Benjamin looks at the levels of meaning in a work similarly to Barthes. He uses the analogies of painter and cameraman to portray his idea. Benjamin feels that the painter must maintain a distance between him and reality in order to see the “total picture”. The cameraman, however, is able to see reality directly and therefore must collage multiple fragments. While the painter must interpret his idea of reality, the cameraman is shown reality head on (XI, Benjamin). In David Shrigley’s piece, I’m Dead, the literal message is clear. One only has to look at the piece to see that it features a dead cat holding a sign that reads, “I’m Dead”. The literal view is that of the “cameraman”, or one who sees the reality of the piece directly. As Barthes said, the work as a whole shows only the literal message, not the deeper, indirect message. One must look deeper, or as a “painter” to see this message. By interpreting the work, the viewer can see the whole picture or the overall idea. The topics Shrigley in his occasionally cynical and darkly humorous pieces range from music, art, politics, religion, and life. If the viewer is able to read past the obvious work, they can see that Shrigley reveals his own identity and his views on the world.
Benjamin, Walter. "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction." 18 Sept. 2008.
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