Claude Levi-Strauss
A key structuralist thinker in the 50's and 60's and saw that structures existed in the languages of different cultures and societies.
One thing he noticed was that words worked in pairs (Binary Opposites).
E.g. Good/Evil or Light/Dark.
Idealogies
Binary Opposites are often associated with an ideology such as; Christianity, Hetrosexuality.
As a result 'counter-ideologies' form, so existing structures are always questioned and constantly change.
Now that we have such an accepting society, these binary pairs have less of a meaning as more counter ideologies are allowed to exist without much opposition.
Post Structuralism
Started in France in the 1960's
People were fed up with the world and sought alternative ideologies. PS provided a justification for these alternative ideologies, by questioning what was considered 'normal' in Western society.
Jacques Derrida & Roland Barthes.
The audience is more important than the author/artist.
How the audience understands and accepts a piece is key. This will be affected by gender, class, politics etc. all at the same time and will therefore...
It is the audience that makes a creation come alive, not the creator
"There are no facts, only interpretations"
Deconstructuralism
Looks underneath the text/image
Looks for underlying assumptions made by the creator
Looks for what is 'unsaid'
Looks for the subliminal
Looks for any contradictions in the text.
Structuralists look for structures with in the texts - common features and assumptions, which are described and considered from the author's point of view e.g. Chaucer, Grosz (putting things in context)
Post Structuralist say that it is in fact the audience who interprets the text and provides meaning. The author's thoughts are no longer important.
Group Task
2001: A Space Odyssey
1) Hexagonal shape, circular
2) There are many different layers to the hexagonal corridor section. Each of the small black blocks and fixing draw your eye into the image, towards the subject in the centre.
3) A very clean looking image. Strong contrast between the black, white and red. Ideological image of an astronaut - strong, handsome, heterosexual looking.
4) Preconceived ideas of science fiction may lead your imagination.
5) This very perfect looking image, and feeling of balance and calm in the subjects body language is juxtaposed against the tone of the movie which ends up being dark and desperate. The bright colours contrast against your immediate thoughts of the deep black of space.