David Bae The Syntax of a Photowork { would ike todo two things here: isto take up the tren syntax” as way to think about the movement oF passage between images in photography, and second, to introduce this via photographie work Jou may have not een. Ihave no wish to reduce one tothe other, so they should remain in ttical tension, separate yet related How to locate the sequencing of pictures asa structure in the practice of photography? Does the sequence of pictures ina photo- took inherit the construction of plots fom novels or draw on the Tanguage” of enema? Does it renovate or fe-reate the poem, tans- tated into a viual for? Oris the photobook an altogether diffrent practice with no lnk o these other practices? Some may argue that the sequencing of photographs in books belongs to any or all of these, or that its singular and distinct practice specific ro photo raphy, Others may also claim it is closer to the invention of the fodder at exhibition, where assembled visual fragments come to gether to create a bigger whole tn the “white cube” gallery Whatever the answer, most diseussions boot photography tend to refer either ro the composition of sin tle pictures or discuss a whole body of work. Very link theoretical Srrention has been divected towards what operates between the Single image andthe rota work that i the organization of pictures 13 more than a sum of separate parts Joo a sequence of other arrangement of the work. This is curious tives thatthe arrangement of pictues into an “order sa central tes for any photographer editing thei pictures, Any photograph ic work of “project” demands it. While itis true that terms ike serility™ “sequence,” “essiy” oF “narrative” are often thrown around, they are mostly taken as self-evident ideas, Rarely ae they ru sent oF a poreOH ”given any clarity or rigor in terms of exactly what they mean. What Js needed forthe discussion of photographic work are more accurate concept, with distinct and specifi meanings to help distinguish the diferent ideas of arrangement in works. The renewed interest in photographic books, or “photobooks" as they have become known, thas given a greater vsbty to this sue ofthe diferent ways of arcanging pictures within a book, not jst on the page a8 a design ‘question, but across them to generate an accumulated set of mean ings! The interest in photography books is also inthe constuction ‘of ser of meanings through a particular logic of structure or fw. (On the organization of picture into sequences, its worth not ing thatthe arrangement of pictures in a book often raises similar {questions asthe arangement of pictues in an exhibition space. In esther Format the question is often, what isthe logic ofthe arrange- ‘ment of pictures? How can or does the sequence of pictures generate the meanings ofthe work, whether as an exibition or photobook ‘These common issues and questions to different forms of presenta tion mean that we need 2 more general consideration of the sruc~ ture and orgunization at work in photographic projects. We may ako sce this issue of arrangement as relevant to the new expand: field of photography, across the rather diferent domain of the Internet and website pages. Here ro, the sequencing of pictures, if not all seen simalaneously on the sre page begs the question: how ace they arranged? That i, if we ae to understand the mechanisms by which they function to produce meaning and logic beyond the senseless chaos of a “random selection." With these different forms (book/exhibiton/website) in mind, instead of “photobook,” I want to use the term “photowork” ata way to describe complete body ‘of work (asa set of pictures and its other components ike captions, text of Sound, et), which is explicitly organized and presented to produce a distinct et of meanings. The concept ofa photowork thus refers to the way pictures are organized in relation to one another to stage meanings. In this sense, the form or “arrangement” of any specific photowork may then be ‘ranuated into different formats or presentations as an exhibition format turned into a book or vce vers, Thus the term “work” in “photowork" refers to the mecha> nisms of appearance, the omganization in a sequence, serait or narrative inthe arrangement of pictures. The concept of syntax i intoduced here ata way to consider and navigate different modes ‘or methods in which photographs cas be organized to create mean~ 50 amp aare Sen Sle ete Parad ‘gnc eon phe tht pea Protea dpa af ‘ek ache anger gee trea Fer segs Ferma Sent ‘Srl a mmegmnin {Beige Mtn ing-—whatever the specific format of presentation as book, exhibi- tion, or website (screen) work. ‘Usually the rem “oynta is eerved for discussions ofiterature and pocty, of grammar and types of language. So it may require Some explanation here used inflation ro photography and pictures in general, In linguistics, stax is what enables meaning to be ‘ctablished, forthe words ina sentence "make sense."In the