Thinking. Pondering. Reading. Wondering. This is how I function in the world. I attempt to understand my place in the universe by trying to understand the nature of the universe.
I look to the sky, and I know the sun has a purpose. The trees have theirs. They do not have to ponder, they do not have to wonder. They simply exist.
The bird goes through its daily routines. It seeks food and
soars through the open sky. I cannot say whether it thinks or ponders. To me, it
simply exists.
Time. It marches inexorably forward. That is its purpose. That
is its nature. It exists.
Leaving the darkness behind, progressing towards
illumination. The unknown, the unseen lies ahead. Any direction may be explored
or ignored. Walking and learning. Marching forward, wishing, hoping, seeking to
know, and seeking to exist.
Berger Analysis
Berger
discusses how words can change the meaning of an image (Berger 27-28). The
exhibition of the young girl who had reconstructive surgery on her leg would
surely have been experienced differently if each image had words attached to
it. I viewed the images prior to reading the description provided on the wall,
and then again after reading the description. This was enough to change the way
I saw the images. At first, I wasn’t exactly sure what I was looking at. I knew
each image was connected and that the girl clearly had surgery on her leg. The
prevailing emotion during my first viewing was empathy for the girl’s apparent
anguish. Although many photos showed her smiling, I was overcome with sorrow at
the girl’s plight. Of course, if I had met her during this time, I would have
masked my sorrow and tried to be as positive as possible. After going through
the exhibition, I noticed the description on the wall. The message was one of
strength and optimism and hope. After reading the artist/father’s words, I went
through the exhibition again. Much to my surprise, I saw nothing but strength
and an aura of positivity in each image. The words that explained the story
completely changed my interpretation of the images. They still showed the same
images in the same order, but I read the story very differently.
I can’t say whether attaching words
to images is a good thing or a bad thing. I think that it may depend upon the
artist’s intention. Some artists want the viewer to have their own
interpretation based upon their own experiences. Some artists would prefer to ensure that the
viewer “gets” what they are trying to communicate. In this case, I much prefer
the story I “read” after seeing the artist’s description of the events.
However, I think that viewing the story with very different feelings and
interpretations served to enhance the experience. I think this could have even
been pushed further if I then went through the images once again, but with an
explanation attached to each image. The story then would have been completely
up to the artist with very little room for my own interpretation.
Berger, John. Ways of
Seeing. London: Penguin Books, 1972. Print.
