Introduction
Is a picture truly worth a thousand words? If so, what attributes must be embedded in an image to elicit a rich reaction from a viewer? In a world saturated with images, what makes some of them pass the test of time, to withstand evolving social circumstances, while most disappear from the collective consciousness? For example, consider Leonardo da Vinci’s painting, The Last Supper, or his Mona Lisa, which continues to fascinate generations of viewers from around the world. Why do some images become almost permanently engraved in our cultures, while so many others disappear in a seemingly endless ocean of instantly transmitted imagery?
The ability to produce images rich with meaning is one of the most distinctive traits that differentiates our species from all others. Humans have long been aware of the power that can be found in images. Long before our highly structured communication system existed, early human groups were already using images to represent what was important to them. Examples of those so-called primitive pictures have been discovered in places such as the Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc cave in France, Latin America, and the southwestern area in the United States. Interestingly, whereas the origins of the groups who created those drawings may be drastically different, the purposes behind their images may be quite similar. Hunting for food to secure a tribe’s survival, recording human activities in a specific region, or searching for explanations to understand natural occurrences could be reasons to explain the existence of these images.
Although the ancient groups responsible for creating those early drawings are long gone, the practice of using images for social, religious, educational, and political purposes has continued over time. Human settlements evolved and gave way to tightly organized communities in which individuals were placed in specific hierarchical classes. Languages became increasingly more sophisticated, and written communication appeared among many societies, but that didn’t end the usage of imagery as a tool of human interaction.
Today, new and less costly technological tools are used by millions of people around the world to communicate in ways that were unimaginable just a generation ago. For example, modern cell phones allow people to exchange information and images at once. Interestingly, while many cell phone users choose to use abbreviations, as well as the so-called emojis, to communicate complete thoughts with a minimum of effort and time, most other images are still enjoyed and shared in their originality. In the middle of what seems to be an unstoppable revolution in global communication, images, such as photographs and paintings, continue to be powerful vessels of information, which can make a profound impact in our societies. Unlike written and oral language, images can reach individuals raised in drastically different cultures. This is one of the reasons why images are the perfect instrument to communicate, inspire and educate individuals. Artists have played an important role during many historical events, such as the French revolution, or the American independence. Over time, paintings, sculptures and photographs have been used to preserve a visual testimony of social transformation. Individuals in different cultures can create, preserve and transmit their values, dreams and struggles through images. Perhaps in the future, other generations will look back at our time to find tell-tale clues that explain the choices we made as a society.
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