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October 30, 2005
Anna Deavare Smith
I picked out a photo of Anna Deavare Smith taken in New York City by Annie Leibovitz.
Denotaion (Studium): This photo was taken in black and white. The photographer framed upper body of a woman wearing a black shirt. The top botton is unbottoned and the viewer can see her neck and a little part of her upper left chest area and a shoulder. In the photo her right hand is raised half way through and her palm is facing out towards the camera. Anna's index and middle fingers are straight and pointing out. The other three fingers are bent down. Anna has black curly hair which is tied back and some shorter hair left out and not tied back. She has her mouth wide open that you can see some of her bottom teeth over her lips, eyebrows raised and eyes closed. Her head is leaning down to the left side of her body. There are some fine wrinkles on her forehead and neck. She is not wearing any accessories. The background of the photo is plain gray.
Connotation (Punctum): Anna's facial expressions suggest that she may have been singing when the photo was taken. The way her hands are posed could mean that she was waving (gesturing) while she was singing. She is very open and free to express herself because her hair is not fixed and she is who she is in the photo. Anna is a middle-aged woman because there are wrinkles on her forehead. She cares about her looks because she has a make up on her eyes. As a viewer I get the feeling that she is independent and strong since she is not afraid to show her hand and "reach" out, not hiding it behind her body.
Posted by lcisbold at October 30, 2005 07:08 PM