Why do we feel the need to read photographs and how?
Introduction 200
Thinking Photography: Looking at photographs 300
Victor Burgin begins by noting the difference between photography and film. Explaining that both film and paintings lend themselves to be critically viewed as objects and argues that photography is not allocated within society in the same way. Instead he implies that photography is simply around us, informing and recording to its audience. Burgin goes as far as saying photographs are accepted in the same way ‘environment’ is accepted. (Burgin 1982, 142) Burgin notes that until the 1960’s there was no real in depth study of how to read photographs within society. However, soon came the emergence of semiotics, which Burgin perceives brought photography to the forefront and shifted photography in terms of theory.
Burgin references Roland Barthes’s Elements of Semiology and further explains that the study of natural language progressed into the study of visual language. Furthermore, by using semiology there was a means to explore photography in terms of codes and conventions, breaking a photograph down into objects, meanings and themes.
In terms of the education of photography Burgin believes that nineteenth century aesthetics still dominates however, …show more content…
The first is explained as semiotics and the second, as psychoanalysis. Wells explains that the study of ‘semiology’, a term coined by Ferdinand de Saussure, was broadened and adjusted into another later term: ‘semiotics’. Wells continues by referencing the works of Roland Barthes and notes that through semiotics, our culture could ultimately be evaluated and analysed through visual language. (Wells 2015,36) Wells proposes that our early interpretation or reading of a photograph was carried out through signs that we deemed as meaningful to us through our own individual and personal
Introduction 200
Thinking Photography: Looking at photographs 300
Victor Burgin begins by noting the difference between photography and film. Explaining that both film and paintings lend themselves to be critically viewed as objects and argues that photography is not allocated within society in the same way. Instead he implies that photography is simply around us, informing and recording to its audience. Burgin goes as far as saying photographs are accepted in the same way ‘environment’ is accepted. (Burgin 1982, 142) Burgin notes that until the 1960’s there was no real in depth study of how to read photographs within society. However, soon came the emergence of semiotics, which Burgin perceives brought photography to the forefront and shifted photography in terms of theory.
Burgin references Roland Barthes’s Elements of Semiology and further explains that the study of natural language progressed into the study of visual language. Furthermore, by using semiology there was a means to explore photography in terms of codes and conventions, breaking a photograph down into objects, meanings and themes.
In terms of the education of photography Burgin believes that nineteenth century aesthetics still dominates however, …show more content…
The first is explained as semiotics and the second, as psychoanalysis. Wells explains that the study of ‘semiology’, a term coined by Ferdinand de Saussure, was broadened and adjusted into another later term: ‘semiotics’. Wells continues by referencing the works of Roland Barthes and notes that through semiotics, our culture could ultimately be evaluated and analysed through visual language. (Wells 2015,36) Wells proposes that our early interpretation or reading of a photograph was carried out through signs that we deemed as meaningful to us through our own individual and personal