Eng: Tish language, children are implicitly taught sprtax as subject-ves object (VO) sequences in the practical wse of sentences, like “the ‘atsat onthe mat." Ifyou reverse this subject-verb-object sequence to object-verb-subject (OVS), the syntactical meaning is dramati- tally transformed into nonsense: the mat sat on the ea. (Obviously, this type of linguistic reversals a sauce of humar, as for example in Lewis Carols writings.) The syntax of subject-verb-objec is what onpanizes the meaning ofthe sentence. However, if we look a any picture of eat on a mat" (there are many on the web) the organi Fation of the key elements ate spatial arangement (cat and mat) fot temporal s in language. The “at” and the “mat” are always ‘nore complex in images (always a particular breed of ca, specific ‘posure, ype of mat, ete. Thee 6 chronological “unfolding” of the picture in any linguistic sense, The information from a pita we look at picture, in contrast, comes famously “all at once." When the information init is simultancous, guided only by 2 visual logic ‘of the image, the spatial arrangements, the lines of ight, tone, es tue, et Thus we cannot equate the syneax of language toa single picture. Howeves, if we try 0 describe the picture to another person IMho has not sce it we resort ro words and in this way inevitably bagin to interpret or eransdaze what we have seen int a sequence of swords, We put the spatial picture into the syntax of language 25 2 Tinguisti discourse: "aca i sitting on a mat bythe door" and so on You can se immediately; as is well known, that verb speech othe written linguistic equivalent sa pale reduction ofthe speific iconic ‘ale ofthe visual experience thar a picture gives ise, ‘Atterapts to bortow or adapt literary synraxto the “grammar” of photography have usually filed, of strugsed to find a way t0 tans Tate i nthe 960s, for instance, Marshall McLuhan, shat literary thinker of media, als of “visual syntax” 25.4 mater of the “dots and Tine" ofthe halfione process.’ Literary syntax is translated into the transmission codes ofa single picture, This is far from accurate tanslation of Iierary syntax t the pictorial domain, There is no sh seta a morons scyt na ng pice he erry sent oft My si ifr vin singe ation of ax Moe general the ee efeene tesyntan porated vite common dexot phoogapyas2-langage Photographers nd cris ae Steed gg gap hon tod diferent “accent or een compared photography ta osgn ng trans Cale i nse analogies we can see the wish oconepualie photography aalanguage to speak inte ad fares inter of ae ha jut wal omen, Elkewhers in phowapy tory there he been get spicon towne the ies of poppy 2 langage, The whole nson oF langage s bass forthe photograph mas rendered problematic tnd died aan vv toe model (perhaps oi tha shirejeton came fom cone wrkngonphtoraphy with seo ogi dered om he el ings) i 977 tiny Looking a Phoopaph Visor Burgin wrote: ‘Workin semiotics showed that there is no “language” of photo- raphy. no single signing system (as opposed to technical apparatus) upon which ll photographs depend (inthe sense in ‘which all texts in English ultimately depend upon the English language): there is, rather, 4 heterogencous complex of codes ‘upon which photography may draw. Each photograph signifies ‘the basis ofa plurality of thete codes, the number and type lof which varies from one image to another: For this author, the comparison of a photographic image to the structure of language i clea owed fr eoncin. Photog tor ae dee model mage oe Gkcplins ile pycounaa rf theary and ema. nS Sere Ene for eample he grater and el theo of cine along sted many wl langage stem nelaig eri nin he on ay on = Ee tet nous sont tthe thy of nema nena) wn siete ent ot tiene inthe mes an artwork wa Yor am sutras whi protced emt esa the pect” Een ed Sih the covon that cna might be iene speed of nevi moplog an Jase nel or Per Wale pt iamore wd the Gnemaafon of guage * Shemp faire gh 7 pe ong Pa te ovine Sih es Rae em conch Indeed, we could have much 0 learn about photographic sequences by looking at silent movies The silent movie worked vrth sequences of images to produce narratives, stores that could Tr understood by anyone, with the idea of “universal language." Ln rear many photobooks operate ike silent movies, with a main ite fatoduction text and short captions or “interes” to signal the Girection and Bow of the “mvc” Ina silent film the ttle normally provides the “scene-iting” introducing the story and establishing frame of reference for the story and pictures that follow. Intertile text panels function to preface chapters ike captions with photo traps, point the viewer to specific speech acts by characters and {iret them othe unfolding events that contribute foward the whole Stony. Silent movies have to develop naseative plot constructions via Sone scene of moment moving to another, with only minimal hints fiom written texts. Tn Men with Movie Camera (9381929) Duiga Vertov famously