When I read through this thread, I thought immediately of the Asian form of 'haiga.' It is generally a short poem in haiku form paired with a picture. My understanding is that the poem should not describe the picture; they are independent, capable of existing each on their own. But the haiku is better because of what the picture adds to the insight found in that haiku, and likewise vice versa.
The trouble, if you want to call it that, is that in much so-called modern haiga, the picture is a direct visual representation of the haiku. In other words, the haiku speaks of a man walking in winter, the picture shows a person walking in winter. The picture is to show the essence of the haiku, not a concrete representation of it.
Just my two cents.
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