LOOKING - the meaning of images

THIS IS NOT THE COMBINED PRESENTATION - just my ideas

How we negotiate the meaning of images

1. When we look at an image we AUTOMATICALLY think we know what it means. Ie we get an impression of it.

2. In fact we are DECODING it according to the RULES we have learnt over our lives.

3. These codes can be culturally based; age based; skin colour based, political leaning based… and so on.

4. Within the image we are also affected by: Colours, tones, black & white, contrast, composition, atmosphere.

EXAMPLES

The most obvious recent examples (from the 1980s) are the Benetton advertisements. Each of these makes a controversial statement which often makes one feel uncomfortable. It makes us look hard at the images questioning what they meant and what the link is to their company. On each image is the logo: ‘United colours of Benetton’. Many people complained about these images.

So from any one of these there are several layers of meaning: eg Orthodox Jewish young man tenderly kissing beautiful young Catholic nun. The only colour in the image is the Benetton green logo & skin. It raises lots of questions:

1. Should a nun kiss anyone like that?

2. Would it have been more acceptable is it had been a Catholic priest?

3. Should an orthodox man kiss a Christian especially a nun?

4. Would a person who didn’t know the strictness of each religion think it strange? A child?

5. What would they think in Israel?

6. Could the Jewish people in Israel see it as depraved western Christian society?

7. Do Benetton have a right to concoct this type of image?

8. Are they just emphasising the world problems?

9. Do we think the Benetton care about these social problems of the world or do we think they are just trying to sell more clothes?

10. What the hell has it to do with selling coloured clothing for westerners.

11. On searching the Benetton websites, I found out that they have a Benetton Foundation which benefits many socio economically deprived groups throughout the world. IS THAT GOOD ENOUGH?

References:

Benatton websites

http://press.benettongroup.com/ben_en/about/campaigns/history/

http://press.benettongroup.com/ben_en/about/ourhistory/

Sturken, Marita & Lisa Cartright Practices of looking, Oxford University Press