abandoned interes altogether and opened the way fora kino-ye “The cine-eye or “cinemaceye” developed use of the camera in a logy with human vision (albeit a monocular version oft), This was rot like our modern si cinema versions of humans as androids oF Cyborgs where humans ace Iiterally tured into machines, but the janovation of using the camera and its movements as a metaphor for human vision, not just visually, but init psychological expe nce too. Vertor’s camera shots ate edited and dissolved into one other to ereate this human view, vaa visual symphony ofthe city set along the timeline of a day although it becomes increasingly iccal of (and Soviet life) toward the end. The film is playful raking associational links in sequences of metaphors for human ‘Reina, window blinds opening asthe ling of eyelids, but avo as the dawning ofthe day. It shows the experience ofa city with visual Figures of speech, rich in analogy with the way one's mind and vision might rove about whilst walking through a city. Sequential the Slm follows 2 temporal logic of time, but i is not a narrative—there it no specific explicit narrative or "story" as such. Vert’ film clearly dticulates what has become knovin a8 the fare or form that excates its own space for reflection, Man with a nest” 2 lid strc ‘Mooie Camera creates an iaginay cit (it was filmed across several Mferent cites and edited as though it was one, forthe spectator £0 ‘habit as aerial journey through the experience of the duration 1 the film." Similar techniques have been adopted in phorobooks, ae seas oF oH 3too, to create imaginary or even “real” places 48a “photographie cessy." The “essay” isa form often linked back tothe French author Montaigne who populated it. His famous essay “OF Cannibals” for example, creates 3 "narative of space” asa way to interrogate the notion of the “savage” giving them a tangible presence in the pro cess: The film essay has since developed ito veritable sub-geare of documentary cinema and television. Yer the sill image ha different specificity: it does not move For film theorist, the sill photograph is generally “suspension of movement” because they think in terms of cinema or video, where ‘movement of the image is assumed a¢ normal and constant." In fm and vide the images move for you, which is why we goto the "movies" or even watch television. In the history of cinema, mover sent came fis, then narrative was added ater a a way 10 sustain the pleasure and interest in film movement. "Movement” i within shots (even where a camera and everything in the shot is static) and across them. When one shot is edited next to another one we ‘00 have to move from one scene to the next, and t0 the next, in sequence. The spectator has nothing todo but immerse themselves in these senes, one cames after another until the movie ends or we Teave, While the process of looking ata sequence of photographs ina photobook may seem to be similar, itis quite diferent. In the cinema, the time, pace, and sequence and thus the montage of images is controlled by che film." Instill photography it isthe spc: tator who “animates” the pictures by looking at them, putting the static images in thet mind, and imagining his/her own presence of pethaps even role within chem. The pace and order for viewing the Sequence of scenes in a photobook or exhibition ae fundamentally diferent to cinema: itis the viewer who ulimately controls the ow ‘of pictures, While che cinema may enable the same thing (if the shot is static and the length gives them ime enough to do so), its nevertheless the film that determines che ime, sequence, and length if scene. In photogrsphy che viewer determines what they do with the photographs and wlimately has mote contol over them chan 2 lm, eventhough photoworks have 4 clea structure to them too, “The book fore readily lends iteelf ro discusion of this because ofits structure in rwo ways. Firstly, che conventions of words on 2 page and secondly, reading of pages in sequence from let to right (in Indo-European langoages). The conventions of language inter ‘ene, but is there any reason why pictures should fllow cis logic? we eee a Mae de Cone eager Dawe Owed we yesh oh ol adsense (Do the compositions of invidul pices assume ale to cight reading?) Layouts of photographs often do imitate sis arrangement Sewords on a page, stating with che fst picture on che top left of ¢ page and dhe fallowing ones place lef 10 sght fom top to bot fam, When you pur one static mage next co another, the process Froducs something moe than each image by self and diferent From the effec of montaging moving images together. All the same thany photography books and exhibitions are for quite obvious rea- sons arranged according tothe sequential logic of the book form, Tnvthis way we should not underestimate how far the reading habits cof books, magtzines or comics overlap and impact on photobooks for even the format of photography exhibitions), despite