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Abstract
In the field of communication studies, an understanding of the relationship between form and genre is essential for mastering both practical skills and theoretical concepts in core courses such as public speaking, communication theory, and rhetorical criticism. Building on scholarship on the visual politics of presidential portraiture, this activity allows students to (1) identify recurring patterns in contemporary presidential portraits, (2) distinguish how Donald J. Trump’s two official White House portraits both reflect and deviate from those patterns, and (3) assess the broader significance of this photographic genre and the impact of violating generic expectations in other contexts. After completing the activity, students are better able to apply form and genre to their own presentations and critical essays.
Courses: Public Speaking, Communication Theory, Rhetorical Theory, Rhetorical Criticism.
Objectives: Students should be able to:(1) identify recurring formal patterns and generic expectations, (2) apply the concepts of form and genre to analyze visual texts, and (3) discuss the impacts of adherence to and deviations from generic expectations.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank David H. Kahl, the reviewers, Cara Finnegan, and David Levasseur for their helpful feedback in the preparation of this article.
Notes
1 Official photographic portraits of every modern U.S. president are easily accessible for download online via the Library of Congress at https://www.loc.gov/free-to-use/presidential-portraits (see Library of Congress, Citationn.d.a). This particular archive is in the “Free to Use and Reuse” series, indicating that the images are either part of the public domain or cleared for public use. Currently, it is also the most direct link to Trump’s first official portrait. For Trump’s more recent portrait from October 2017, use this Library of Congress permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/2017656484 (see Library of Congress, Citationn.d.b). From there, one can follow additional links to download the image file.