By Michelle Chaplow April 10 2020
Do you see what I see in this photograph?
Each person has there own interpretation of art. No two people will see the same story in the same photograph. Nobody will “read” the same narrative. Our reaction to a specific visual depends on our own history and our own experiences.
The Semana Santa (holy week) is a highlight of the photography calendar in Andalucia, Southern Spain. Last year, I would have looked at this photography and been in awe of the traditions, the elaborate embroidery on the robe of the virgin, the silver work on her throne and the sheer number of devotees.
Semana Santa ( Holy Week ) in Seville, Andalucia.
Looking at this image as we live through the Coronavirus pandemic, we see a different scene, the focus today is on the sheer quantity of people, so close together, Personally I´m looking at this photograph now and the narrative in my mind is Easter, but my main focus is on the crowd. I almost want to separate them out and protect them from the invisible virus.
Remarkable how the same picture can have such a different meaning, not only to two people standing side by side in a gallery, but also to the same person looking at it at a different period in world history. A different perspective indeed. Do you see the same?
I would be so interested in hearing your views.