the Tb tnty of the viewer to view the work as they wish. The pages of « book assume a specific fixed sequence, even if a viewer chooses t0 ignore it and star at the other end or open the book in the middle This is alo the case with a photabook: whether you Rip through it quickly of “ead” it bacowatds, the viewer nevertheless knows that the book is an arrangement of photographs. Perhaps this is why the expetience of secing fl ean seem easier o some than Took ing ata book. Thee isa greater active role eequted of the viewer imdecsions about turing the pages than i involved inthe passive “apeienc fa sequence of lm sors. [nth way,he liberty offered tyra photomorks wheter framed in terms of assuming a drstion of reading the sequence of pictures or the duration spent on them, Sera challenge o our general culeral reading habits, These hab {ts neverthelest also inform the way we Took at photoworks-—aned ae confirmed or challenged by them foo, Since my own photowork started at tis junctore a fascin tion with the potential for narrative in photograph, the road movie, ied the idea of a “documentary” essay (the capacity of photographs to desribe things incidental 10 the main Function of the picts) Til introduce ere may very ist photowork called Perfect Harmony (983) “The work consists of fve separate panels ofp panel as two photographs, one placed above the Utiprych The verial presentation of pictures already lends self co "Between the two picrures on the ty only visible re properly Jnorographs. Each other asa vertical the idea ofa cinema film sip Small white strip that separates them is avery sal tex from closeup, 50 much so that you cannot se the pit at the same time. The small text between the wo pictures reads ssHe aiding ges me ie top bing in pepe. In the gallery version (shown here) the contrast of sca between image and text heightens the viuality of the pictres, expiitly making the teat sexond in visionary erms tothe photographs. The theo photographs juxtapose two different “vista” scenes. The top picture shows a desert road shot (in the Sahara desert, Algeria, Wile the lower picture shows the space ofa garage. A single igure rll into a vanishing point that we can only imagine seeing the horizon of beyond the picture. The two scenes function as “estab Tishing shots" (as they ate called in cinema}, only here the justaposi fiom establishes two scenes, parallel spaces alternative locations and the statement: driving gives me time to put things in perspective.” "The imaginary male character i caught between two parallel spaces The ewo spaces inthe picture ad ther juxtaposition belong to photographic montage. leis also tue tha cinema has developed techniques to show paralel sitwations, cutting between different sequence of action in paalel in the editing or by simply cluding the ewo scenes next to one another in a split sreen. Although sph screen effec of moving images in cinema might seem the same, it has a completely ilfrent flet, and such arrangements are usally so temporary or fleeting that we barely have time o see them, In Perfect Harmony the vertical montage space is spatial, not temporal 2s it often is in cinema, Ta Eisenstein theory of filmic montage the shot asa basic oe ment is juxtaposed with a second shot, which, arranged with other Shots into longer sequence of pitutes, makes up the visual lan finem. One shot appears after another, and s0 09,0 build ote over tp the space ofthe whole film. Eisenstein criticized ch ‘implied view ofthis proces as just film editing” In particul.he Contested the notion ofthe shor as being He a“brick” to be added lange others so that a film was Uke the laying of bricks in lines end to end and fom one end ro another” Although dis idea served asa basic stating point fr the ide ofa film as sequence On shots, Bisenstein argued that it was the relation een shots thar was eucial for cinema, and the basis or his theory of montage FEiscnateinsconclison, although often comples, was that the pic tues of a shot should be i confit with one another, dus 3 “now tage” Shors should “collide” and he bile op a theory of different 1 montage (mets yt, tonal, overtonal, ntti.For Eisenstein, the edt should be based on 4 “dalstcal conic” of shots designed in diferent ways to jolt the spectator ito asym thesis of opposites.” Unlike i cinema the sill photographer does ‘aot have 9 worry about the length of such shors, only the number of them and the relation ta he established between them, While if most photographers work “intuitively” in the moment of shooting (whether the piri is a good image or no) the question of making 2 phorowork aut of such images requires a different type of work, that is, the puting of pictues together asthe process of making thom into the phorowork Te my “vertical” montage, the picraes establish a parallel be ‘oven scenarios, but there st horizontal “sequential!” logic too with "he flow into the next images onthe fllowing panels. The syntactic sense