The impact of the internet on speeches or debates in campaigns Essay

The impact of the internet on speeches or debates in campaigns - Essay Example All these debates are live telecasting by the television and internet media. Many people have the belief or myth that only the opinions expressed by the presidential candidate have the power to influence the public opinion. According to Postman (2005), â€Å"Indeed we may have reached the point where the cosmetics has replaced ideology as the field of expertise over which a politician must have competent control†(Postman, 2005, p.4). In other words, the appearance and body languages of the speaker can influence the public immensely. Internet is a medium in which people often discuss the appearance, views and opinions expressed by the candidates. The outcomes of these debates may definitely influence the result of the election. This paper analyses the impact of the internet on speeches or debates in campaigns. Internet and campaigns â€Å"The idea that there is a content called â€Å"the news of the day† was entirely created by the telegraph which made it possible to de contextualized information over vast spaces at incredible speeds† (Postman, 2005, p.8). Instant communication is made possible with the introduction of internet. It is easy for a person in America to communicate with a person in India or Africa instantly using different means of internet based communication. For example, social networks are influencing the people immensely. According to a recent report, Facebook membership has already crossed 1000000000. It should be noted that these people are communicating each other through social networks and exchange their ideas about everything in this world. The use of discussion forums, weblogs (commonly known as blogs), and online discussion groups, allow ongoing dialogues between the candidate, campaign staff, volunteers, and supporters. The Internet’s virtual nature enhances the number and diversity of people participating in campaign discussions, creating â€Å"global conversations that previously would have occurred only i n local groups and conferences (Rice, 2004, p.4) The ongoing political debates between president Obama and his opponent Mitt Romney is watched anxiously by millions of the people all over the world. The recent debate between President Obama and his Republican Party opponent Mitt Romney, about the economic policies of America has been watched with interest by Americans as well as the people in other parts of the world. Reports show that Romney gained an upper hand over Obama after this debate. Plenty of debates are going to happen between these two contesters in near future itself. â€Å"One-third of online adults (33%) say that it is usually easy for them to tell what it true from what is false when it comes to the political information they find online, while 56% say that it is usually difficult for them to determine this† (Attitudes towards the internet’s impact on politics, 2010). One of the major advantages of communication through internet is the ability to stay a nonymous. Internet is a medium through which the unspoken truth and rumours can be spread without fear. For example, it is possible for an Obama fan or a democrat to work against Obama using internet. In fact thousands of political workers are working for their candidate through internet and social networks. These political workers are spreading truths as well as myths or rumours. In politics, only opponents are there

Drug testing for employers Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Drug testing for employers - Research Paper Example Most of the employers carry out drug tests because drug abuse in working places leads to substantial health and safety threats, which can result to low production and lower employees’ morale to work. These threats have additional costs from health care claims, which involve short-term claims from disabilities. So, most employers carry out drug test in order to deter their employees from drug abuse and avoiding to hire drug addicts in their organizations. In addition, they drug test them to offer harmless working environment to their employees and abide by the state regulations (Straete 135)A firm may need a drug examination in various conditions. Firstly, it may be during the pre-employment test to avoid hiring drug addicts. These tests happen after a condition that, one has to pass drug examination before getting the job, so when the interviewee fails the test he/she loses the job. Secondly, firms conduct drug test due to reasonable suspicion from employees showing some drug use symptoms and after an accident to define if drugs were the main cause.   