Analyzing visuals and visual images of any kind, whether photos, videos, sketches, graffiti, artwork, engravings, newspaper images, and so on, is an attractive and daunting task at the same time. All depends on the research question, the intended audience, the researcher’s positionality, the historical and cultural context, the researcher/participants’ ability to deconstruct / reconstruct, present/represent, and define/ redefine. This kind of data could provide tremendous information, especially if coupled with other data (narratives, biographies, histories, etc).

I am hoping to take a class that will focus on visuals and documentaries as a way to do research or document contexts, realities, truths, and questions/issues. Particularly since, nowadays our growing audience is more and more into strong visuals...(thinking of young generations that document their fleeting lived moments through ‘selfies’, instagram, and so on).

Visual interpretation research is so connected to film/documentary criticism, art criticism, archaeology/iconography symbolism , that I don’t even dare to think that I could ever produce a powerful vibrant piece to speak for generations.