Marc Riboud ANALYSIS

In the first lesson we analyzed a photograph by Marc Riboud, as a class. This was done to get first ideas of representation to further our knowledge on themes. These first ideas of representation would help with further analysis of movies and TV shows and being able to link back to the question but to also answer the question itself. The photograph connotes ideas about war and the flower power movement. This was during the 1960's. The picture shows a teenager putting a flower in the barrel of a gun. This therefore shows conflicting themes as they are both traditionally opposed. The idea of a flower denotes ideas about peace and the picture of a gun denotes ideas about war and violence, this therefore makes them conflicting ideas and beliefs, these beliefs were protested about and came into contact many times throughout the 1960's in America. The idea of 'flower power' was adopted by the younger generation in America and the idea of guns and violence were adopted by the American government and by the American Military. The interpretations of the picture will be different in different societies. One of the main components of this picture is semiotics- within this picture the symbols that are shown violence, this is then contrasted by the symbol of peace, but also the symbol of innocence is shown in the form of the girl and the symbol of oppression and lack of freedom is shown in the form of the soldiers. Roland Barthes was the man who came up with this theory, he stated that symbols and written words are ways in which to convey a meaning. In this particular picture however written language cannot and is not used to convey a meaning, it is however left up to the viewers perception and interpretation of the picture.