of cinema is involved here, to create continuities, via a tem poral logic of sequence. The next rwa pictures presented inthe next panel also havea very small witen texto accompany them, in the space between them. This time the voice between the 660 photo graphs isa different one, female Ste aide why are you anxious toe in sontrl? “The ew pictores both show scenes ofa view “outside” a seen from an inside" vantage point. nthe top picture, a driver's and holding the stering wheel relates the person in che ca, road movie scene, to the outside. Inthe other picture, 4 view from inside the garage supervisor’ office, we can see the auto garage “outside” 2 moi in both pictures, Pet Harmony creates diptychs of discon tinuous spaces elated together in their vertical contiguity: In this way the pictures ae ser in relation of identity (both have inside! rast of diferent scenes). The justaposivons prefigure che relutions between other scenes, linked outside), but also antithesis (the rogetber in various ways as 4 montage of simiirude and confit ing situations. The sua conficts between images in each panel are linked to short linguistic phrases, hich function to "open" the Pictures to an extra-testual situation, A potential narrative or fan tas only hinted at by dhe scenes i the photographs, is offered by the texts, The tests do aot, a8 wth conventional captions, impose 4 closed message or meaning onto the pictures, but instead open the spectator to a narrative space wa speech, Witten semversation a ina novel suid, she std), appear as fragments of «set of com ee Se chngi Pettvetsational events that are not “completed” hete inthe photowork. Te dstnet voices ofa couple draws atention to themes of looking and power, and relations of seeing and control between men and ‘women, but alo tothe complex relations of travel and work relations, ‘The third pane chan commentary + this conversation voice t a thied-person He pe only offer istration. eee the two scenes are albo diferent, frontal.” We can see the shadow of an automobile and distant oil wells (signified by the Fising black stoke) ia the Sahara desert, while underneath the mechanic is washing oil of his hands. "The exe panel text shen adds 2 commentary on the womans thoughts She thought ter relationship to be manotonows. ‘One photograph shows cars in mizrored showroom, while the other picture has another cat, perhaps broken down, abandoned, or juse stopped withthe hood open. The cycle of sew and old cas is brought into the proximity of a couple’ relationship, and the sylo itn becomes clear in a diffrent wa, despite never quite elaborat ig whether the text eles to the circulation of crs othe relations| ‘between people. Then the fil panel caries a concluding text Work was stat frm thir minds the day alr fs The brevity of this photowork is useful in indicating the level of complexity in the type of relations that can be setup between eel tively few photographs. As a complete set often pictures with short laconic texts the photowork operaes ike a mini “road movie without a story or esta. Unlike the road move flim genre, which i ‘quit elose othe film esay (a journey through pictorial space rather than a natative), this photowork does not “explain” orgie 4 story through its syntactical narative. Reomly hint at junerures, moments and themes, which a spectator may take wp and “fil in with their ‘own nareative content oF fants Te work is paradigmatic (the vertical plane) in is justapos sion of rwo conflicting spaces within each panel: work and leisure However the pictues are also syntagmatic inthe sequencing ofphotographs (he orion ple) and yt in te eation to wate et The hereotapc aces of the guia Fae ot son atthe oad ip sce, ep gether “ial oe abn th ter whe the mec f+ Hee few ok ins ft) thi eh pl eco hen oe ir entepuc Inthe tere of werd echge and dah th Arps coficualknowtedge shut wha they mean toh they ofrenship ead en bl nthe cen econ ind pepe eewsen men snd women, suoty and col sok tnd ese and ven heen lent pes of poppy Atthe tine of production of Puja Harmony (99) the rows of photograph wee sen ob in confit with cach ater Betreen onthe up emer a” pera ad the lest al ocamentay” For wea cote Ine tome nial epost the wk complained ht a either ove or the oe neither proper ne ator dune wk td tha isha eon oh ter One moder oe tly a hein etd the work should be jut compe of the “tap row” pcs Ante “cman be” phy cer aeatey gee old nly show the desma Pitre and al other om he une sequnce on wok Te Dhorowk Rowees sot ued noe gun oth ote ba the unity of ho sett ange ta Td uh ing of styles nd genres more ace, en adie ough theo pais of madera photography withthe spurte phone of inet and doce hve eet eomplng Sap long 8 you do ot mi then The eel montage dict rods of photography sl emails nepal tet eee Sve lage Agha in clon to Peer Ham Thasten aware douse of ston te (UK) word of photography afer hich such yey of gees became mae ate si epg etgpes r ‘worhaeemsine" Amin tine