Self Portrait

Empirical Representation

Symbolic Representation

The first photo above is a traditional self portrait, or "selfie" photo that I took on my computer. The image has clearly been altered into a black and white photo, but other than that the image is a straight forward photo image of a girl smiling for a camera. Meanwhile, the second photo is a collage of activities, people, and other things that make up "Mary Scanlan".

Though these images are both very different from one another, they both represent one person, me. They also both contain signifiers, as well as the signified. Sturken defines the signifier as the "word, image or object within a sign that convey meaning," and the signified as "the mental concept of the referent, which together with the signifier makes the sign." (460, 459). The signifier of the self portrait would be a smiling girl. Then, the signified meaning of that image would be that the girl, myself, is happy or excited. She has something to smile about, which typically entails that the person within the image is in a good mood. 

The signifier of the second image is not as straight forward. There are a number of different elements to this photo that give it meaning. On one of the more basic levels, this is a pile of things. Objects, photo's, a metal, and so on. A basic signifier could be exactly that- a denotative meaning that this is a pile of someone's belonging and nothing more. From there, the signified could be that this person needs to clean, or that there is something worth money here- that is why someone took a photo of the pile. This photo does not translate as easily into signifier and signified as simply as the self portrait.

The empirically representative photo shows my literal appearance. I am pale with brown hair, and I have blue eyes. This does not give the "spectator" of this image much information about me. However, the symbolic representation does just that, it is much more complex and informative of who I am. I love track and field, so I placed a bib number as well as one of my metals into the photo. There is an oatmeal colored knit beanie, and though I can't knit, I love things are knit. I also am very close with my family, so I placed an old photo of my mother whom I am especially close with. This transitions into the green celtic patch; I am Irish and proud of it, so my heritage means a lot to me. I love the ocean and live very close to it at home, so I used a frame made of sea glass to show this. This display gives the viewer/spectator much more to interpellate, as opposed to a simple photo of myself.