When reading the article “Framing the Study of Visual Rhetoric: Towards a Transformation of Rhetorical Theory” written by Sonja K. Foss, I quickly made a connection to my own life. The article artfully discusses a recent social trend in rhetorical work away from strict discourse, and towards a more inclusive environment within rhetorical theory that involves visual elements.
Foss defines the concept of visual rhetoric as “A visual object or artifact and a perspective on the study of visual data.” Initially, I presumed that this article would be discussing paintings, analytic graphs, or drawings. Two-dimensional pieces. The further I read, the further I began to wonder- how does three-dimensional, real-life art fit into this analysis?
I am a dancer, and while the idea of discussing dance- a physical practice- as “visual rhetoric” may seem flimsy and a bit too abstract, the more I read through the article the more I realized how much the shoe fit. When thinking about dance as a form of rhetorical discussion, I aim to focus less on stricter methods of movement such as Balanchine ballet or Fosse jazz where the body is trained to operate in a specific, uniform manner. I believe that the style of dance that mainly fits this perspective is the field of modern, expressive dance; which is a broad genre of dancing characterized by expressive, non-structured, free movement. In dance groups around the country and throughout history, choreographed modern dances have been used to convey complex rhetorical ideas in a way that potentially couldn’t have been properly put into words.
An aspect of the article that is particularly applicable to dance is the idea that the growing trend of visual rhetoric has been challenging and questioning the linguistic boundaries of the commonly used modern methods of rhetoric discourse. This notion is one of my favorite reasons as to why dance should be used more as a rhetorical device. In my opinion, a well choreographed and technically executed dance can communicate a thematic message just as well as an opinionated essay- and the magic lies within the fact that nobody in the audience has to speak the same language, or have a comprehensive education on the topic.
While traditional methods of rhetorical discourse depend on the logos, pathos, and ethos of the speaker in order to convey a feeling to an audience, dance uses these same methods through body movement. Facial expression, posture, and dancer formation are all small pieces of the puzzle that correlate to the technical aspects of writing an essay or paragraph intended for rhetorical purposes. The article discusses how colors, lines, textures, and rhythms in a visual artifact allow a viewer to experience the intended emotion and interpretation of a piece. Dance is practically the same, except these two dimensional tactics are replaced by the flick of a hand, kick of a leg, or turn of a head when paired with a musical beat, made even more powerful due to its universality and inclusiveness. Anyone can dance, and anyone can interpret dance.
In conclusion, I was riveted by the discussion of the use of visual art in the field of rhetorical theory which has been historically dominated by discourse. I was given a glimpse of a glorious future of rhetorical conversations, one that include film, photography, and potentially dancing. Not only is diversifying the methods of rhetoric exciting because it changes the way that we can now view social issues or discussion topics, but it changes who is able to be included in these conversations in general. Adding visual art, of any kind, always brings more voices to the table and allows for richer discussion, more productive discourse, and a combination of new perspectives.