Imagine an ongoing war has just ended and you have witnessed horrific beatings and police brutality. The tear gas has finally stopped lurking around the streets. The streets are silent now and you can’t hear people’s fast paced footsteps as they try to run away from authorities. In fact, the streets are barren. Everyone that has survived is hiding in shelter. What you have witnessed will forever be a part of history and a topic of discussion. This tragedy is known as “The Tiananmen Square massacre” of 1989. When the attacks on civilians and protestors ended, one lone man stood in front of four tanks and demanded them to get off the streets. Later on this man would be referred to as, “Tank Man”. The tanks did not turn their guns away from him and continued to travel down the street while he was still in front of them. Luckily, a few reports in a hotel nearby were able to capture this moment on video and take photographs. This visual motif shows a point of view shot where we as readers are able to see what Tank Man sees. This contributes to the theme of China as a totalitarian government at the time by creating a negative effect in the photo using color theory. Color theory contributes to the argument of the work as a whole by showing the reader that one man was able to stand up for what he believed in. This visual motif also is able to clearly illustrate what was going on in China at the time. 

When I first looked at the photo, my eyes immediately were drawn to Tank Man. His white shirt stood out the most to me and I thought it was the most colorful object in the photo. The color scheme of this photo does not leave the viewer with a happy feeling. The colors used are mostly grays and browns. Tanks Man’s white shirt indicates that he is not only the focal point of this picture but, the catalyst for change in China at the time.  The use of a dull and dreary color scheme made it easier to focus on one man. This man became a symbol for the protests that had taken place as well as oppression from totalitarian governments around the world. The photographer wanted the viewer to see the significance of how big this issue was at the time by highlighting Tank Man.

Tank Man’s white shirt also shows that he was an everyday man. This event was not planned and that day on June fifth could have gone on like any other day. In this photo you can see Tank Man carrying a grocery bag which shows that he could have been coming home from work or running some errands. He decided to stand up to officials and did not show any fear as he climbed onto the tanks and waved at them to clear the streets. This emphasis on Tanks Man’s attire in this visual motif captured the hearts of people from all around the world. 

The four tanks in the photo are represented as dark and ominous. From this view and the shadows of the image it looks as if they are going to kill Tank Man in the road. The shadows on the tires make the tanks look uninviting. This emphasizes the direction of the tanks and that they are all heading towards the lone man in the middle of the road. The color of the tanks contributes to the theme of the work as a whole by representing China in a negative way. During this time China was oppressing its people and tensions were rising. The police came out in full force and were told to do what they had to do to stop the people. This picture depicts the last events of the government trying to succeed. The shadows of the guns on the tanks in the sun all face towards Tank Man which also gives the viewer a negative connotation of China’s government at the time. This picture also shows that the tanks are all in a straight line one after another. 

Besides Tank Man’s shirt, the other color that stands out in the visual motif are the stars on the side of the tanks. These stars are a big part of the picture because they represent the Chinese government. These red stars contrast with Tank Man’s white shirt and show the struggle between the citizens and the government. The red stars also represent the blood that was shed during the massacre. The overall effect of highlighting the red stars is to show how one man could go up against the Chinese government as a whole to change the way people think. These symbols employ the divide in China at the time and although they have a negative connotation they show a hopeful outcome. To stand up to an army of tanks just one day after the massacre is truly amazing and I find it surprising that they did not shoot him or run him over. 

This visual motif shows the division between the Chinese government and the people of China. The color theory in this picture is meant for the viewer to first pay attention to the man in front of the tanks then to look at the tanks in a row. For me, this picture evoked fear and sadness. This photo had the whole nation at ease and will forever be a topic of discussion in classrooms. The use of the point of view shot puts the viewer in Tank Man’s shoes which allows us to imagine what standing in front of four tanks would feel like. I think the angle and the color scheme of this photo work really well in capturing our attention as well as educating the viewer on what happened in China during the time because if the picture was taken at a different angle we would not have been able to see the picture as a cry for hope or the aggression from the government. This single photo contributes to the element of the theme by the colors used and the angle that the picture was taken. These elements combined let the reader know that before they analyze the picture in depth, they should pay attention to the placement of Tank Man and the shadows and colors of the tanks. 