he ep of Dhotgapy Tad in Pe Harmen ctl ees en Berwen wo pe of alsin pace. The pte pce of the automobile he pate jouey and the place fk apace fr ever and es iagaton, The two lncaton oes cota sot simpy of orks le bu fname pres crea ified withthe ed com nied pte te “Poet hamony” 4p the imagination of oe in hehe 6 mano sare 1 Lene pon oma Saimin pep Race Soret rte yen (ede by Ha foe he Apri patted Pm Cliente OR Looe, ‘epee ket Se feet poner Ins interesting to consider how fr the different types of pho tography that use sequences © gat photography, photojournalism, and documentary, callide or overlap. No doube Pert Harmony, inspired a it had been partlrby FSA photogeaphy and partly by the Famous work of Robert Frank, The Americans, was aso an attempt 60 tse photography ina ifferee way. The idea of “image-tent" work at this time had bees to critically pur different Fors af phorosyrtax together. My own work sine, ke Franks The Americans, at giving rnastative clues, but without che usual visual methods of phorojour pals or documentary on the one side, nor the singular a of formalist in art photography on the other. ln ny own work did not want to coaly reject these conventions either, che use of written text sequence nd soon. The work aimed to have its ake and eat it ‘In photojournalism, two main methods have reigned for con- veying a story. The frst and stil most common method is no the se ‘of sequence a all but the single picture. In this so-alled “decisive moment,” the picture hs, in sme way or other, ro convey the entire vent ina single frame and instant, Clearly related co history p Jing this typeof picture usualy depicts an instant ofthe story where diferent aspects ofthe plot of an eveat (whether fiction or eal) ate compressed ino a single moment, one chat is nevertheless rich ‘vith ambiguity about what will happen. (This form is til eurrent in the much-renovated pictorial rableau of coatemporary art photo- ‘graphy.) The second common method, which links photojournal~ ism to documentary practice, was mostly developed through pictre rmagizines with a sequence of photogeaphs to show the “ston.” In this practice the sequence of pictures conveys the pacicular motif of a story. For example, the story of a bakery in the 1940s Pisure Pai is accompanied by petures shoving woren baking bread from beginning o end. The “toy” is in fact the novelty of women being depicsed at work in the place of men, thus showing their postive contribution to the war effort. Thus the theme is work in wartime, iastrated via the bakery scenes shown across the magazine pages. “The sequence of pictures produces a “continuity sequence." Scenes ‘ary along with the point-of-view slighty or even dramatically, bor essentially the views create a thread of elements across the pictures from one sene to another. More generally the thread can be a char~ acter, an object (eg a loaf of bread), a process, or even the sense of Space ofthe picture, with continuity given hy the particular 2esth Codes ofthe pictures, Examples ofthis type of continuity yynax arenot only specific to photojournalism, and they have 2 much wider cusreney today ina" My own sequence work, fr example, The Politic of Friendship (a998), uses a continuity syntax ro examine che common use of # space (in Barcelona) and was turned into a video loop for gallery presentation. It also works a 2st of still photographs. ‘Are photography has been more wiling to use these other pes of continuity cechniques to relate modern stories through sequences of pictures, eg, following che building of new ities or roads, joue- ney sequence along iver othe passing of specifi migrants across | frontier, and eo on, The new confidence of photography as art has perhaps loosened the ansery about journalistic methods, since art photogeaphy is less threatened by claims of commercial and media ‘hetoic, Yer invariably in all such works, the syntax (quence) of ‘he pictures is determined by the continuity ofthe picture content (che referent), In other words, the sequence of photogeaphs follows the syntax ofthe eferent (fits events or processes), which is differ- ent from a“photographic syntax," which creates a different concep- tion of ime and space The achievement of Robert Franks The American was precisely to break with thes older conventions of continuity based in photo journalism. With its use ofan innovative photographic syneax, his book hybridized diferent photographic formes and conventions into 1 new form of photowork, the critical essay. The Americans may be 4 nod to Walker Evans's book simerizan Pictures, but it has avery diferent structure and voce, Ie also has very different things to say about the USA. Although widely discussed, Pranks The Americans seems litle understood in terms of it syntactical strurure. Te is not the speed of an automobile zipping across the states that impresses the viewer as characteristic of this work, but, like much independent cinema of the time, slowing