Lecture 10 - Barthes 'Death of the Author' and 'Camera Lucida'

Death of the Author - 1967
This expands on his ideas about how we respond to and interpret messages through text and images. Barthes argues the producer has only partial control of it's meaning.
"to give a text an author is to impose a limit on that text" this means that by leaving something without a meaning allows viewers to have their own opinion of it and not be told they are wrong.

Barthes suggests that all messages are constructed within a social and political context and such cannot claim to be direct emission. The reader/viewer has more responsibility to the text than the author.
Creator - artwork transmits it's meaning - audience
Creator - meaning - art work's meaning is interpreted - meaning - audience.


Camera Lucida - 1980
This is an enquiry into the nature of photography.
the operator  - the photographer
the spectator - viewer of the photograph
the spectrum - what is depicted in the photograph

Studium - general intrest
Punctum - will break the studium. (is a partial object or detail.)

Punctum is not easily communicated through language and is inspired on an intensely private meaning in the viewer. Suggestion that the punctum is an aspect in the image undetectable.

Lecture 9: Roland Barthes

Roland Barthes, 1915 – 1980, was a French literary theorist, writer, philosopher and academic. His main writing pieces were written during the period of 1950 – 1960.

The main pieces of work that we focused on during today’s lecture were The Photographic Message, 1961, and The Rhetoric of the image, 1964. He proposed a way of ‘reading’ photographs based on a theory of semiotics.

What is semiotics?

·      Semiotics is understanding how language

·      ‘signs’ can be words, pictures, or symbols

·      analysing meanings by looking at the signs.

Semiotics reveal the hidden nature of verbal and visual communication.

Key theorists that used semiotics were Charles S. Peirce, 1839 – 1914, Ferdinand de Saussure, 1857 – 1913, and Roland Barthes.

Aspects of study in semiotics

1.     the sign itself (word or image)

2.     the codes or systems into which signs are organised (language)

3.     the culture within these codes and signs operate

Peirce’s icon, index, symbol:

Icon is the physical resemblance, visual. Index is the visual and audible, sensory feature e.g. smoke = index of fire. Symbol signifies the force of convention.

Saussure’s signifier and signified. ‘dyadic or two-part model of the sign

Eamples:

an ‘OPEN’ sign

Signifier – the word open

Signified concept – the shop is open for business.

‘Cat’

Signifier – the word cat

Signified – a four-legged, furry animal, usually kept as a pet.

The signifier doesn’t relate to a single individual. If the relation between the signifier and the signified is only defined by convention, then meaning or significance means socially nd historically constructed.

Barthes adapts the linguistic science of semiotics and uses it to interrogate culture. He makes the distinction between ‘messages’ and ‘codes’

The message is a singular unit of discourse (picture or writing) and the code is the abstraction created by the reader – reconstructed from the material provided by the message.

He argues that the distinction messages and codes is problematic when we deal with a photograph. The ‘reality effect’ of photographs e.g. “realism” makes appear “natural” rather than socially and historically constructed.

There are other messages without codes – drawings, paintings, cinema and theatre. Analogues* of reality. (* comparable, similar, related)

Photographs seem to carry a single message – denotated.  

Due to the ‘reality effect’ we are in danger of not realising the code of an image. Photographs appear to be objective and factual.

Photography paradox is without code – denotation and with code – connotation.  

Denotation is literally depicted elements in the photograph and the connotation suggested by the depiction to the viewer: extra association by knowledge or culture.

Forms of connotation:

1.     perceptive connotation – seeing and understanding (first look)

2.     cognitive connotation – factual elements

3.     ideological and ethnical connotation – elements or strongest and most complex messages

Walker Evans
A Graveyard and Steel Mill in Bethlehem, PennsylvaniaNovember, 1935

            Denotate: houses, cross, grave yard, power lines, industrial

            Connotation: life then work then death.

Photographic connotation’s six forms:

1.     pose

2.     objects

3.     aestheticism

4.     trick effects

5.     syntax

6.     ‘photogenia’

The Rhetoric of the Image

Hidden messages – adverts – three messages.

Lecture 8: Walter Benjamin

Walter Benjamin, 1892-1940, was a German Jewish literary theorist. His writing and ideas are often presented as fragments.

In today's lecture we focused on four of his essays, News About Flowers, 1928, A Short History of Photography, 1930, Author as Producer, 1934, and Last Essay, 1936.

News About Flowers - a review of Karl Blossfeldt's book which suggested that photography can reveal to us entirely new things about the most ordinary objects. It changes the human perception about objects. It can also reveal movement by speeding up and slowing down objects via moving image film.

A Short History of Photography - goes beyond simple chronological and the ideas of optical unconscious.

Author as Producer - photographers must become writers, and writers must become photographers.

Last Essay - Aura and the effects of modernity. With new technologies of photography and film.
decay of the aura - bring it closer, keep it, and accepting uniqueness.

Seminar: Denotation and Connotation

During today's seminar, we were to bring in a photograph of our choice of any realm of photographic culture and we were to answer questions regarding Roland Barthes' theory.

I picked this photograph, shot by Damon Baker of Cara Delevingne.

We then had to answer questions, in pairs, regarding the photographs we had selected. 

Part one: Denotation: What is depicted (message)

1. What is the denotation of the image (the literal/depicted content) The photograph is of a female who is modelling. It has been shot in black and white and the image has a 'messy' feel to it.

