, then going in afterwards and interpreting beyond the material. This part of the reading can be helpful if someone is looking to interpret an artifact, because it is written by a historian. In other words, his instructions are reliable.
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