A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

Sturken and Cartwright's "Images, Power, and Politics"

 A picture's ability to convey emotions, feelings, and thoughts are why a picture is said to be worth a thousand words.  This chapter explored the power of images and what kinds of reactions they can evoke.  Although there are many things that make images powerful, the most obvious is that they do not evoke the same reactions from everyone.

Ideologies are how we give meaning to the world and also how we understand the world.  The same is true of how we give meaning to images.  My favorite example in this chapter was about the monetary value of artwork.

This painting by Vincent Van Gogh is titled "Irises".  It sold for $53.8 million.  But what makes it so special? I can print it out and put it in my living room and it should get the same reaction out of me as someone who would pay that amount, right?  As far as I am concerned, yes.  But that is because I don't get the same reaction, so I can't understand. 

Images contain so many aspects that can speak to us in so many ways.  Their connotative meanings can be so deep that no amount of words can express what can be expressed in a picture.  Good examples of this are the picture of the man in Tiananmen Square and also the segregated bus, both of which were talked about in the chapter.  They carry heavy cultural and social connotations that would not be there without a knowledge of what was happening in the photos. 

This illustrates how we each give our own meaning to pictures through ideologies.  Someone who does not know what happened at Tiananmen Square or who does not know about the Civil Rights era will react completely differently when shown the photos. 

It is interesting to think about the differences between text and imagery.  An artist and an author will both have a desired message.  In my opinion, it is much more likely that the author will convey that message to his readers.  Does that make print better? No.  Images can encapsulate so many layers of meaning in one place that it is incredible.  A viewer can form whatever opinion and meaning about it that he or she desires. 

Discussion Question:  Do you think artists and authors take similar approaches to their work in the sense of trying to reach people?