Roland Barthes

Roland Barthes was a French literary theorist and philosopher who profoundly influenced modern thought on art and representation. He challenged traditional ideas about authorship and meaning, proposing that the interpretation of texts and artworks relies heavily on the viewer's or reader's perspective. Barthes argued that meaning is not fixed by the creator but rather generated in the interaction between the work and its audience. He explored how popular culture shapes our understanding of symbols and aesthetics, emphasizing that every cultural artifact carries multiple meanings influenced by societal context, emotions, and personal experiences.