Text and textile: the variability of “moire” in R. Barthes’s conceptualisations

Abstract

In this paper we distinguish two approaches to understanding “moire” in the theoretical work of R. Barthes. The dominant, more authoritative approach is based on the model of the text, while the new, emerging approach is based on the metaphor of the textile. We argue that the choice of text or textile as a means of explaining “moire” should be considered inseparable from the research interests and projects of Barthes scholars. For the proponents of the text-based approach, the textile is rather a secondary, auxiliary tool that helps to explain the principles of writing, the peculiarities of reading practices, and the ways of interacting with the text. We show how the proponents of this approach follow Barthes’s works as a kind of glossary or index, looking for equivalents and examples of “moire”, working extremely closely and intensively with his methodology. On the other hand, the textile-based approach seeks the most specific material equivalent of “moire”. Moreover, this approach demonstrates that textile, as a precise and easily understood metaphor, illuminates not only Barthes’s conceptualisation of “moire” but also his processual thinking in general. This text outlines some of the operations of both approaches, which we consider valuable for the development of contemporary cultural studies. Finally, while clarifying and complementing the interpretations of the “moire” we point to its importance for understanding the other significant concepts in Barthes’s theory, especially his concept of the Neutral.