Part two: Connotation: The meaning of the image (code)

1. What is the cognitive connotation? (factual elements of the work) It is a photograph of Cara Delevingne, the supermodel, shot by Damon Baker. 
2. Are there any forms of photographic connotation at work? Yes - the pose is of Delevingne sitting against a wall, with an expressionless face and her hair is messy, and she is wearing dark makeup up.
3. Is there a linguistic message? (text/caption) No there is no message within the photograph.
4. What is the ideological/ethical connotation? ( What Barthes calls 'Myth') The photograph holds no ethical connotation but the ideological is that the photo is a Westernised style image of a female with some skin showing. She is also not wearing the typical make up or hairstyle that would enhance her beauty or to be deemed as attractive to viewers.

After finishing the first photograph, we were to look at our partners and answer the same questions. 

The photograph Georgia had selected was of Emma Watson, shot for Vanity Fair magazine by Tim Walker.

Part one: Denotation: What is depicted (message)

1. What is the denotation of the image (the literal/depicted content) The photograph is of a female, showing some skin from her torso, a pure image and she has a powerful stance.

Part two: Connotation: The meaning of the image (code)

1. What is the cognitive connotation? (factual elements of the work) It is a photograph of Emma Watson for Vanity Fair. The photographer is Tim Walker and the piece has created controversy over Watson's Feminism. 
2. Are there any forms of photographic connotation at work? Yes - the pose is of Watson is very powerful. She is staring at the camera head on and she is looking very dominant.
3. Is there a linguistic message? (text/caption) No there is no message within the photograph.
4. What is the ideological/ethical connotation? ( What Barthes calls 'Myth') The photograph has an ethical connotation regarding the controversy that it has caused. Emma Watson is a strong Feminist and people view this image of her as though she is going against the views of a Feminist - but she is not. Due to her short hairstyle viewers don't see her as the ideal female as some say that her hair is resembling a 'male' hairstyle.

Seminar 3: Theorising Photography

During today's seminar, we focused on a short extract from john Berger's Ways of Seeing (chapter 1). After reading the extract, we worked in small groups to answer five questions. My group response is below with the questions asked.

1. In what ways does photography change human perception? Photography changes human perception as you are able to view the photograph with how the photographer wants you to see it. The photographer controls what the viewers can and can not see within the photograph which can distort a situation or scene. Photography also allows viewers to see objects up close, far away, and/or from the past.
2. How does the ability to make copies affect the way we view art works? Having the ability to copy art enables people from all over the world to view art that can only be seen when travelling. Without the ability to copy art, many of us would not know what the Mona Lisa (Leonardo da Vinci), The Birth of Venus (Sandro Botticelli), or The Persistence of Memory (Salvador Dali) looks like. Having a copy means that we can view these paintings, along with many other art works, through books, magazines, or online. There are some benefits and drawbacks of having the ability to make copies.
3. What do you think are the benefits of reproducing art works?As mentioned in question 2, having the ability to access specific art works all over the world is a main benefit. Another is people's interests in art goes up, as you can view it all. People can also save their own copy as a personal memory of their favourite pieces of art.
4. What might be some of the drawbacks? People may not visit galleries in different countries to view certain art works as they have already seen it elsewhere. it takes away the experience of seeing the real piece with their own eyes. Another drawback is that people make copies but change things about the work which leads people to viewing the wrong piece. When image searching online, there are multiple versions of art works that all claim to be the 'real' looking copy. 
5. How are Benjamins (and Berger's) ideas about the reproduction of images relevant to our contemporary image culture? In the modern day society, hundreds of thousands of images are uploaded online, often the same version repeated. The ideas are very key as it is happening every day and not even with art works. Cities and countries are being photographed and uploaded from smart phones, each time with a different filter or edit. The reproduction is occurring everyday and the ideas from Benjamin and Berger are still key and relevant in 2017 and will be for many years to come.

These are the answers that I/we gave to the questions we were given after reading the extract. It was a recap on the previous two lectures on theory of photography.

Seminar 2: Subjects and Objects

During today's seminar we had to bring in two photographs, one of a man and one of a woman. We were to then answer the questions we were given regarding John Berger.

Part 1 - The Gendered Image - John Berger

• What distinguishes the presentation of the man and woman in each image? What distingusihing difference between the man and woman are that the male is fully clothed looking straight at the camera whereas the female is in her underwear and a small top that reveals her underboob and she is looking towards the camera. 
•  Describe what you see, referring to Berger's ideas about how the model is presented and the likely viewer of the image. As the magazine is GQ, a male's magazine, both photographs are aimed at males. The way the male is stood and what he is wearing it referneces to Berger's idea of what a male can do to you, the viewer, and the female has reference to Berger's looking at how she is being watched and how she wants to be viewed to the ideal viewer, a male.
• Are there examples which seem to subvert Berger's claims? if so, how? Yes, this is due to the clothing they have one - the female being in a small amount of clothes and showing her body off. 

For part two, we had to watch two short films about Bruce Gilden and Bruce Davidson.

Part 2 - 'Taking' photographs - Susan Sontag

• What contrasts are there between the way the two photographers work? A main contrast between Gilden and Davidson is how the approach people. Golden goes up to people with the camera in their face, so unexpectedly whereas Davidson gains their trust and works with them. 
• What ideas about photography are suggested by the way they approach their subjects? Within the films, you get to see how confident Bruce Gilden is with people, walking up to them and getting in their face. This suggests that he is a confident, cocky person whereas you have Bruce Davidson who can work with a variety of people but he did not like working with poverty then seeing models advertising objects that cost money. This suggests he is a calm and knowledge man.

Essay Research

For my essay, I am focusing on straight photography and the approach Paul Strand and Edward Weston had with objectivity within their work.
Below are a list of things, websites, and books that I am going to look at to get research to write this essay.

• Mary Warner Marien 
• Paul Strand
• Edward Weston's website
• Newspaper articles
• the University website
• Museum of Modern Art