Thirdly, a firm can do drug test randomly by not announcing or alerting the employees, this works as a deterrent. Lastly, the test can be periodic where by testing arrangements happen earlier before administering it to the employees.Drugs mostly show up in body fluids and sometimes through hair test. Drug testing at work place can be through different methods these include hair, urine, saliva and blood. During hair test, there is drug detection.... So, most employers carry out drug test in order to deter their employees from drug abuse and avoiding to hire drug addicts in their organizations. In addition, they drug test them to offer harmless working environment to their employees and abide by the state regulations (Straete 135) A firm may need a drug examination in various conditions. Firstly, it may be during the pre-employment test to avoid hiring drug addicts. These tests happen after a condition that, one has to pass drug examination before getting the job, so when the interviewee fails the test he/she loses the job. Secondly, firms conduct drug test due to reasonable suspicion from employees showing some drug use symptoms and after an accident to define if drugs were the main cause. Thirdly, a firm can do drug test randomly by not announcing or alerting the employees, this works as a deterrent. Lastly, the test can be periodic where by testing arrangements happen earlier before administering it to the employees. Drugs mos tly show up in body fluids and sometimes through hair test. Drug testing at work place can be through different methods these include hair, urine, saliva and blood. During hair test, there is drug detection in the hair revealing the existence of drugs in the body but this method is not accurate. Secondly, drug test through blood analysis which is the most accurate but expensive method. Thirdly, drug test via saliva and sweat examinations, the test is accurate but not popular among work places. Finally, urine testing is less invasive compared to blood examination as it is the cheapest and detects the most recent single consumption of drugs, making it the most applicable drug testing method (Straete 133). Drug testing at the work

Alternative energy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Alternative energy - Research Paper Example solution to the most critical problems that the world has today, especially in reducing the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which deteriorates global warming (International Energy Agency, "Solar Energy Perspectives"). Solar energy is, by far, the most experienced form of energy due to its accessibility, and the ease of converting solar energy to electricity. Many solar energy conversion technologies present sustainable and promising potentials in providing renewable energy that does not only reduces the cost of electricity but could also deliver effective mitigating solutions to the environmental problems we have today. The International Energy Agency expresses its confidence over the positive impacts that solar energies could bring to the world. The agency states that the creation of low-cost, unlimited and untainted solar energy technologies will have "huge longer-term benefits" (International Energy Agency, "Solar Energy Perspectives"). The energy agency adds that the stable generation of solar power through the use of solar energy conversion technologies will ensure energy security in many countries; and will cut dependence on power plants that use radioactive materials, which are potentially pernicious to human health. It will also lower down the energy cost, improve sustainability, will help reduce pollution, and will lessen the effects of climate change. Therefore, the agency stresses that since this innovative approach requires substantial amount of financial investments, a careful planning must be employed for an efficient expenditure of financial resources (International Energy Agency, "S olar Energy Perspectives"). Normally, the Earth obtains a sizeable load of radiation from the sun. On average, our planet takes at least 174 pent watts of solar energy (Smil 240). Of this, 70 percent is absorbed by the Earth by the clouds, oceans, and ground forms including the mountains and the plains among others. The sun’s rays could either be

Case essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case - Essay Example Jill deciding not to take this particular job causes her to be fired from the contract without the terms and conditions of the contract being fulfilled over the five year period. The actions taken by the firm break specific laws and carry elements of proof in regards to the lack of creating the correct approach to the job fulfillment specifications. The laws based on job descriptions and legal requirements is based on the necessity of listing any and all duties which are expected to be fulfilled by the employee before hiring the individual. This has to be specified with a contractual agreement that is filled by both the employee and employer. When Jill was asked to not take part in the escort service, she then proceeded to take the problem to a legal entity, specifically because the service was one which is not considered legal. The whistle blowing action which Jill took part in furthered the problem. According to current movements against discrimination, one cannot be unlawfully terminated for whistle blowing against problems within the workspace or from complaints over potentially illegal activities which are in the workspace. If one decides to freely participate in acts that are considered illegal then any firing process is considered discriminatory and is not lawful. There are two areas which Jill has the right to file against in this specific case. The first is based on the written employee agreement. This has blanket statements based on the claim of allowing each individual to have the right to fair and equal treatment while expressing and acting upon any religious or personal beliefs. If the job description is not one which claims the escort services and if Jill opposes this religiously and legally, then it is her right to act upon this within her own manner while being protected by the law. If this was stated in the contract than Jill remains protected from being fired. The second area which

