Why Structuralism Fails in Interpreting Visual Art

This paper critically examines the application of structuralism as a method of interpreting visual art, with a focus on Jacques Derrida’s critique of the concept of the frame as presented in La vérité en peinture. Structuralist methodology seeks to interpret artworks through segmentation and analysis of internal relations. However, Derrida’s notion of the frame challenges the feasibility of defining clear boundaries between an artwork and its context, thereby undermining the foundational premises of structuralist interpretation. By constructing an argument based on these Derridean reflections on the frame, this study highlights the conceptual limitations of structuralism when extended to visual arts.