About
Screen, noun.
1. A flat vertical surface prepared for the reception of images, e.g., for exhibition
2. Something interposed so as to conceal from view, or a means of securing against attack, punishment, or censure.
3. An apparatus used for the purpose of sifting, excluding, or intercepting.
4. A partition, pierced by one or more openings, dividing a room or building into two parts.- Adapted from Oxford English Dictionary
The television screen is more than a blank surface that passively transmits self-evident stories and images. It also receives projections that implicate us since what we “see” is as much a condensation of themes distilled from our shared culture as it is a measure of what we bring to the encounter, what captures our hearts and imaginations – our fears and our desires – and what, as a result, we are able to apprehend.
The trick, of course, is to refuse the trap Narcissus, enraptured by our own (unrecognized) reflections and, instead, learn how to savor the play of light and shadow, even as we endeavor to clarify what it is that attracts, repels, or befuddles in the face of the Other we find before us. To pierce the screen of illusion and stay the imperative to escape.
Divinations, too is the companion site to Divinations: Reflections on the (Big) Screen. I welcome all comments, recommendations, and opinions. Please feel free to leave a comment. If you would like to contact me directly, I can be reached at mistified555 – at – gmail dot com.