Terrorism and criminology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Terrorism and criminology - Essay Example Criminological theories offer explanations for certain terrorist acts. Social disorganization theory explains the communal terrorist acts. In a society where the collective efficacy of social institutions have failed, a general unrest may emerge, which would eventually lead to terrorist acts. Such an atmosphere facilitates organized crimes that are a reflection of the lack of respect for the failing systems and also of the notion that the punishment for such crimes will be less severe where the legal justice has fallen apart with the failed institutions. Racial and ethnic heterogeneity in socially disorganized communities are apt to come to direct conflicts. In such communities the poverty rate will also be high, which will; also lead to crimes that would gain the proportions of terrorism. Gang wars and organized crimes are most often transformed to terrorism in general. While the disruptions may emerge as an internal affair in the beginning, it is possible that the frustration and w rath may later be directed against other communities or nations. The disenchanted populace of a socially disorganized community is often the targets of international terrorist recruiters. The theory of rational choice and deterrence is another criminological theory that effectively defines certain terrorist acts. It can explain individual and communal terrorism in a social structure. The theory explains criminal acts as personal or rational choice. The existence of a swift, severe and certain system of punishment in a state is apt top deter an individual or a society from committing a crime. If we analyze the amount of terrorism that emerges from states where the punishment system is weak, the theory can be proved beyond doubt. A state that fails to execute proper punishments will also fail to keep terrorist activities in check. The general assumption can be summarized that people will

Capabilities and Effects of Background Music Essay Example for Free

Capabilities and Effects of Background Music Essay Abstract Nonverbal communication speaks louder than verbal communication; therefore, nonverbal communication, such as background music, needs to be sensibly evaluated. As a form of nonverbal communication, background music is capable of influencing a target audience. In advertising, emotions can be shifted depending on the music being played in the background and the same feelings are then transferred to the product, providing a tremendous advantage in business (Dillman Carpentier, 2010). Music can change one’s mood; in the workplace, an improved mood allows employees to be more content and, overall, more productive. In addition, with the right musical selection, the music is able to increase the amount of information an individual is able to retain (Balch Lewis, 1996). Various aspects from several studies have been examined, demonstrating the power of background music and music in general. The Capabilities and Effects of Background Music Nonverbal communication may be unintentional and speakers may not be aware of their behaviors or it may be just the opposite (Troester Mester, 2007). However, background music is often carefully selected in order to aid in the desired goal, particularly in advertising (Dillman Carpentier, 2010; Kellaris, Cox, Cox, 1993). The goals of every businessperson may not be the same; yet, the capabilities and effects of music are rather consistent (Dillman Carpentier, 2010). Whether via television, radio, or in person, music is able to affect the moods of those in the audience (Knobloch, 2003). Music also has the ability to improve the performance of the task at hand of an individual (Fassbender, Richards, Bilgin, Thompson, Heiden, 2012). According to Balch and Lewis (1996), an increase in memory is also induced by music. In any aspect of business, the effects of music can be utilized and even increase efficiency and productivity. Mood Alteration One’s mood determines the way one thinks and acts and what is said (Knobloch, 2003; Hunter, Schellenberg, Schimmack, 2010). According to Hunter et al., â€Å"music is the language of emotions† (p. 47). The perception of music determines the emotion felt. The perception of happiness is more often transferred to feeling happy than the perception of sadness and feeling sad (Hunter, Schellenberg, Schimmack, 2010). Davies (2011) refers to the emotions of music as being contagious. When one is around people who are depressed, that person’s mood adjusts closer to those who are in the depressed state. Similarly, although a person may not actually be sad, a sad part in a movie can make that person feel sad; the same applies to music. Hearing music that sounds happy can make one feel happy and to the contrary. Davies models this as a cause and effect relationship. The music being heard is the cause and the effect is one’s reaction to the music. Whether the reaction is happy or sad is dependent upon the perception of the music to the listener. Sounds that reflect happiness include little amplitude variation, a vast pitch variety, and fast tempo (Hatfield, Cacioppo, Rapson, 1993). Therefore, when one hears these sounds of happy