If everything is an argument than art can be considered one of the most controversial forms of media. There are no rules, no boundaries holding an artist back from expressing himself or herself fully. In his work “Her Morning Elegance,” Israeli artist Oren Lavie works to argue for the integrity of the music video as a form of art, rather than simply promotion.
Lavie defies the conventional form and purpose of the music video. He uses stop motion photography in a way that gathers people’s attention and draws them into the story, even though the story has nothing to do with the actual music in the video. The piece demonstrates how music videos have separated from their original purpose: to promote, or advertise, an artist’s music. Now, the video itself can be considered a work of art.
The artist also allows for a break from complacency, a break from the expectation that music videos feature bright lights, flashing colors, dancing and money. His simple style reflects the idea that beauty itself is not complicated. This argument seems to have resonated amongst people; in 2009, Lavie’s “Her Morning Elegance” video was nominated for a Grammy award the in category of Best Short Form Music Video. (Barnea). This fact represents a subjective conclusion drawn by a select group of people. The strength behind this piece of evidence is that the decision makers behind the awards are generally considered to be a reliable mouthpiece for the opinions of the masses. Without the popularity of the video, it would never have been nominated. This provides logos to the piece that is backed up with ethos.
Lavie brings in some of his own credibility. As well as being a singer and songwriter, Lavie also is a theatre director. The fact that he, himself, directed this video helps to ensure viewers that the content, that is, the argument taken from the work has not been diluted by outside influences, such as a different director. Lavie was able to transform his thoughts and message directly into the video without having to go through a middle man.
In a different way, Lavie is able to speak to the audiences’ emotions by appealing to their values of character. In many instances, when people are buying products, they look for those that are grown or manufactured nearby, thus supporting the local economy and culture. Lavie chose to use an Israeli model named Shir Shomron in his video, thus sticking close to home and helping to promote someone from his own culture. Instead of buying products, viewers buy into Lavie’s character and thus are more likely to consider his argument.
Throughout history, artists have been pushing boundaries, challenging their audiences to see the world through a different set of eyes. Similarly, as the concept of the music video has evolved, the way artists use them have, also. Lavie builds on this, incorporating his style and his ideas into the message, allowing viewers to recognize and build on his argument.
Works Cited
Barnea, Or. “Israeli singer-songwriter nominated for Grammy.” 12 May 2009. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3814873,00.html
eleanormershon 
Dear Eleanor,
I really enjoyed your rhetorical analysis on “Her Morning’s Elegance” as well as the video itself. When I first heard that videos could be used, I figured many people would use recent, more popular videos and try to add some abstract significance to a video that is only trying to promote a song or artist. However, your video, as well as your rhetorical analysis, demonstrated how much of an artform a music video can be. I also like your analysis on him using an Isreali girl instead of a more nternationally famous person and how it shows that he’s trying to let the music and video speak for themselves, rather than only getting a point across because you have a famous person in your video. I do wonder, however, if Lavie had any other message or agenda that he was trying to get across. Not knowing much about him or his other works, I am not sure if this piece is unique from his others, or if this is a common theme for him. Overall, great video and great analysis!
Pete
I thought this was a very good rhetorical analysis. I especially loved both the introduction and the conclusion; I thought you wrapped it up brilliantly. Its nice that you mentioned the logos and the ethos brought about by the film and even more impressive that you researched fine details such as the nationality of the model used and that Lavie directed the music video himself. You chose a very fitting title as well. I can’t think of any way to improve this.
Regards,
Phillip