GOCA Assignment

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.