music, emotional contagion is invoked on the subject and causes that person to feel happy. In advertisements, music is selected as an enhancement but also to affect mood. It is a company’s goal to influence potential buyers by creating a positive attitude and feeling towards that company’s product. With a positive image in mind of a particular product, there is a greater likelihood that the consumer will purchase the product (Dillman Carpentier, 2010). An average of more than 9.5 hours of media is taken in by the average American on a daily basis; of those hours, 38% is dedicated to music – all of which affects mood in some way (Knobloch, 2003). In addition, according to Dillman Carpentier, 90% of commercials include music of some sort (2010). The preceding statistics show the value of music to consumers and therefore, reflect the importance music-induced moods have in marketing. Enhanced Performance Not only is music able to affect one’s mood but it is also capable of increasing the performance of an individual (North Hargreaves, 1999). According to Rauscher, Shaw, and Ky, the IQ scores of the participants of their study were highest when the participants were under the influence of music (1993). In the other two trials, the participants went through a relaxation process and sat in silence for 10 minutes; the scores were 2.95 and 3.56 points respectively lower (Rauscher, Shaw, Ky, 1993). Some teachers have started using music to increase the focus and efficiency of students. Relaxing music is played to keep the students’ minds from wandering and, instead, concentrated on the lesson. The relaxing music causes one’s brainwave frequencies to alter, entering the alpha state. The alpha state has been found to be the state where the best connection to one’s subconscious is made (Fassbender, Richards, Bilgin, Thompson, Heiden, 2012). Koenen’s and Restak’s (as cited in Fassbender et al., 2012) findings have both supported that music inhibits thought. Restak’s claim is based on a study conducted with surgeons as the participants. Due to differing parts of the brain being used for music and for physical tasks, the music doesn’t inhibit the task but keeps the other part of the brain occupied and, therefore, from becoming distracted (Fassbender et al., 2012). In another study, surgeons were asked to count backwards by various numbers under three different conditions and were monitored throughout their tasks. The different conditions were no music, music of personal preference, and experimenter-selected music. Each surgeon was individually tested and each surgeon’s blood pressure, pulse, timing, and accuracy were recorded. The results showed a significant difference among the three conditions and the areas being monitored. The surgeons’ blood pressures and pulses were at much higher levels when performing the tasks without music. The results of the tasks with the presence of music showed lower blood pressures and pulses but an increase in the speeds and accuracies of the surgeons. Of the two music conditions, the overall results of the surgeons were better when listening to music of their choice rather than the experimenter-selected music. The participants of the study are of a profession that undergoes much stress in the operating room; by listening to music of their choice, the effects of stress decrease and the quality of performances increase (Allen Blascovich, 1994). The studies of Dr. Adrian C. North provide several benefits of music for employers and employees. As previously mentioned, music can affect one’s mood. In the workplace, putting the employees in a better mood will increase their productivity by improving how well they interact with their fellow employees. It has been proven that one’s mood and helpfulness are directly related (North Hargreaves, 1999). Music has also been found to raise the employee morale, leading to a decrease in the number of absences (Furnham Bradley, 1997; North Hargreaves, 1999). The output per employee can also be increased in a work field involving repetitiveness. According to Johnson (2004), participants of his study (whose work was repetitive) matched the tempo of the music being played while working. Therefore, with the addition of music – causing a better mood, cooperation, and increased pace – the overall productivity and efficiency of the workforce can increase and, in turn, boost the company revenue. Music is a friend of labour for it lightens the task by refreshing the nerves and spirit of the worker – William Green ( quoted in Furnham Bradley, 1997) Increased Memory Although music and its relationship to human memory are still being researched, scientists do know that music affects several parts of the brain (Weir Nevins, 2010). Cognitive neuroscientist, Petr Janata, says, â€Å" It [music] calls back memories of a particular person or place, and you might all of a sudden see that person’s face in your mind’s eye† (Weir Nevins, 2010, p. 12). According to John Sweller, one must relate what is being learned to something that is already known (2003). Studies have proven the word-for-word is much higher when heard with music than when heard without music (Wallace, 1994). Wallace also suggests the musical accompaniment is used as a retrieval device or as an aid in the way the words are stored. The belief is that the music accents the words being spoken by acting as a cue when determining the number of syllables