[Leica] Seeing and writing

[pswango at att.net (Phil Swango)]

Larry Z wrote:
===================
On Feb 10, 2007, at 6:49 PM, Phil wrote:

> "Meditations on a Triptych," in which he displayed three photos of a
> familiar domestic scene and wrote three essays in a kind of stream of
> consciousness style to express what he imagined he could deduce
> from the
> pictures.  These meditations included his interpretation of
> specific details
> (clothing, body language, colors, facial expressions, etc.).  Each
> runs
> several pages in length.


It sounds very much like Henry Murray's "Thematic Apperception Test".
The TAT is a psychological projective test where the subject is asked
to tell a story about thematically ambiguous pictures. It, and the
Rorschach Ink Blot test are used by clinical psychologists and
psychiatrists to tease out the various layers of the unconscious. If
you are truly honest when you interpret the photos, who knows what
you may reveal?
===================

Sort of like that, but it was an art project.  The essays were a fictitious
response to the equally fictitious triptych photos.  But you are right in
that different viewers would have written different essays.  I think part of
the point was to illustrate reception theory in the construction of
meaning(s).

Take a look here for a sample: http://picasaweb.google.com/paswango/Triptych

You can enlarge the text and read some of it.

-- 
Phil Swango
307 Aliso Dr SE
Albuquerque, NM 87108
505-262-4085