Author: Wu Hung.

A FEW MONTHS AFTER JUNE 1989, we began to view the Tiananmen movementas and as theeventistransformedintowords-chron- history, history, icles, memorial speeches, analyses-and images of three kinds.Recordedimages are subjectsof photojournalism,broadcastto us in "fullcoverage,"edited and preservedfordocumentingor reconstructingthatheated period offiftydaysand nights(16 April-4 June). A condensedimage is a "particular[that]representsthe more general";' it is extractedfromchronologyto become a symbol:a single recordedimage-a youngmaninawhiteshirtstandingmotionlessbeforearow ofslowlymovingtanks.The precisetimeoftheeventisrarelyremembered,and no one even knowsthe brave man's name. Printedon magazine covers,posters, and T-shirts,however,thisstillscene standsabove the restand embodies them