in a word and words in a verse (Wallace, 1994). It has also been shown that some memories are solely dependent on music being the trigger to recall them (Balch Lewis, 1996). In marketing and advertising, music plays a significant role on one’s memory. Most can probably identify the brand image, along with the melody, by simply reading, â€Å"five, five-dollar foot long† (Weir Nevins, 2010) due to the capability of music that allows one to recall melody and image from the text read (and the contrary) (Wallace, 1994). Pertaining to memory, music can also serve as an aid in health services (Simmons-Stern, Budson, Ally, 2010). According to a study by Simmons-Stern et al., patients with Alzheimer’s disease were able to recall more of the information they were given when it was sung rather than spoken. It is thought to be possible that these findings may aid in discovering a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease patients (Simmons-Stern et al., 2010). Conclusion There is no doubt music plays a role in everyone’s life in some way. The effects of music are nearly unavoidable due to the fact that music is incorporated into such a variety of activities and places and can cause differentiating feelings and results. Sad music can spread sadness (through emotional contagion) and infect the listener with that sadness, causing the listener’s mood to worsen. On the contrary, music is also able to make one feel happy (Davies, 2011). In the workplace, music is able to improve the mood of employees, motivate employees, and quicken the pace of the work being done (Furnham Bradley, 1997). By playing upbeat music where the work to be done is monotonous, the workers are less irritated and fall in rhythm with the beat of the music. A workforce that has a higher rate of productivity can ultimately benefit the company by increasing the profits (North Hargreaves, 1999). Music also accentuates words and increases the memorabilia of those words; this can be quite beneficial in advertisements (Weir Nevins, 2010). Another benefit music offers, with regards to memory, is as a possible treatment for patients with Alzheimer’s disease (Simmons-Stern, Budson, Ally, 2010). Regardless of being a form of nonverbal communication or where it may appear, music strongly affects human beings with its ample array of capabilities. References Allen, K. P., Blascovich, J. P. (1994). Effects of Music on Cardiovascular Reactivity Among Surgeons. Journal of The American Medical Association, 272(11), 882-884. Balch, W. R., Lewis, B. S. (1996). Music-Dependent Memory: The Roles of Tempo Change and Mood Mediation. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 22(6), 1354-1363. Davies, S. (2011). Infectious Music: Music-Listener Emotional Contagion. In A. Coplan, P. Goldie, Empathy: Philosophical and Psychological Perspectives. New York: Oxford University Press. Dillman Carpentier, F. R. (2010). Innovating Radio News: Effects of Background Music Complexity on Processing and Enjoyment. Journal of Radio Audio Media, 17(1), 63-81. Douglas Olsen, G. (1995). Creating the Contrast: The Influence of Silence and Background Music on Recall and Attribute Importance. Journal of Advertising, 59(4), 29-44. Fassbender, E., Richards, D., Bilgin, A., Thompson, W. F., Heiden, W. (2012). The Effects of Music on Memory f or Facts Learned in a Virtual Environment. Computers and Education, 58(1), 490-500. Furnham, A., Bradley, A. (1997). Music While You Work: The Differential Distraction of Background Music on the Cognitive Test Performance of Introverts and Extraverts. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 11, 445-455. Hatfield, E., Cacioppo, J. T., Rapson, R. L. (1993). Emotional Contagion. Current Directions in Psychological Sciences, 2(3), 96-99. Hunter, P. G., Schellenberg, E. G., Schimmack, U. (2010). Feelings and Perceptions of Happiness and Sadness Induced by Music: Similarities, Differences, and Mixed Emotions. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 4(1), 47-56. Johnson, V. W. (2004). Effect of Musical Style on Spontaneous Exercise Performance. Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation, 24, 357. Kellaris, J. J., Cox, A. D., Cox, D. (1993, October). The Effect of Background Music on Ad Processing: A Contingency Explanation. Journal of Marketing, 57, 114-125. Knobloch, S. (2003, June). Mood Adjustment via Mass Communication. Journal of Communication, 53(2), 233-250. North, A. C., Hargreaves, D. J. (1999). Music and Driving Game Performance. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 40, 285-292. North, A. C., Hargreaves, D. J. (1999). Musical Tempo, Productivity, and Morale. Unpublished Manuscript. Rauscher, F. H., Shaw, G. L., Ky, K. N. (1993). Music and Spatial Task Performance. Nature, 365, 611. Simmons-Stern, N. R., Budson, A. E., Ally, B. A. (2010). Music as a Memory Enhancer in Patients with Alzheimers Disease. Neuropsychologia, 48, 3164-3167. Sweller, J. (2003). Evolution of Human Cognitive Architecture. San Diego: Academic Press. Troester, R., Mester, C. (2007). Chapter 7: Nonverbal Civility. In Civility in Business Professional Communication (pp. 87-105). Peter Lang Publishing, Inc. Wallace, W. T. (1994). Memory for Music: Effect of Melody on Recall of Text. Jornal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 20(6), 1471-1485. Weir, K., Nevins, D. (2010). Music and Your Mind. Current Health Kids, 34(1), p. 10.

