Alison_UWB
1. 'Selfie'
Dion says, “Objects speak, and they expand that speech in syntax – objects in relation to other objects... I make meaning by contextualizing and combining elements... Gaining knowledge through an encounter with objects that share my existence in time and space... practices remain rooted in an investigation of material culture” (Courtney, 194). This concept can be related to the ‘selfie’ in terms of who the photo is for. Is it for the person to document that specific moment, action, event, or place for themselves as a record or reminder or is it to display for others? Is choosing to put oneself in the photo serving to make a connection with whoever views the photo? Or is it just a form of narcissism? Dion says, “In the works that explore archaeological or museological display, the fulcrum is that viewers must find themselves in the piece. These works must defy the logic of thinking about history as events and situation of which we are somehow not part” (Courtney, 197). Can viewers find themselves in the photo easier if the photographer wasn’t in the shot? Or does having a person’s face add to the human connection making it more relatable? I don’t think creating a ‘selfie’ of ‘archaeological or museological display’ is antithesis to this concept if the purpose of the artist (‘selfie’ taker) is to place them within that image to feel like they are part of that history or event. In this contemporary context, facebook and flickr are the museums for ‘selfies’, an archaeological record of our social behaviors and relationships.
1. 'Selfie'
Dion says, “Objects speak, and they expand that speech in syntax – objects in relation to other objects... I make meaning by contextualizing and combining elements... Gaining knowledge through an encounter with objects that share my existence in time and space... practices remain rooted in an investigation of material culture” (Courtney, 194). This concept can be related to the ‘selfie’ in terms of who the photo is for. Is it for the person to document that specific moment, action, event, or place for themselves as a record or reminder or is it to display for others? Is choosing to put oneself in the photo serving to make a connection with whoever views the photo? Or is it just a form of narcissism? Dion says, “In the works that explore archaeological or museological display, the fulcrum is that viewers must find themselves in the piece. These works must defy the logic of thinking about history as events and situation of which we are somehow not part” (Courtney, 197). Can viewers find themselves in the photo easier if the photographer wasn’t in the shot? Or does having a person’s face add to the human connection making it more relatable? I don’t think creating a ‘selfie’ of ‘archaeological or museological display’ is antithesis to this concept if the purpose of the artist (‘selfie’ taker) is to place them within that image to feel like they are part of that history or event. In this contemporary context, facebook and flickr are the museums for ‘selfies’, an archaeological record of our social behaviors and relationships.