Abstract
The silhouette is a visual figure that exemplifies key features of how gestures and other forms operate as means of communication. Through the reduction of information, it activates formal responsiveness including typification, resonance, and uncanny combinations of fit and enigma and embodiment and abstraction. Its communicative value is demonstrated through use as a medium for public advocacy and as a technique in photojournalism. It provides a basis for reflection on important topics in rhetoric, including authenticity, adaptation, trope, and the public
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