Appropriation and Important Postmodern Strategy

Appropriation and Important Postmodern Strategy Important shifts in visual strategies in the arts mark the historic cross-over from the Modern to the postmodern paradigm. While this holds equally true in music and literature, it is the evolution of such strategies in the visual arts that this essay concentrates on. While such demarcation cannot be pinned down to a specific year or date, it is possible to convincingly chart this shift via an examination of the working strategies of three important painters: Americans Andy Warhol and David Salle, and Australias Imants Tillers. Postmodern art, by definition, rejects strict genre confines and, unlike modern art, celebrates the mixing of forms and ideas. As a result of this rejection, postmodernism advertises the use of irony, parody, satire, humour and collage. The use of appropriation in art is a useful strategy for commenting on or criticising aspects of life by recontextualising an image or object of already determined meaning. Giving new meaning to, or building upon the meaning of, an existing idea by redefining its context is an effective tool that alters or interferes with the viewers original association with an object or idea. This being immediately recognisable as a postmodern approach due to its embrace of contradiction, diversity and the unconventional. This is important as the message translates easily, giving meaning to a modern day audience. David Salles Tragedy, 1995, is a diptych. The right-hand panel is performed in grisaille, a technique predominantly used to render figures from one base colour or monotones, greatly accentuating the mood. In this panel are two figures, a smirking female, obliquely behind the main male figure who sits with hands on knees with the face distorted into a grotesque parody of despair. The left panels apparent pastiche is backgrounded by what appears to be a domestic scene derived from a 1950s advertisement, possibly a direct reference to Richard Hamiltons landmark artwork Just what is it that makes todays homes so different, so appealing? (1956), a work widely considered as a seminal precursor to Pop art. There is also a possible death motif in reference to the Cold War and the anxiety of the Atomic age of the post-WW2 West. In the centre is a black and white photograph of a bomb blast, surrounded by lemons, with a black glove at the top right corner. The explosion could also be representational of death, as well as the black glove being a traditional mourning trope, these funerary motifs all relating back to the tragic tone of the artwork, and the mans expression. Salles work is more about juxtaposition which he uses as a strategy to destabilise the ways in which we traditionally see, and at the same time reconfigure traditional visual narrative. He leans heavily on a simple strategy of montaging images of the banal and everyday. The effect is jarring and visually disturbing. In this, we can see his indebtedness to the better aspects of Pop like Warhol and James Rosenquist. Salle also created another diptych work entitled Comedy (1995) using the same layout, but mirrored with opposite facial expressions on the figures; as the man with an exaggerated frown in Tragedy now smiles in Comedy. The left panel of Comedy is also rendered in grisaille. In the right panel, an advertisement for a bedroom suite is set on its side and like the artists early works is collaged with additional imagery: a black and white photograph of a headless female fashion mannequin, enclosed by a garland of butterflies, and below a theatrically ruffled harlequin collar.   The paired titles may refer directly to Salles set and costume designs for ballet and theatre, as well as his endeavour into directing the 1995 feature film Search and Destroy. The tropes of the frilled glove and harlequin collar in Salles work of the early nineties hints to his involvement with the performing arts. A cinematic feel can also be identified in Salles juxtapositions of scenes that conjure a cinematic impression in which components are arranged to produce an alternative meaning that is not, indeed cannot, be seen in the singular images alone. The fact that the images of the man in the foreground are reversed when comparing Comedy and Tragedy also gives the viewer an ironic configuration of the Janus, the tragic and comic faces are referenced, via each other, into a singular idea. The God Janus was the protector of gates and doors, beginnings and endings and dates to Roman times. But beyond the traditional trope of the Janus, is the fact that he is two-faced. It may be of some interest to note that, before making it big as an artist Salle worked for a short time in the late 1970s as a paste-up artist for  Stag magazine, a pornographic publication. It is interesting to note that highly sexualised and fetish images making a regular appearance in his works of the 