Untitled

Whilst half listening to something on Radio 4 the other day, my ears pricked up for some reason when I heard a discussion about titles. Titles are something that many of us would tend to take for granted, and yet, they actually have an enormous influence that probably only our sub-consious is aware of. And it is this kind of subliminal messaging that I am curious about.

If we look to the dictionary for our definitions between a name and a title, there really isn't a lot in it. A title is desribed as '...the name of something such as a book or poem or art work, and a name is defined '... by which something is known ...'. Ok, so I have to confess that my dictionary was printed in 1978 and perhaps by today's standards the dictionary makers have now cottoned on to the fact that there is in fact a vast difference. Apparently, the difference could be between a multi-pound best seller or a flop, if we are looking at a new novel for example, especially if it has been written by an unknown writer.

The radio programme that I had tuned my attention to had a BBC programmer discussing the angst involved in finding the right title for launching a new drama for instance. She confessed that there had even been times when a programme would have been re-named half way through the series, resulting in a spectacular rise in numbers of viewers.

When I was a contemporary dance student of choreography, I remember well the problems I had with coming up with a decent working title for an abstract jumble of movement that I hadn't yet shaped in any way or form. However, our choreography tutors insisted that it was the right thing to do, as it would help us to focus our creative ideas. We could always change it at the end if we wanted to. The title itself caused no end of criticism and class discussion, and on occasion even before any of the dance itself had been viewed. The teacher would inform that the title was clumsy sounding, or too long and we kind of got the message, although there really were no hard and fast rules; as one of my tutors informed me, "It is a feeling darling, it's a feeling."

Looking back now, I think there may well be something in the approach of having a working title especially for a piece of art work. I am sure that I am not the only person to have felt short changed when trying to fathom an abstract piece of fine art that has been entitled: #4, whereas a worded title, something that we can affiliate ourselves with, gives us just that little more insight, helps us mere mortals to try and pinpoint where the artist is coming from. A title sort of feels almost like getting into the artist's head for me, but shouldn't the artwork be enough?

Conversely after all is said and done, I am also puzzled as to why my favourite title that I used for one of my dance pieces was after all a statement of the obvious. It was a solo dance that I sought inspiration from, among other things and rather pretentiously, TS Eliot's poem "The Wasteland". My choreographic statement was about a lonely housewife who dances with a broom and dreams of romance - I did incorporate a broom as it was a choreographic study in which we had to use a prop. For weeks I could not think of a title, and finally when I was under pressure to come up with something I blurted out in a sarcastic and irritated manner that the dance was called: 'Female with Prop' and to my surprise my tutor gave me a gracious smile and congratulated me on a very original title.