Juxtaposition
Related: collage - cut and paste - cut up - edit - film edit - mix - montage
"Walter Benjamin, writing in the 1920's and 30's, used the Paris Arcades, as the focal point of a study of 19th century Paris. He constructed The Arcades Project by mixing many citations of other authors with his own comments, generating understanding as much by the content of a particular bit as its juxtaposition with other texts. For example, advertising copy might appear right before a citation from Frederick Engels. The quotes functioned as a bit of newspaper collaged onto a painting to provide concrete evidence from the past. Benjamin used montage and fragmentation as a new way to understand and write history. " --e-Arcades by Robin Michals via http://molodiez.org/dms420/samples.htm [Feb 2005]
Definition
Generally, juxtaposition, or contrasting is an act or instance of placing two things close together or side by side, in order to show unlikeness or differences, to note the opposite qualities of the two, etc.
In music it is an abrupt change of elements.
In film the position of shots next to one another is intended to create meaning within the audiences mind.
In literature it occurs when two images that are otherwise not commonly brought together appear side by side or structural close together - thereby creating the reader to stop and reconsider the meaning of the text through the contrasting images/ideas/motifs.
Modernist poetry played extensivley with juxtaposing images, inserting unrelated fragments together in order to create wonder and interest in readers. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juxtaposition [Feb 2004]
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