1980s. In  Tragedy  the main figure is haloed by a biomorphic shape, at once visceral and phallic. If this motif is indeed phallic, along with the bomb blast possibly symbolising a premature explosion, Tragedy may well portray a failure of male potency. Taking this reading,  Comedy must surely read as the opposite: the main male figure beams, proud and confident as opposite a bio-morphically enclosed female mannequin in a flowing gown stands without a head. The fact the female mannequin is headless is also interesting, being without identity, the female strictly objectified. The porn aesthetic is genuinely interesting though. While porn does not read compositionally the same as any other figurative traditions, porns narratives run to succinct, highly predictable paradigms. Pasting-up, now a dead skill as all such work is now done on a computer, was physically very much like a collage. Pasting-up is a compositional exercise where images and/or text are literally separate physical items pasted into position on a board for photo reproduction prior to final printing. So we could argue that some of Salles visual sensibility the recurring figures and images, the outlines of figures and objects cast over earlier images and grounds could have derived from his work for a porn publication. Salle was raised on the mythology of the Abstract Expressionists. Accordingly, the scale of his work is New York School-size; his 1995 diptych Tragedy is over 3.5 metres in length. Salle also defers to the Abstract Expressionist myth of all-over composition, the famous domain of Jackson Pollock. But rather than the frenetic, energetic marks of Pollocks famous Poured Period, Salle crams his canvasses full of eclectic figures and objects, often dissimilar and jarring, often seemingly disconnected and layered. It is an ironic homage to the macho painters of the New York School. Salle is widely considered one of the early blatantly postmodern painters by virtue of his subversion of the recognisable, and by distorting the familiar via awkward juxtapositions and unlikely compositional decisions. He drew from such widely artistic traditions as Minimalism, Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Realism and Cubism as well as images from popular culture. Although much of his work seems highly symbolic, Salles paintings seem not to contain a specific message, but rather leave space for the viewer to interact, to read into, the work. It is this interaction that brings the work to meaningful completion. This active engagement of the viewer is also a prime postmodern strategy. Imant Tillers use of quotation and appropriation has seen him classified as one of the early postmodern painters. His approach has a clearly personal element, despite appropriating imagery from both unknown and famous artists alike. Tillers 1985 work The Nine Shots is a an abstract figure who appears to be laying sprawled on his back, with nine target shapes all about him. Instantly, one can see the direct influence of Indigenous art influence on this piece. Tillers notably recontextualises the circular Indigenous motif for camp site or resting place to represent bullet holes. The main Aboriginal image Tillers has appropriated in The Nine Shots was Michael Nelson Tjagamarras Five dreamings, 1982. This appropriation lead to some considerable controversy, with allegations that appropriating Aboriginal imagery without permission impinged upon the moral privileges of the artist. The offence being exacerbated by the indissolubility of Aboriginal art from its environment. Tillers seemingly questioned identity established by and arising from locality by displaying appropriated cultural imagery with other images from different contexts. Over the next decade Tillers relationship with aboriginal art developed, even to the point of gaining a personal friendship with Tjagamarra whose work he incorporated without permission, the two even collaborating together in Nature Speaks: Y (Possum Dreaming) in 2001 using Aboriginal Walibri motifs. Walibri icons subsequently appearing as common elements in Tillers later work as a result. Tillers appropriation of aboriginal signs seems now to be more an appreciation of their artistic power. Although there has been no change in Tillers practice of appropriating Aboriginal art in his own work without permission, it could be deduced that the moral dilemma surrounding the re-using of sacred Aboriginal artworks has become less controversial, its treatment becoming more alike non-aboriginal art. While appropriating, building upon, borrowing from and being influenced by others art is now a mainstay of postmodern art, it is never going to be without hazard as art is not confined to particular types of objects. Aboriginal art it is a device of selfdom, a title deed to the land, a cypher of ancestral presence. It is the situation that Aboriginal law reserves rights to produce these sacred