What is Barthes trying to say?
Barthes' essay talks about the traditional views on and criticism of writing, which focuses on the ideas, beliefs, history, opinions etc of the author. He argues that instead, the focus should be on the creation itself as opposed to the creator. He suggests, amongst other points that the experience of the writing should be influenced by the reader's interpretation of the text, and not their understanding of the identity of the author.
How can this link to illustration?
- Removing the author from the perception of the work allows for each individual viewer to experience their own personal interpretation of the illustration.
- Barthes explains "a text is not a line of words releasing single 'theological' meaning...but a multi-dimensional space in which a variety of writings, none of them original, blend and clash." This could be applied to illustration. No piece of work is original as it must all be inspired and influenced by a wealth of references as well as the illustrator's personal experience.
- The viewer is as important, if not more than the illustrator. The image's purpose is to communicate something to the viewer, not necessarily reflect the illustrator's views, opinions or feelings etc.
- Once someone has authored or created something, they could forever be associated with that one thing. Barthes' argument of removing the author from the equation could support the idea of an illustrator having versatility in their practice, perhaps being recognisable in their tone or style, but not restricted or limited.
- The modern view reflects the idea that the illustrator exists alongside their work in the "here and now". The work can be taken at face value. Barthes states "...[it] has no other content...than the act by which it is uttered"
3 Quotes that link to my chosen theme - Culture:
"We know now that a text is not a line of words releasing a single 'theological' meaning...but a multi-dimensional space in which a variety of writings, none of them original, blend and clash. The text is a tissue of quotation drawn from the innumerable centres of culture."
"The sense of this phenomenon, however, has varied: in ethnographic societies the responsibility for a narrative is never assumed by a person but by a mediator, shaman or relator whose 'performance' - the mastery of the narrative code - may possibly be admired but never his 'genius'."
"The image of literature to be found in ordinary culture is tyrannically centred on the author, his person, his life, his tastes, his passions, while criticism still consists for the most part in saying that Baudelaire's work is the failure of Baudelaire the man, Van Gogh's his madness, Tchaikovsky's his vice."
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