dowa to stop and think, to see life as ii, not «co pass it by Like a driver who stope at che scene ofa road accident (as in one ofthe pieturs) the carnera stops to look. We see each scene asa local pathos, an “accident.” We travel berween the senes, unconsciously bringing the residues of the previous picrure into the ‘next one. The spatial interlude between pictures that is created by ‘the viewer tuening the pages and the whitespace opposite picrares) fianetions like a link as does the whitespace berween photographs ‘ona gallery wall The syntax of photographs in Robert Frank’ book “ armen ti operates te an Eisenia montage fleeting is wn photo rips ime and spc gh he sequence of pt Framed by erduaon of spectari the rmou nk of Te dmrio 0 ‘eealrtshnon mows book nce eal Rater he ink bea rocky ia he photograph saxo bok I essence Saal capo the sncopaed ry fhe beat enero: iradopts the he ae msi cel mth 2 more unthe eos, We inthis dsunctv sy aco the phot me ty Frank in The dea In is ok thre 0 Sry a5 eee commonl defoed with ginning, mile, nd ends bat sth setemponess and genta the wea of ‘trees Te cha oe agnor po single ile ov of the Ames ey pao sci, Uwe opmeary nace the soot Phi theme of Americas Ieing fr eparte compartment ne is emphasied i the tok eter ptr rth ook and seen the main body Tine took) Pe fragmented nes of diferente nial coe certnnty, case cen and solic rete 2 complex Wow Side nbeeve expres day or moe vlna dived seieann oPconeiosness Yer sh dco thats aed SAS cy produced bythe sqoensing of he pices. They ote slog. oe that sigh sce, ted in he ge Teco montage in bea pty ad echigues of cinema er eee squeal orm of phsouraiam ext dcuetny phoegaphy ne pera uence book fr example show deen ype of Ameria” Each povopap clay conta withthe resutone showing diesen aae of being socal ps and arene Araaequencesone seni with he ext The 0 ev nthe Rt pice ae sy tobe cen theo the sod reer det bank estan cover, he hi hey ecco nd on The language of the boos nema He “fan cia movie Thee Toe Anersan gies wy 45% sr ct montage, sees that ut mone anahe with 0 ora ne The pod of thes jarapestion an aun sre es bt up top the Americar sa complexe Siteze ina vanry of ws rans book eins alos th 3 6srr, though it oes oor et how who the America at. {ay of sme, Fak compas diesem Aree ame Iden Scind the US fa) pests rca wo be sen, hie sroup of men gaze confidently (but disppointedy) at something Beyond the fame: Then te mans te cont is whol bay nan ng surphant gse, is ah pen, nd his it thompng wach ky. The fll pr bn group of Afican-Amaians sanding nett mtonobiee loking sar and pensive, deed in is fora ocson which the caption saul The impli her juapnton these two piste clear The vial sycedohe avn” ad fener soci pot ger sey conju up 2 ial sg th wie none ck ar nerd Wei Sy thatch san uname mess sine the pictures do Rot Ste it expcly The pune sprted bythe white page ofthe book, do not pl ot As sch anyone megs smog fe hat pry et, at we ens sce Another ie of meses simply what people Tonk ke the USA inthe 150 The conaion of uch mesg i no cena, Ose nein thet enn of consi they ate pat ofthe same invcemen and theiower is engaged in whe ong the pictures OF cou, spectator may empirically miss all of th them, but w et irre tem, bt re Foul pot sume nme that phoowok soc simply inact because of that, ™ In Te deri the apo ae modest, imple, and des Sve In phorpuraim, the Beadie oe ction ep ies + mor of eli interpretation ofthe Pure aa ieee amples particalar epee over othe mension tes of he pee The pin doh Fat tek thy pose airman hat or po The ss lap tons emain together in simple way co habiting—one nthe inser ofthe oer Robere Paks bok foregrounds each pict {Sa separate uit of meaning. enphasie by the hi whe poe ste Bat ah Pog nn une i Sime mei acing he pn os opp ‘A this pin it shoul be pout see thatthe sya of consncting ual ses” vty diferent rom that of language Vis snake prs ito have ay meaning where pears are amanged together to perform a mearing-sense across ther, ‘howe functioning is based ina diffrent mode—a sor of primary Stacia image system. In Pret Harmony, for example the Figure SF imetaphor operates across the vertical axis of the pictres (One Vistas subsiuted for another) and metonymy along the horizontal voi the implication of one (et of images) of the next, We could “imply say that one image dissoles nto the oter via metaphor and metonymy. Other works use other types of thetoricl Links, from lteraion in documentary to 2eugma in allegorical work. “The links between pictures are syntactical, making figurative and asiocatve elation, but ako disruptive images. For example, in Franks book one of the photographs shows 4 Tone woman in 1 diner, which follows the picture of busy crowd scene of men, ating im another dine.” A third image fllowing these two dite 4 couple walking onthe street, With the previous two images in rind iti as though the couple have just met, ven though they ire different characters from those in the