Representation/Self-representation: A Tale of Two Portraits; or, Portraits and Social Science Representations

Abstract

The problem of representation is profound for anthropology: how do representation and represented relate? What motivates or warrants bridges over the inevitable disconnection between the two? I suggest that photographs and portraits provide a rich basis for thinking about the particular sorts of warrant for anthropological representation. My most general suggestion is that anthropological representation may be conceived of as a form of portraiture, and that it is an exercise in ekphrasis (a verbal account or evocation of a typically non-present image or object). Portraits need social conventions (such as a name in the caption) to be taken as such; representation is a three-part relationship between object, image and society. Cases from Cameroonian studio photography and a portrait of Marilyn Strathern exemplify the argument.

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