Practices of Looking and Film Art both speak of the different levels of meaning that we can gleam out of every aspect of our culture. However, while the two books both speak volumes about how we interpret different things, they both interpret interpretations quite differently. Practices takes into consideration that the viewer is the one who discovers a more definitive meaning to the work, whereas Film Art tends to focus more on an established system of form, which is definable by different concepts and genres. No matter how each book defines the process of interpretation, however, I know that they'd both have something to say about the above image.
The picture, Robert Frank's "Charleston, South Carolina," is from a photo series produced by Frank back in the 1950s. The image is of an African American woman holding a white baby in her arms. Practices in Looking would likely analyze the picture's emotional response, namely, that of the maternal instinct and that of the racial barrier that the 50s are associated with. They might consider that Frank, the photographer, had intended to use this picture to garner an emotional response from his public. They would also pay close attention to the distinctions between cultures. At the time, black Americans did not have nearly as many rights as they should have, and white Americans had far more. In essence, Practices in Looking might consider the image as a symbol of the power struggle between white and black Americans.
Film Art emphasizes the importance of activity, and how artwork cues us into performing activities. With that in mind, the book would likely pay attention to the maternal instinct, and suggest that the picture is perhaps meant to inspire us to be more loving to everyone. Seeing a woman care so much for a small child just shows how important it is to love someone. Film Art would also emphasize the importance of the stylistic elements at play. The photo is in black and white, just as the two people in this photo are black and white. In other words, these two people truly are the photograph. Finally, Film Art would highlight the unity of the two characters in their relationship, and in relation to their audience.
