“Referent,” a term coined by Roland Barthes. It devalues the photo, exists concretely only on the plane of theory. His example of the reaction of people not wanting to cut up pictures of someone they love leaves an unfulfilled sensation within me, it lacks humanity, it denies what is so essential and special to human nature. I wouldn’t cut up a photo of my mom because it’s her image, it’s a remnant of who she is and I assign the remnant’s value based on my own set of beliefs, experiences, etc.. Referent or not, this theory does not alter my values, feelings and affectve experiences from photographs. The theory of the referent is mere intellectual play, a clever trick of the mind.
For me, I feel ‘remnant’ is a more fitting word. By acknowledging the photo as a remnant, we know the original experience is the core experience, but the remnant allows the experience to live on despite its fleeting nature. The remnant is not devalued, but treasured for its magical power to transport us into another experience of the present moment. It’s a reminder of what was, what state of mind we were in, what we felt in that moment. The remnant brings what was into what is happening now. Without photos many memories would be forgotten. Photographs have the capacity to promote inner reflection, if only we tap into feeling more and thinking less.