Writing Assignment 2
1) Photographs need to be recognized as pictures with a purpose to express or communicate something to others. The photographer's knowledge, belief, values, and attitudes are reflected in the photographs they create. Interpretations are the answers to a person's questions about a photograph, and so interpretations vary depending on the questions a person asks and the answers they find. Interpretations are not judged on what is right and what is wrong, rather they are judged by how reasonable they are.
2) The author of this Chapter uses many primary sources of actual photographs as well as the interpretations from critics about those photographs. One photo he uses a lot is PLATE 5 which is a photo by Harry Callahan titled Eleanor which, is a photo of a woman with her left forearm across her forehead and her right hand grabbing her left bicep. This photo is accompanied by three different interpretations of the photo to show that there are many different approaches/styles of interpreting a photograph.
3) Barrett defines interpretation as analyzing an image and discovering your own view of
what the photo may represent or be about. The interpretation is the being of the photograph beyond
its tactile presence.
4) Interpretation is important in criticism as it allows the viewers to fully grasp the importance and significance of the image. The criticism helps the photographer's vision become more concise and clear to the viewer and gives them the opportunity to be more creative in their thoughts. Barrett brings up the point that newspaper images are factual, and therefore do not require criticism, yet other photographs that can potentially depict a more abstract life is free to full criticism.
5) I think that Interpretation, Meaning and Personal Significance is a very interesting point to make because in examining a work of photography, it’s important when making an interpretation that there's a distinction between meaning and interpretation. The interpretation is a true idea of the metaphor behind the painting compared to a meaning which is much more personal idea. Both go hand in hand but Barrett makes a point that although both work together to create an interpretation and often meaning and emotions can help create a stronger interpretation, the interpretation needs to have the meaning that relates directly to the picture, not just the emotions that the photograph makes us feel. Interesting because visual is such a powerful thing that sometimes it can cloud the judgment of what is really happening in the photograph and how it actually makes us feel as viewers.
6) In this section, Barrett explains that the responsibility of interpretation is up to the viewer, not the photographer. Although some artists may have their own interpretation of a photo they took, we should value that interpretation on the same grounds as any other viewer. He also explains that some photographers are unaware of their intents when they take a picture, and they don't necessarily always have an agenda. The critic attempts to describe what the photographer is communicating.
7) The main points of this section were that critics must find each photographer intend when criticizing their work. They must find out if the artists did a good job expressing his/her intent in his/her work. The author adds that some photographers are unaware of their intends, but sometimes it comes unconsciously to them. The last point Barrett made in this section was that the interpretative part should also be more on the viewers than on the photographer.
8)One key point I have learned by reading this is that there really is no wrong answer and that all interpretations are valid as long as you can back it up. You can base interpretations on not only intellectual endeavors but also on what feelings you get from the photo. Art is there to trigger something so let it. Another thing I learned was that there is a direct difference between significance and meaning which I did not know. According to the chapter, Significance is more personal and it is based on what the person analyzing the artwork finds important. Meanwhile, the meaning is way more objective which refers to what the photograph can infer on its own and not what is inferred by the one person.
9)The author concludes explaining how the community of interpreters is especially important when
selecting the best interpretations. Each individual has had a different experience throughout life
which shapes our perspective and ultimately our interpretation of photographs.
2) The author of this Chapter uses many primary sources of actual photographs as well as the interpretations from critics about those photographs. One photo he uses a lot is PLATE 5 which is a photo by Harry Callahan titled Eleanor which, is a photo of a woman with her left forearm across her forehead and her right hand grabbing her left bicep. This photo is accompanied by three different interpretations of the photo to show that there are many different approaches/styles of interpreting a photograph.
3) Barrett defines interpretation as analyzing an image and discovering your own view of
what the photo may represent or be about. The interpretation is the being of the photograph beyond
its tactile presence.
4) Interpretation is important in criticism as it allows the viewers to fully grasp the importance and significance of the image. The criticism helps the photographer's vision become more concise and clear to the viewer and gives them the opportunity to be more creative in their thoughts. Barrett brings up the point that newspaper images are factual, and therefore do not require criticism, yet other photographs that can potentially depict a more abstract life is free to full criticism.
5) I think that Interpretation, Meaning and Personal Significance is a very interesting point to make because in examining a work of photography, it’s important when making an interpretation that there's a distinction between meaning and interpretation. The interpretation is a true idea of the metaphor behind the painting compared to a meaning which is much more personal idea. Both go hand in hand but Barrett makes a point that although both work together to create an interpretation and often meaning and emotions can help create a stronger interpretation, the interpretation needs to have the meaning that relates directly to the picture, not just the emotions that the photograph makes us feel. Interesting because visual is such a powerful thing that sometimes it can cloud the judgment of what is really happening in the photograph and how it actually makes us feel as viewers.
6) In this section, Barrett explains that the responsibility of interpretation is up to the viewer, not the photographer. Although some artists may have their own interpretation of a photo they took, we should value that interpretation on the same grounds as any other viewer. He also explains that some photographers are unaware of their intents when they take a picture, and they don't necessarily always have an agenda. The critic attempts to describe what the photographer is communicating.
7) The main points of this section were that critics must find each photographer intend when criticizing their work. They must find out if the artists did a good job expressing his/her intent in his/her work. The author adds that some photographers are unaware of their intends, but sometimes it comes unconsciously to them. The last point Barrett made in this section was that the interpretative part should also be more on the viewers than on the photographer.
8)One key point I have learned by reading this is that there really is no wrong answer and that all interpretations are valid as long as you can back it up. You can base interpretations on not only intellectual endeavors but also on what feelings you get from the photo. Art is there to trigger something so let it. Another thing I learned was that there is a direct difference between significance and meaning which I did not know. According to the chapter, Significance is more personal and it is based on what the person analyzing the artwork finds important. Meanwhile, the meaning is way more objective which refers to what the photograph can infer on its own and not what is inferred by the one person.
9)The author concludes explaining how the community of interpreters is especially important when
selecting the best interpretations. Each individual has had a different experience throughout life
which shapes our perspective and ultimately our interpretation of photographs.
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