preceding photographs ‘This at last i what the sequence of images can imply. In the pcre, the man has his arm tentatively around the woman. She Tooks quite uncomfortable though, aif uncertain bout their ion. The theme ofthis mini-sequence ia juxtaposition of the multitude, the individva and the couple. The message is about love, Fonlines, nd the crowd, but the pictures aso fesh out these dynamics visually hd embed them within 4 socal fabric. Pick any two picare in the hook and the net, third picture will add ro and change the sense of the previous ones. Yet etch picture can alo stand by isl wT be clear, reat this eype of photographic degesis itis wot just a mater ofthe ytagmatic iting” of ptures ino sequenee pat also the syntactical relation of the pictures. Photonraphic syntax merges as 2 result of shetoriealorgunitation across pictures ot just their combination into syntagmatc scquences. In the syntax ‘tthe photowork it isthe contiguous elation of pictures that does the work ‘We might develop this discussion and extend it other very Aiferent eyes of photowork states. For example, the seility 8 ‘August Sanders taxonomies of people are like a kindof syntactical Tcetion In nguisis alliteration repeat the same sound image ies repeats the same phoneme with different meanings. Sander’ 5 ‘with diferent mean ound” (the portrait as 2 type of utterance) ings, the different people and their diferent profesions. This is2 visual aliertion. We can see this same trope operating within other works drawing on the same syntactical model (ein a series of portraits by Thomas Struth), even if the type of utterance (por ait syle) is quite different, Aa understanding of visual theoric ‘may sll help us to define the type of syntax operating the diferent types of connections berween images. Yet we must do s0 without seducing the visual 1 the figural, photographs (or, for that matte, painting and cinema), are not reducible to "word unite o simply “figurative speech” Ta ater photowork called Zone (2001) I based the organization ofthe pictres on a metonyiie relation to fim, The extradiseur- 1 flim Salter by Andes Tarkovsky (0979). Since Tarkovsky’ film was made in and around the same environs ofthe city of Tallinn (in Estonia as my wa work, the film provided a visual discourse fr the city space. In the Soviet situation sive reference ofthe work was the city was already acknowledged as a site for science fiction, a reference not lost on its inhabitants, Taskovela’s cinema is wide ly kown in post-Soviet cultre too, where Sealer provided a key narrative ceferent forthe pictures in Zone. This kaowledge leaves the work without the need to labor any narrative structure or the pictures. Fragments become scent, like relics of «discourse that belong to something that has been partially forgotten. Since the work set out r0 question our ability to know an unfamiliar place through its representations (images, ideas, concepts), this extra- textual reference sited the structure of the work, Snapshot syle photographs already appear as fragments of something, ofa larger hole that is missing, and inthis way they function metonymically The themes of something missing and unfamiliarity are also linked 10 Tarkovsly’s story in Stltr. In. is scence fiction film, alien invaders create a "zone" where, some believe, one's heart's deste willbe fulled, The narrative of the flim, whose closure is less important than the journey through is space, is secondary in Zone to, Somewhat obrusl iy pictures do not resemble “fm sis” at all, bur are more ike fragments of them, patil images, whose ‘content and bird’ eye view perspective only serve to emphasize an unfamiliarity and a dream-like distance. bring this example into my conclusion because ofthe way it offers couateqpoint to the argument so fir, Maden photoworks can take for granted 4 syntactical familiarity of the spectator with recta ase Bpei Danses a.geat may tries, discourses, and visa ferences, This enables serrain fragmentation to become accepted in photoworks, if not soc tally normalized. The dieam-story and syncopated sya vee now common in examples ranging ftom fashion to landscape photography. pectin: Zmcson "The concept of syntax seems dfs to adoe if developed along the Hines of ether trary uses through re-thinking 8h tery Film theory has fe fom resolved the questions it set (0 hame regarding how the different syntactical constructions that etme methods have invented can be defined, Indeed, many of he itllectul investigations of these traditions have all but ex ited, with the exception of Deleuze and the recent intesest inthe vinind-game” lim pot. Yet, peshaps photobooks are now among the hain eld of practices that continue the project of experimentation vr the symactiealarangement of image. Tis is why the sync Tra ogc of sequences in photography should bea cena are of investigation for photographic ctcism and theory, alongside the amazing innovations across phorographic practice.