"Look at the Artwork!"

by FadeToBlack 6 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  FadeToBlack

  From the back cover of the July 15th, 2013 Study edition.

  "Look at the Artwork!"

  How many times have you said that to yourself or to others when you opened a new issue of this magazine?
  
  Exactly! I didn't use the same wording, but needless to say, I was stunned. Quite often I asked myself, WTH were they thinking? Sometimes (when I felt brave or was especially annoyed) I expressed the same dismay to my wife. Not always a good idea - YMMV.

  The beautiful pictures and photographs that are painstakingly produced are there for a purpose.
  
  That's a relief. I thought they were just trying to take up space so they didn't need to produce so much scholarly text. I often wondered why (see older study editions) they felt the need to produce a painted (or simulated painting), pastel version of a picture for the cover and then show the actual picture it was based on, on the inside cover.

  On a related note: do the people creating this 'painstaking' artwork get to count their time?

  They are teaching aids that make us think and feel.
  
  Now we are getting somewhere. Actually, I think what they meant to say was: "They are teaching aids that make YOU think and feel what WE want you to think and feel." For a specific example, just look at the picture of the brother (probably the WT conductor) proudly displaying his personal study edition below the text in this edition.

  They can be especially helpful when we prepare for and participate in the Watchtower Study.
  
  Especially if you have not prepared and/or haven't already made a comment. You can still salvage a few brownie points by making a comment on the pictures at the end of the study. The conductor at our hall likes to do picture discussion during the wrapup. I guess it really is the "icing on the cake: as one brother commented in the text.

  Bonus Points: Speaking of 'teaching aids' , how many can you identify in the artwork on the last page? I'll get the ball rolling...
  
  1. Study article should be highlighted in multiple colors. Obviously, the more colors used, the better. More colors='more spiritually-minded'. You didn't just go thru this once! You want to glean every last morsel of food/fodder provided at the proper time.
• 

  FadeToBlack

  Sorry, tried to include image from dropbox, but so far, no luck. Can I say that word, 'luck'?

  Apparently so. Didn't get zapped, yet.
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  Journeyman

  Found this old summary while thinking about the subject of artwork, linked to the proliferation of videos in meetings these days. The same points FadeToBlack made apply - the videos are often used as over-simplified indicators of what you should think/take away from the item.

  What I find crazy is when some comments gush about the artwork (including videos, dramas) illustrating Bible scenes from long ago, as if it were real footage from the past. I remember one brother even said when commenting on such a picture in a WT article: "As we can see in the photograph..." I'm not sure if that was a slip of the tongue and he just meant 'picture', or if he really does consider these artist's impressions (or video director's imaginings) as if they were direct recordings of events!

  I've never found the artwork that impressive on a 'teaching' level. Sure, it may be (mostly) well drawn/painted, but there are thousands of good artists out there capable of illustrating all kinds of imagined scenes - that doesn't make the WT artists' (or directors') take on Bible accounts the 'gospel' truth, if you'll pardon the pun. Especially when it comes to things like Bible character's hair or clothing colours, or what poses they were in, or how many were in a room, things which are usually total speculation as there is rarely that level of detail in Bible accounts.

  Study article should be highlighted in multiple colors.
  

  With the near-ubiquity of tablets and mobile phones at meetings now, at least the days of showing off how studious you were by having your publications highlighted in lots of colours have died out. Although some do carry over their highlighting obsession into the JW app on their devices, it doesn't seem to be such a mark of 'spirituality' as it used to be. At least that's one ridiculous thing that has gone away!
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  LongHairGal

  JOURNEYMAN:

  What you said brought back memories of when I attended book studies years ago!

  Some individual would raise their hand and make a comment gushing over some picture (artwork really) in the book.. They acted as though it were an actual photograph from the First century and was a real depiction of some event in the scriptures.

  To my knowledge they didn’t have cameras or videos back then.🤔 Everything appearing in the books and magazines was and is purely the imagination of people in the art department in the religion.

  I just could not get over the gullibility and suspension of reality that goes on in the minds of JWs to be acting like this is real.
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  enoughisenough

  artwork=conjecture
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  ThomasMore

  The artists of yesteryear at WT headquarters had almost free reign to conceptualize any paradise scene they could dream up. The sky was the limit. I sometimes wondered if the doctrine drove the artistry or the artistry drove the doctrine?
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  Diogenesister

  Thom.M I sometimes wondered if the doctrine drove the artistry or the artistry drove the doctrine?

  Interesting.....!