depictionswhich

Depictionswhich is a term used in media studies and narratology to describe depictions that incorporate or invite multiple possible readings within a single image, frame, or sequence. The term highlights viewer choice and mirrors the syntactic notion of a “which” clause in language, guiding the audience to consider competing foregrounds or outcomes rather than a single, authoritative interpretation. It remains a neologism that appears in a growing body of discussions about complex narrative presentation.

Origin and usage of the term are informal; it has appeared in early 21st-century online scholarship, blogs, and conference materials as a descriptive label rather than a formal theory. It is applied to distinguish depictions that deliberately embed alternate possibilities from those presenting one fixed meaning. The label is used mainly in analyses of visual storytelling, multimedia art, and interactive media where meaning is contingent on viewer interpretation.

Characteristics commonly associated with depictionswhich include the presence of multiple potential readings within a single frame, overlay or juxtaposition of elements that imply alternative outcomes, and cues that prompt the viewer to select or consider different interpretations. Techniques often involve split screens, layered imagery, parallel vignettes, textual captions that pose evaluative questions, and non-linear or interactive sequencing that preserves uncertainty.

Reception and critique note that depictionswhich can increase viewer engagement and agency by foregrounding interpretation, but may also introduce ambiguity, reduce clarity, or complicate evaluative judgments. It is often discussed in relation to branching narratives, multiverse depictions, and polyphonic narration as a way to broaden the expressive capacity of visual storytelling. See also: visual narratology, branching narrative.