BACKGROUND
Victory. Love. Reckless abandon. These emotions are often associated with the image commonly titled “V-J Day in Times Square” or “The Kiss”. The image is a simple black-and-white photograph that was taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt on August 14th, 1945. Though the image is filled with other people, one’s eyes immediately go to the couple at the center of the image, as their body position and tight embrace catch the attention of the viewer. While other people around them continue to move, they stand still, and the viewer can’t help but feel as though they are stealing a glimpse into a private moment. This icon may provoke different responses dependent on the viewer’s personal experiences.
I don’t quite recall the first time I saw this icon, but I vaguely remember my teacher presenting it to our high school history class. I remember the mixed murmurs from my classmates who reacted with a mix of intrigue and confusion. We all immediately wondered what had happened to the couple in the image. Had they stayed together? Did they know each other? (They did not know each other. George Mendonsa grabbed Greta Zimmer Friedman and kissed her. She later commented that the kiss “wasn’t a romantic event”, and that it “was just someone celebrating”. A bit anti-climactic, I know.)
It is interesting to analyze an icon that tells a real story and captured a real moment in time. Consider the ways in which the interpretation of this image has changed over time and with access to background information. Is the same fascination still present once you are aware of the woman’s lackluster experience? How do our expectations and our hopes reshape the images we see and add context? Ansel Adams once said that “you don’t take a photograph. You make it”. I think this applies to all images. Once it is viewed, it takes on a new life and is changed by the viewer and their unique interpretation.
METHODOLOGY
During my research, I used iconographic tracking as developed by Laurie Gries. In her article, she describes the procedure as “a method specifically designed to empirically account for how images flow, transform, and contribute to collective life” (337). As circulation is not linear, the methodology itself must allow for the analysis of the fluctuating functions and transformations of the image. She emphasizes the dangers of viewing digital icons as mediums of communication that “lack energy”, as it tends to lead one to “impose their interpretations” on an image (336). This greatly limits the study of the image as an entity that contributes to a larger digital sphere, and begins to reflect personal biases instead of an objective and methodical approach.
One of the first steps of this process required a macro-scaled approach to data collection. This was accomplished by using basic search engines. In my case, I started with Google’s image search. After gathering a vast majority of data, I began to organize the data into a collection based on patterns and relationships using tags in Zotero. After these initial images were cataloged into Zotero, I followed Gries’ meso-scaled approach to expand my data collection. In addition to searching through well known search engines, I expanded my search to other platforms such as social media and image sites. The final step in this process was to conduct a micro-scale investigation in which all of the data was examined in order to determine patterns or relationships between the data and construct a conclusion as to the ways in which the initial purpose and message behind the image had changed through circulation.
Gries argues that one should pay close attention to any subtle changes from the original image: “Transformation is studied by paying attention to how a circulating image changes in terms of design, form, medium, materiality, genre, and function” (343). This methodology allows for a detailed study of the impact of circulation and the purpose behind these alterations.
RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
During my data collection, I found that my image was only consistently traceable under certain key terms: “V-J Day Kiss” and “V-J Day Times Square Kiss”. Anything less specific yielded results that encompassed different themes (such as Valentines Day with “V Day” and New Years Eve with “Times Square Kiss”).
I began by locating my original image using Google Images. From there, it was easy to click through the suggested categories generated by Google, such as “art”, “color”, or “statue”.
I relied heavily on Google images, as it provided me with many alterations of the original icon. It also gave me the option to explore the shopping tab, which began to display a theme that I noticed throughout other search engines as well. This image has been used in products ranging from jewelry to mugs, and has been commercialized to represent an idealistic sense of love that sellers hope to use as means to appeal to a buyer’s emotional response. Furthermore, the image was frequently presented in a format that allowed the potential consumer to customize the item. This altered the icon to make it more personal and relatable, allowing individuals to insert themselves and their personal life into the photograph.
Along with the above ornament example, many other search results had to do with products that allowed the image to take on a more personal meaning. Search results included earrings, necklaces, mugs, cigarette cases, and t-shirts that used the photograph in its original form but on different products.
During my research, I had to decide if I would include images that copied the orignal instead of only cataloging the exact image. This allowed me to include photographs of couples copying the pose, as well as statues made in the image’s likeness. However, this did make my research broader in scope, as I began to include images that copied the intentions of the original as well as reiterations of the orignal.This allowed me to collect more data, but also shifted the focus from the original icon to the intentions and layout of the icon as well.
Along with the alteration of the image to include opportunities for personal ownership, redistribution of the image focused heavily on the emotional themes at the core of the icon. The original image has inspired contemporary artists to re-interpret the image; resulting in sculptures, murals, and tattoos.
Additionally, many people have used this photograph as an inspiration for their own photographic reenactment. I found a multitude of images of couples attempting to strike the same pose as the original pair. This goes to show the lasting importance of this image and the moment it captured years later.
In addition to the aforementioned themes, humor was shown to be a factor in the redistribution of this image. Many sites and media outlets used this image in a more contemporary or comical way, such as the LEGO version of the kiss and a comic in which the couple displays vastly different reactions than the original. As the original image is associated with a specific moment in history, many sites decided to add a more modern take to the image during re-circulation.
Prior to my research, I recognized the historical and emotional significance of this icon. The photograph triggers an emotional response in the viewer, and remains an example of reckless and unfiltered love to this day. This can be seen in the ways that it has been circulated through various digital spaces. Many companies and artists have used this image as inspiration for their works, with many placing the image on items in order to trigger buyers to feel an emotional response to their products. In addition, many have used new technology to allow consumers to personalize the product so that they can place themselves in the icon. This personal connection to the icon is also shown by the numerous photographic replications by couples today. As with most images that are located in a specific historical time period, circulation has caused the image to be altered to encompass contemporary culture.
Why does this image matter? Why does it continue to play an active role in digital spaces 74 years later? I believe that the image provides the viewer with an idealized image of love. Unlike artwork, it captures a real moment in time between two individuals, and allows others to have the hope of such an instance occurring in their own lives. It also sets a standard for love, and provides companies with a tool that will trigger an emotional response among consumers. Though the image itself is dated and set in a specific moment in time, the emotional connection between the couple is something that will be forever eternal and promote circulation for years to come.
SOURCES:
Gajanan, Mahita. “The Story Behind the WWII V-J Day Kiss Photo.” Time, Time, 11 Sept. 2016, time.com/4486812/wwii-kiss-photo-vj-day/.
Gries, Laurie E. “Iconographic Tracking: A Digital Research Method for Visual Rhetoric and Circulation Studies.” Computers and Composition, 30, 2013, p. 332-348. Elsevier.
Images, in order
file:///C:/Users/Katerina/Zotero/storage/2PG3ZNZJ/sailors-kiss-personalized-couples.html
file:///C:/Users/Katerina/Zotero/storage/QAG44R2I/sailor-kissing-nurse-necklace-sailor.html
file:///C:/Users/Katerina/Zotero/storage/76DIYGLW/24370.html
file:///C:/Users/Katerina/Zotero/storage/HJ469RJP/brazilian-murals-on-the-spotlight-in-new-york.html
file:///C:/Users/Katerina/Zotero/storage/6XXK35UR/1061973134734254082.html
file:///C:/Users/Katerina/Zotero/storage/5UE5CJAP/the-kiss-lego.html
file:///C:/Users/Katerina/Zotero/storage/S4KM5ER9/mad-celebrates-70th-anniversary-of-the-v-j-day-kiss.html
The Word Wide Web 