At first I was not sure who I knew of that is a good rhetorician because I have no specific idol that I can think of off the top of my head. I do not read speeches by famous people that often nor do I pay a significant amount of attention to political issues. However, after some thought, I find that there are other ways for people to make arguments and have an opinion about something than giving a speech or writing an essay.
As I was thinking, I just happened to glance at a book on my floor about my favorite artist, Alphonse Mucha. He is no longer alive, but when he was, he was famous a Czech artist who created beautiful lithographs for French advertisements. Lithography is a complicated form of printmaking: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithography. As I flipped through some pages in the book, I realized that he is making a strong argument for consumers to buy the product that his prints are advertising. I think that I would definitely buy the products that he advertises because his images are so visually appealing and intricate. Now, I understand that he probably did not always consume the products that he was commissioned to create an advertisement for, but his argument is still to buy them, since he has put a lot of effort into each advertisement like it is its own work of art. He probably had a choice in which commissions he would take, because when you are famous/rich you can do that: for example actors and actresses taking roles they wish to play or that they are interested in. Certainly the evidence of more effort to create a beautiful advertisement versus a plainer, cheaper looking advertisement would draw me to that particular product. I like complex designs anyway, and have always been more willing to pick up an item for its artistic value more than its particular function.
I wouldn’t say that Mucha is trying to pull for a certain change with his work, like in the upcoming collaborative proposal we will be writing in class, but his message to me is important. For people to be drawn to things or interested in them, I think there needs to be some kind of appeal that is immediately satisfied and makes the audience want to find out more about what is going on. Like in his work, where one sees the beautiful artwork and then sees the advertisement, I want people to be hooked and then delve further to see what I have to say.
I like the idea that an artist can be rhetorical. I have never thought of artwork in that way. But when you really look a piece of art it can make more of a statement than any speech.
When you think about argument it often strike to us as verbally through sppeches or through written piece of writing but we barely pay attention to art work as argumentative. I found your blig very interesting as they emphasize in how everything can haev argument.
These images are amazing. And you’ve hit on one of the most important aspects of persuasion–making your audience WANT to hear what you have to say. g