SOC 202 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Vanishing Point, Impressionism, Oligarchy
24 Dec 2016
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There is a gap between words and seeing. We only see what we look at. Vision is reciprocal--we see and can be seen. An appearance detached from place and time, preserved. Embodies a way of seeing--but our perception/appreciation of an image is also dependent on our own way of seeing. A record of how x sees y (more individuality, more historical awareness) If image is art , it becomes affected by assumptions like beauty, truth, genius, etc. which mystify, not clarify. The past = conclusions from which we draw in order to act. Mystification is the art of the past = privileged people inventing history to retrospectively justify the ruling classes. Paintings" social and psychological urgency come from painters" skill as seducer--we can know the people portrayed. Mystification is the process of explaining away what might otherwise be evident. Past and present: if we see the present clearly, we will ask the right questions of the past.
