Persuasion by Priscilla Varner

The exhibit Persuasion by Priscilla Varner is a collection of photographs accompanied with six words next to each photograph.  In a short note in the gallery, Varner addresses the subtle forms of persuasion that we are bombarded with throughout our day by advertising that we usually don’t take notice to.  She explains that her goal in this photographic series was to show how the persuasive tactic of word choice can effect a viewer or reader.  By placing certain word along side her pictures, she is hoping that the words will “persuade” the viewer to interpret the image differently than they may have if they just looking at the image by itself. 

            “Visiteurs Musee”  appears to be a photograph of a group of people in an art gallery.  The black and white print has black vignetteing  around the border drawing the viewers eyes to the silhouetted figures towards the middle of the picture.  The lines on the ceiling and floor create leading lines that draw the viewers eye to the silhouetted people as well.  Most of these figures appear to be in motion because their feet are frozen mid-step.  The figures closest to the photographer, being significantly shorter than everyone else in the room and wearing a baseball hat, appear to be kids.  One of these kids is crouching with his arm out stretched towards the other kid as if they are playing tag.  When simply looking at the image the viewer gets the impression that the image is about a group of people moving through an art gallery with their kids playing, but after reading the words that Varner has placed next to the image the viewer gets a dramatically different idea of what is going on in the picture.  The words “darkness, distress, evacuation, exit, swift, trepidation” printed to the right of the picture instantly change the mood in the picture.  All of the people that once seemed to be taking normal relaxed steps now seem to be walking quickly to the door.  The kid that once appeared to be playing tag with his friend now seems to be grabbing the other kid, pulling him towards the exit.  The room that at first seemed to just be a naturally lit art gallery has now turned into a dark, panic filled room.  The effect that these six words have on the way the image is interpreted is dramatic; completely changing the mood from relaxed to chaotic.  It is fascinating how a few descriptive words can impact the atmosphere of an image in such a severe way, persuading you to interpret the image in a completely different way from how you had previously imagined it.  All of Varner’s images in this exhibit are accompanied by words of persuasion, but this image in particular really struck me with much you can be persuaded by a few words.  These words more so than any others in the set completely changed how I interpreted the photograph. 

            The pictures by themselves do not seem to relate to each other at all but their accompanying words serve a dual purpose by tying the exhibit together.  These words in a way turn the gallery into an internal psychological experiment for the viewer, allowing them to watch their thoughts to be persuaded one way and another by the words and images.