At the International Center of Photography we I saw many photographs and collages by John Wood. John Wood played with photography to send a message to his audience. His collages and pictures were a little controversial and political. I saw one photograph that immediately caught my attention and I knew immediately that this was the photograph I wanted to analyze further and write about. I thought about what the picture represented and what John Wood was trying to say or ask his viewers.

          Yesterday after I got out of school around 4 o'clock I called up my friend and asked her if she wanted to meet up for lunch since we have not been able to talk much since high school ended last year. We decided that i would meet her at her campus, Fordham Lincoln Center. I decided to walk since I had some time to spare but along the way I saw many things that brought questions to my mind.

Visiting the International Center of Photography was incredibly exciting for me because of my love for photography. I had trouble, however, with the questions about each photograph's meaning. I recalled what I read in Camera Lucida about Barthes' "desperate resistance to any reductive system." I do intellectually understand "how" to interpret a photograph, but I don't always feel that analyzing and dissecting each image is a beneficial or necessary process.

 Art, as defined by some, is the tangible expression of our views, passions, and talents. While this definition encompasses a large variety of pursuits, one that I find most interesting is tattooing. Although tattoos are viewed more today as unprofessional and more typical of young people, they have been around since ancient times. Past peoples have decorated their bodies with portrayals of their Gods, indications of their rank and social standing, and sentimental pieces with meanings only known to them. The latter, I find is the most beautiful.