works to a limited group of artists and the infraction of these rights in the unauthorised borrowing of such art can be seen as a type of sacrilege that affects the foundation of the artists society. While widely recognised as the chief proponent of the Pop idiom, specific early works by Andy Warhol can retrospectively demonstrate the decline of the Modernist period. Warhols rejection of the machismo of the New York School is a classic Oedipal strategy. The best of the Abstract Expressionists had traded heavily on the supposed Jungian content of their work, whereby meaning was derived from the actual physical laying down of paint on canvas. Most notable of these, of course, was Jackson Pollock who was on the record in interview touting his Jungian pedigree. By implication also, this Jungian ideal cashed out on the implicit value of originality. To witness the extent to which adoration of the authentic mark of the artist extended, one only need examine the huge, stark calligraphic works of Franz Klein. But Warhol was notable in his total rejection of these ideas. His foppish, effeminate persona stood starkly at odds with the Abstract Expressionists who, we must remember, were still practising in the years of Warhols emergence in the early 1960s. In place of the Abstract Expressionists tortured surfaces were Warhols radically underworked monochrome renditions of newspaper advertisements and newspaper headlines as in  $199 Television, 1961. Warhols Campbells soup can, along with images of CocaCola bottles and Marilyn Monroe became the Pop Art movements representing motifs. The soup can being a satirical comment on Americas consumerism. By using the familiar image of Marilyn Monroes face he has turned it purely into an icon of pop culture, and no longer a person with depth and character. Her depiction is now just a shallow symbol of fame and beauty. Warhols signature use of the silkscreen completed his rejection of the New York style of painting of the late 1940s and 1950s. The silkscreen stood as a reproducible artwork, and the mechanic nature of this production put the artists hand at one remove from the finished product, especially given Warhol employed assistants to make the actual work while he stood as supervisor, and oversaw production.   In 1964 Warhol was one of ten artists commissioned to produce work for the World Trade Fair to be held in New York. Warhols contribution, Most Wanted Men, 1964 featured silkscreen portraits taken from FBI mugshots. This mural-sized work was installed on the outside wall of the Circarama, a one hundred foot circular cinema in which a 360-degree view of New York was projected. Within days of its installation, however, the Circaramas architect, Philip Johnson, had asked Warhol to remove Most Wanted Men, saying the New York State governor thought it would offend the many Italians among his constituents, given all the men depicted were Italian. Given twenty-four hours to replace or remove the work, Warhol had his assistants scale ladders and cover the portraits with industrial silver paint. The strategy is intriguing. Beginning with the idea of appropriating photographs, photo-silkscreening them to find the appropriate scale, and then, after the order that it be removed, Warhol chooses not to replace the work, but complete it with the metaphoric mirroring of the silver paint-out of the original image.   In real terms then, the interference or censoring offered by the Trade Fair organisers and associated politicians, did not necessarily result in a failure of this work. In the same way that many postmodern artists position their viewers to interact with a work in order to complete it, or find meaning, so Warhol played with the critical interference he was offered in a way that served the work and, perhaps more importantly, appended Most Wanted Men with a complex narrative that sited the artist as the  enfant terrible or provocateur who, in completing the work with a crude, industrial silver skin, metaphorically throws an unacknowledged and (given the ambiguity of its title, homoerotic) Narcissistic impulse back in the faces of the authorities. So whether the artists intent is purely representing a personal side of themselves to an audience, or to provoke controversy and questioning from the public, the use of appropriation is a useful strategy of postmodernity as it requires the participation of audience thought to make a work complete. This would seem very unconventional to Modern art, but thats what makes appropriation or recontextualization such a powerful postmodern tool. Salles personal love of the theatrical, Tillers questioning of sacred aboriginal art or Warhols parodic use of popular and commercial products; As can be seen from these well known artists and artworks of the postmodern era, building upon or giving new meaning to an image or object is a very efficient way of producing art with a message behind it.