Motifs are a device used to help show a reoccurring theme, idea, or pattern and are common throughout visual art (music, photography, cinematic. Etc.). Directors use them to symbolize a deeper message and enhance their visual art in a symbolic manner. In the article “Ferguson, Uncensored”, by Tim Dickinson, the author captures the visual motif of unrest to enhance the portrayal of the split between whites and blacks in Ferguson, Missouri. 

The first instance of this visual motif is seen in an explicit graffiti message written across a mailbox (Image 1). The photographer makes a point to capture the message “Fuck the Police” spray painted across a small mailbox in the corner of the photograph. This note is a clear indication of the split between the African American community and the Caucasian police officers of Ferguson, Missouri. In the photo, the majority of the police officers are white and are seen facing a lone black protestor. By including the statement “Fuck the Police” you are able to see that the African American community does not support the police (whites). Although it is not outright stated, the viewer is able to infer that a protestor wrote this graffiti image in backlash to the events in Ferguson. By including this in the image, the journalist was able to add an element of disturbance and further the clash because the viewer is able to see the willingness for protestors to write vulgar statements against the police. The graffiti serves as a non-violent tool to express their views. It gets the message across that there is a divide. Willing to make bold statements against law enforcement truly shows the divide between whites and blacks in Ferguson, Missouri because of the prominence of white police officers and black protestors. 

Another aspect of the visual motif, unrest, was the photojournalist’s point to encapsulate the excessive force used by law enforcement. The number of police officers -10 far outnumbers the lone-1 protestor (Image 1). This point helps the viewer visualize the confrontation between the Hands Up, Don’t Shoot participant and law enforcement representatives.  The outnumbering of men magnifies the extreme contrast occurring in the scene and in doing so the viewer is able to feel a sense of fear for the protestor and begins to question if the excess in numbers is necessary. This element adds a variety of emotion (fear, curiosity, anxiousness) to the viewer and helps Dickinson further portray the breach between the two races. Dickinson makes a point to capture a defenseless protestor being aimed at by law enforcement. Beyond the fact that this photo serves as a key photo for the Hands Up, Don’t Shoot Movement; the photographers ability to shoot a photo in which a unarmed black person is being pointed at by six armed officers helps symbolize the clash in Ferguson. The viewer is able to recognize this physical and political controversy is not a joke because of the amount of police officers used in this scene. Ten police officers would not be necessary unless significant crime or uprising was occurring. The journalist uses the visual motif, unrest, to further the conflict occurring in the image. It is clear there is a disturbance in this area, enough so that military action is necessary. 

The use of fully automatic weaponry adds a symbolic side of violence and brutality and helps to further enhance the unrest, which is occurring. Ferguson was going through so much chaos and turmoil to the point where fully automatic machine guns were necessary. The clear outnumbering of people and use of high caliber weaponry truly expresses elements of the visual motif of unrest. The photographer magnifies the controversy and the visual motif by incorporating violence, force, and helplessness.  

In another photo (Image 2) captured in the “Ferguson, Uncensored” article, a lone black protestor is seen throwing a tear gas explosive. This photo (Image 2) helps capture the visual motif of unrest, because the viewer is able to see that the protestors aren’t being mistreated, but in fact the African American community wasn’t backing down without a fight. The background of the photo is filled with an abundance of tear gas, which is commonly used in controlling uproar and forces crowds to disperse. By incorporating that aspect, the viewer is able to further understand the unrest and split between the two groups. The viewer is also able to infer that there was previously a crowd and things got out of control. Although the police aren’t visible in the photo, the viewer is able to infer the protestor is tossing the tear gas grenade back towards the riot control police officers because of the fact that they would have thrown in the first place.  This aggressive and revolting civilian protestor helps further expand on the unrest being portrayed in the photographs. 

All of these elements- the explicit graffiti; extreme outnumbering of police officers, use of automatic weaponry, and an image of a civilian revolting; together make up a compelling visual motif of unrest. At first glance the viewer might think that the defenseless black individual in the photo is being aimed at for committing a crime, but after further analysis it is obvious that there is more to these photographs. The visual motif of unrest is seen through the the split between white law enforcement and black individuals. The message of “Fuck The Police” is more than just a piece of graffiti. It encapsulates the aim of the photo and helps illustrate a bias the journalist is taking. The events of Ferguson, Missouri were tragic and led to an uproar of protesting and violence. The visual motif of unrest helps symbolize this time of tension and magnifies the extreme contrast in the two groups. The first photo isn’t the scene of a crime, but instead a clash between whites and blacks and a scene of censorship by the nations authority, whereas the second photo shines on the African American protestors using force back on law enforcement. By understanding the visual motif of unrest, the viewer is able to recognize the underlying message of this photograph and visualize to a higher degree. 
