Mary Griffen: Nostalgia and Visual Rhetoric
Visual Communication
The examination of visual rhetoric as it pertains to a concept we have studied in Document Design, “Nostalgia” and its ever present play into rhetoric was a delightful trip I took down memory lane of my years photographic subjects at a semi-professional level. I had studied photography, published work in a local newspaper and served as an apprentice under a renowned photographer that shot “nostalgic”, “elegant” images, but this was my first foray into discovering nostalgia as a rhetorical concept. My research brought form and definition to the concept and because of my examination of “nostalgia” as a rhetorical entity, my respect, reverence, and aptitude for creating these images took on a new dimension. The developments in photography as a science give foundation to image creation as an artform. The advances in technology give us more opportunity and controls to develop and create images that evoke this spirit of timeless being.
A nostalgic image should not only capture a moment in history, it should provoke a feeling of what it was like to be there, to be in the moment and to preserve an essence of who we are. Nostalgic images story tell. Photojournalistic photography presents a visual representation of the day. It captures an event, a day, a moment in time. With that is the feeling that is conveyed when a well-constructed image meets with the reader or perceiver’s sensibilities; the meaning is shared and the essence in time is captured. There can be a lot researched about text and visuals sharing this timeless and nostalgic sentiment. This thesis research sets the quest for knowledge in motion over how graphics are created to evoke such sentiments. As a photographer, my mission to create nostalgic photographs has been perfected by delving into the very concept of media and nostalgia. As a theorist, my understanding of visual design with this elegant, timeless, nostalgic element guides my practice and serves as a thematic base for how I see the images I perceive and create.