1: Meet and Greet

To introduce myself I will be describing myself as I present on the social media platform Instagram. I believe that this is an appropriate example of a public sphere because it is accessible by phone or laptop by almost anyone across the globe and is prevalent to a large portion of our population. In addition, Instagram relies heavily on visual representation through the art form of photography.

My name is Megan Whitney (@mwhitstudios) and I am a photographer. On Instagram, the sign that communicates that is an image of my two cameras, their lenses and the film that I use. I am also a traveler. This is presented in the caption that describes a trip to visit my brother this summer in Michigan. As an outsider looking at this image the concept of my being a photographer would be further signified by the fact that I am taking a photograph to present this information. Instagram is unique as a social media platform because of the use of the heart symbol as a means of communicating appreciation, respect or acknowledgement to the creator. In the realm of Instagram this heart is meant to communicate a "like". The way that this is interpreted by the creator and the audience is that the more "likes" you get, the better your image is or the more popular (or influential) you are. What I would like to consider in this class is similar to what Bell Hooks wrote about in his article. I want to explore the concept that just as we design physical space in relation to the political realities of class, race and gender, we further the narrative of these realities through the use of tools such as Instagram.


 I am a teacher. I have been a teacher for a total of five years in the state of Pennsylvania. On my Instagram feed there are very few times that I explicitly depict this side of my identity. However, it is shown here in this image of a few letters stacked on top of each other and a certificate acknowledging a donation that a student gave in my name. This photograph focusses not on the students themselves but of their gifts and evidence of appreciation. In the public sphere of instagram, intertextuality plays a critical role in establishing meaning. The photograph as text, the text posted by the creator, and the text of the comments from the viewers all tie together to create a narrative that both feed and transform each other. From the word teacher, to the words in the letters, to the title of Mrs. incorrectly defining me as married, to the comment of a friend who identifies the location where I teach and my response to her that exposes the grade. One could suggest that this interaction is an example of what Slaven described as "relational art". It creates an open, public dialogue that relies mostly on social relationships. However, it is missing one of the key factors that makes relational art what it is: the dialogue that questions, exposes and redefines what Instagram is as a public sphere.

In the same public feed as these images there are a variety of self portraits that demonstrate how photography and Instagram can call issues like gender, sexuality and relationship orientation into question. I am androgynous or more specifically I identify as a androgyne. This is someone who believes that their gender exists in between male and female and feel both feminine and masculine simultaneously. I am unattached to pronouns and will respond to she/her/he/him. Mostly because I find that the pronoun they is both difficult and confusing for most people to navigate. On Instagram I am able to present myself as I choose. As someone who is interested in the semiotics of Instagram I have read that  "The ability to choose gives communicators a certain amount of power to use signs in unconventional ways and therefore affect and even alter meanings". I hope to be able to dive into new ways to bring social issues to the surface both for my students and for myself.