Sturken and Cartwright’s Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture largely reminds of John Berger’s Ways of Seeing, a book that I read a few years ago. Berger’ talks about how seeing comes before words. This indicates how visual representations always have a greater claim over verbal or written representations. What is seen is usually put into words in an attempt to describe it, but during the process some part of the original visual is lost in translation. This gap or bridge between what is seen and what is explained, be it orally or written, cannot be accounted for. This is why ‘pictures to speak a thousand words’ and seeing precedes words, because it cannot be expressed fully in any other form. Both texts even talk about Rene Magritte’s works with special reference to The Treachery of Images (This is Not a Pipe), 1928-29, to elucidate the complex, dynamic and sometimes playful relationships between text, image and perception.

The Power of images:

In a world where images are ubiquitous, each inciting feelings, memories and sense purpose, some stand out through global history, like photojournalist Nick Ut’s photograph, The Terror of War (Napalm Girl), 1972 which led to the end of the Vietnam War.

Looking at Weegee’s (Arthur Felig) works also brings to mind photographer Raghu Rai’s documentation of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy in India. In 1984, methyl isocyanate leaked from Union Carbide’s pesticide factory in Bhopal. More than twenty-thousand people have died since, and a large number of survivors have injuries for life due to this tragic incident. When one thinks of this event, one immediately pictures visuals and not text, be it from a headline or an article. This strengthens the fact that seeing comes before words and sheds light on the very power that images hold on us. Raghu Rai captured the Bhopal Gas Tragedy in 1984, and many years later he photographed the survivors. A particular image from this series is a highly disturbing photograph of a dead body of an unidentified young child being buried in mud and gravel. In an interview, Rai said that this image was touching and moving, and in his opinion, became an iconic image for the tragedy. Though in the case of these images, captions are essential in establishing the context, the effect of these images cannot be expressed through mere words.

Seeing & Perceiving:

Seeing and perceiving, though closely related, are two different activities. While seeing is the act of observing the signifier, an image, sound or word (as outlined in semiotician Roland Barthes’s model), perceiving is the viewer’s interpretation or understanding of the signifier, thereby resulting in the signified. Combining the signifier and signified leads to the ‘sign’ and a message is communicated. According to philosopher Charles Pierce, meaning arises from the feedback, or resulting actions of the viewer. However, what is seen as well as how it is seen is interpreted in accordance with the previous experiences and the existing knowledge of the viewer. This largely depends on cultural, gender, time, regional and social contexts. Pierce also introduced the concept of three different kinds of signs – iconic, indexical and symbolic, based on the link between words, objects and interpretation.

Text & Image in Advertising:

Building on Pierce’s thoughts, The field of advertising explores the relationship between text and image through juxtaposition where the visual lends meaning, context or an added layer of understanding to the text or copy, and vice versa. In the case of copy-led advertisements, the text takes the place of the visual and becomes the hero of the creative. A good example of this that I’ve come recently come across is the latest marketing campaign for Current, a mobile banking app. Playing on the topic of banks vs. fintechs in an almost meme-like format, these advertisements can be seen across billboards, subways and public spaces in New York City.

Works Cited

Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. London, Penguin Books, 1972. 

Bruehl, Eric.“The Current Wave: What Do You Think We Are, a Bank?” Current, June 7, 2021. https://current.com/blog/the-current-wave-what-do-you-think-we-are-a-bank/. 

Gupta, Kriti. (2018, December 2). Bhopal tragedy: Veteran photojournalist describes how ‘CORPORATE Crime’ looked like 34 yrs ago. IndiaTimes, December 2, 2018. https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/bhopal-gas-tragedy-veteran-photojournalist-raghu-rai-describes-how-corporate-crime-looked-like-34-years-ago-357763.html.

Martin. “Story behind the the Terror of War: NICK UT’S ‘Napalm Girl’ (1972).” about photography blog, October 26, 2019. https://aboutphotography.blog/blog/the-terror-of-war-nick-uts-napalm-girl-1972. 

Sturken & Cartwright. Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture. New York: Oxford University Press, 2nd  edition, 2009.