Blankness.

The argument over the meaning of blankness seems trifling, but it truly is an important concept. I know that I relate everything back to my studies in journalism, but this is how the subject of text relates to me, and it seems that everything we read in this class relates to something that I have learned relating to newspapers.

We call blankness, or the lack of text or graphics in a space, white space. White space used to be frowned upon when talking about newspaper design. There are rules against having too much of it on a page, especially if it traps any of the page elements. Newspaper designers used to avoid any white space at all, as white space meant that there was information being left out. Also, it was just not entirely common to see one single story take up a large portion of the page as it is now.

Now, white space is a designers' friend, especially when talking about in perfect moderation. With the coming of so many daily news sites, the future of traditional print newspapers is a dire situation, and the design of the paper is becoming more and more important because of the desire to create more appealing print layouts. Designers are using white space to add a feel of importance to a story, as well as using large photos and interesting display heads. I suppose I just see a blank Quark or InDesign file as a blank page and it is the designers' job to fill that space with something eye-catching for the reader. Each decision that the designer makes is crucial to the overall success of the page.

This concept made me laugh at Gilbert-Rolfe's comment about how Europeans, especially the British, still "resist the blank wall" and turn to wallpaper for decoration. This is the same with the Victorians. I feel that perhaps the wallpaper was a way to avoid the blankness with a pattern that would ensure the presence of something on the entire wall. I find this interesting because I tend to be drawn toward Victorian patterns. I find this weird about myself because normally I like things that are really simple, but maybe I like Victorian patterns because while they may be a bit gaudy at times, they are repetitive and, in a sense, simple just by the way they repeat.

Now, the mention of Greta Garbo and how Rouben Mamoulian told her to be a tabula rasa. Gilbert-Rolfe writes that this is seemingly eloquent as opposed to vapid with the absence of a message. I find this interesting, especially while thinking about fashion shows. Models are tabula rasas at fashion shows, always being told to hide their emotions and just walk with a straight face. While this look may be vapid to others, to most in the fashion world, it is a look of sophistication and eloquence. I suppose one could argue that the blank look is a way for the clothes to speak and not the model, which could be contradictory to my previous statement and perhaps the models are supposed to look vapid.

Either way, I find it interesting how all of these ideas can be roped together under the topic of blankness with such ease.