Visual Art: The First Vision

WATCO of seeing God and Christ on your relation to the physical world

Claim: Seeing God and Christ in front of you draws you out of your physical world

Reason: Because seeing God and Christ break the rules of the physical world

Audience: The Audience for this piece of visual art is centered on those who are Latter-Day Saints or those investigating the church. The economic status will range from very poor to very rich and education doesn’t really matter. The most important aspect of this audience is that they are seeking or have sought truth and understand the general premise to the story this piece of art represents.

Goal: To have the audience develop a faith and Knowledge of God and Christ and their abilities.

Ethos: The artist establishes credibility through having a strict interpretation of the story, instead of adding a more liberal or symbolic interpretation. This builds credibility by reinforcing the viewers understanding of the piece and by making his artistic interpretations more unique and personal for the viewer. It is through this credibility that the viewer can then notice how Joseph Smith looks to being pulled out of his element into the light, how the grove seems to move to frame the speakers and how the focal point is not on Joseph Smith but on Christ and God.

Pathos: The artist uses a lot of different color patterns to inflict different emotions. The outer rim of the painting is all darkened woods, with the back, shaded view of Joseph Smith. To inspire awe the artist represented God and Christ and not only white in clothing but their very presence transform their surroundings until they are no longer in any darkness. The trees also frame God and Christ which shows their power over the physical world.

Accurate: The argument is accurate. Those in the audience, who have an understanding on the persons of Christ and God, would understand that the physical world is subject to the rules and dominions of God. The painter does a great job of using this realistic interpretation to not question that philosophy but rather reinforce it.

This Painting is very effective primarily because of the use of Pathos. The painter is invokes a lot of emotional response and awe that draws in the audience and allows them to experience the mind and world altering presences of the supreme.