similar to the notion of "Science" for Althusser, Butler seems to require an objective reality that one might be able to get closer and closer to. according to her, pictures can point to a reality that they cannot represent and as such they could be the basis for a better ethics, compassion, or empathy or something better....
hmm...
sure they point to some reality, as do all representations, the only reality there is: the subjective mediated cages of ourselves. all societies create their own consciousness, can this consciousness really be "shocked" out of itself?