Tuesday’s Lectorial mainly involved a task of deliberating on 2 images, and discussing the power of representation in photos in the way it silently communicated an extensive list of ideas.

The first image we looked at was an advertisement for Brooks Brothers, flaunting their use of Supima cotton materials stating it was a ‘difference you can feel’. We found the image had very fantastical elements of fatherhood and the American way of life in it. For example, the fact that the hotel is that clean, and that it is completely unoccupied except for the father and son. We discussed how the “retro” nature of the hotel communicated a very vintage and timeless feel to the photo which communicated Brooks Brothers as having a very timeless appeal across all generations. It was also pointed out that the fact that both the father and son were wearing the shirts communicates the idea that the brand is universally appealing, that is loved by all generations. Finally, whilst I didn’t share it, I found that having a white father and son wearing the shirts unwillingly communicated a sense of old fashioned elitism to the brand, where the white conservatives who were unfortunately traditionally in power would enjoy this as a sort of reminiscent artifact reflection on older times. However, I doubt the brand would be at such a level of racist elitism to truly knowingly communicate this, but I definitely think its an idea that can be interpreted.

The second image was taken by a travel-blogger at a Trans-Siberian railway as he made his way through Europe. The caption reads as follows. ‘Passengers waiting to board the Trans-Siberian Railway in Krasnoyarsk. Phantoms thronged along the railway, which was first completed in tsarist times.’

I think this image is a good example of interpretive communicated meaning, where, despite the photographer not necessarily having these intentions, a whole range of meanings can be interpreted by the audience. For example, the symmetry of a lot of the couples in the background, communicates this really nice idea of human connection contrasting and overpowering middle class life. It could also be said that the placement of the plush lion is indicative of the city often being viewed as a “jungle”.

Overall, whilst some of the lectorial on Tuesday may have been overly confusing, this above-mentioned activity in question was very interesting and engaging, and helped me to realize just how interpretive meaning can be.