MCC-UE 1517 Lecture Notes - W. E. B. Du Bois, New-York Historical Society, Afghan Girl

• School: New York University
• Department: Media, Culture & Communication
• Course: MCC-UE 1517
• Professor: All

Document Summary

The meaning of a photograph is subject to cultural definitions. A system of relations between parties engaged in a communicative activity. Limits give meaning, set the boundaries of what is said and what is unsaid. A photograph is an utterance that carries a message or an argument. Sekulla argues that there is no such thing as a separation of the denotative and connotative (argues against barthes) Discourse- you cant have one without the other there is no universal truth: everyone is entitled to their own reading of a photograph. The photograph is polysemic- it presents only a possibility of meaning: gives a lot of interpretive power to the viewer (slideshow ex; someone selling something, but actually coming off as boasting about their wealth) It is a floating chain of significant: underlying the signifier: because a photograph is open to so many different interpretations, they all come together to show meaning. Established a tradition of elegance in photographic representation.