Seminar : R, Barthes. "The Death of the Author"

What message is Barthes trying to convey? 
In order to gain full understanding of a text, we must not use the author as an explanation, but the let the language speak for itself - in this we achieve the birth of the reader. 

5 main points

• "Writing is the destruction of every voice"
• "The image of literature to be found in ordinary culture is tyrannically centred on the author, his person, his life, his tastes, his passions"
• "it is language which speaks, not the author"
• "To give a text an Author is to impose a limit on that text" 
• "The birth of the reader must be at the cost of the death of Author" 

Impact on illustration 

• As illustrators, we are the author of our own images and so take responsibility over the messages we convey within this work. However, almost all art forms are judged subjectively meaning the reader may form their own opinion and interpretation. 
• As young art practitioners we use social media channels - such as instagram and facebook - to promote our own work. Through this we become authors of our own online identity. 

How could this relate to your chosen theme? 
Aesthetics - How does being aware or unaware of the author of an image, influence the way we perceive this work?