discourse

The blog we looked at about the guy who found a camera in the woods presents what I call an "undefined narrative." We know neither the narrator, or even the implied and actual narratee, which fascinates me. The breadth of possibility within the discourse widens without these two aspects, as does the story. Where the pictures are unclear, the imagination can create both the plot and discourse. This was the most enjoyable aspect of looking through the pictures, both in class and on my own. The figures found in some of the pictures lend themselves to generating interest in the meaning, otherwise they would become a predictable, even boring plot for most folks. Even then, the fog, blurry shots, and camera angles are peculiar.

Several questions have been sticking in my head as to the meaning of actual narrative. Can a random collection of images, not held together by a text, become a story? What if the pictures in this camera were taken by several different people, or what if the same person took the pictures at completely different time periods? How does that form a narrative, and what are the implications for us as viewers/readers/interpreters?  read more »

"As a photographer and writer..."

The above phrase was my original introduction to my first blog entry. I intended to comment upon Chatman's comparison of the visual arts to the written. As I began, however, I couldn't get past that first phrase. Should I write "photographer and writer," or "writer and photographer"? What difference would it make in the reader's mind? Which version would be more memorable? Am I a "photographer who writes," or "a writer who creates photos"? Does it matter?

Yes.

This deliberation over the structure of my sentence is a fantastic example of how discourse affects story: each choice of words and of their order creates a different meaning, however slight. For example, whichever name comes first ("photographer" or "writer") automatically assumes a higher status as a label. Thus, even the most elementary of elements of story--grammatical structure--plays a very important role in painting a picture for the audience.

Perhaps I am a writeographer. Or a photowriter.

ETC