StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Cultural theory and images - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
When looked at without cognizant of the title or the context in which they were made, the range of possible meanings contained in them grows. Take, say, the imaged titled Egon…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER96.9% of users find it useful
Cultural theory and images
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Cultural theory and images"

Cultural Theory and Images: The three images perused for this exercise do provide the viewer with broad interpretative scope. When looked at withoutcognizant of the title or the context in which they were made, the range of possible meanings contained in them grows. Take, say, the imaged titled Egon Schiele, Self-Portrait with Spread Fingers, 1911. Self portraits are usually either fair or flattering to the painter. But Schiele takes a non-reverential look at himself in projecting an emaciated and disfigured state.

For the viewer unaware of this background, the painting might appear to be that of a leprosy patient whose condition is near terminal. This view is all the more plausible considering the visibility of only four fingers and the lack of symmetry between the two sides of the face – features that are characteristic of leprosy. The cultural background of the viewer will also bear on the impression gathered, for leprosy as a deadly disease is more common in tropical and sub-tropical climes. So, for a European-Caucasian viewer, the painting might speak of acute and terminal stages of tuberculosis.

Equally credible is the interpretation that the depiction is that of a survivor in war, with his countenance damaged by a bomb blast. The picture titled Duck/Rabbit, 1899 is quite interesting. For those now aware of the title, the first impression might be either that of a duck or a rabbit but not both. The observer, upon identifying the duck, might go on to study the finer details of the image, in terms of the size and shape of the brush strokes used. He/she might also look at the black and white contrast effectively employed by the painter.

The same is applicable to the viewer who sees the rabbit first. But only upon disclosure of the title Duck/Rabbit would the viewer be pressed to find the other animal embedded within. The cultural background of the viewer is bound to have a negligible effect on perception, for the subject is relatively simple and straightforward. The genius of the painter lay not so much in cultural sensibilities as in the clever imaginative conception of the mirror effect between the two animals. The image Weegee, Their First Murder, 1941 is quite complex, in that, each individual in the photo gives a different expression.

Some flinch as if in pain, while other show a hint of a smile, and some others just show curiosity, making singular interpretation a arduous task. The only adult in the image is the elegantly dressed lady, other are boys and girls of varying ages. But based on the dressing and hair styles worn one could deduce the image to be related to the Second World War. A cultural familiarity to this event is crucial for such an interpretation, for the writer is reminded of images from the film Schindler’s List.

According to this view, the picture could have been taken in the streets of an East European nation, as the Third Reich was sifting the population for Jews. A viewer from the Far East who is not acquainted with the European theatre of the war may remain clueless as to its image. Hence, in conclusion, acclimatization to the culture of the artist and his/her work is important in getting a honest grasp of the image or painting. As the three images illustrated, the culture and milieu not only gives credence to an interpretation, but also offers vital information.

Without this information not only would the lay observer be unable to interpret the visual properly but his/her appreciation of the work will also be limited.

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Cultural theory and images Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words”, n.d.)
Cultural theory and images Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/visual-arts-film-studies/1599748-cultural-theory-and-images
(Cultural Theory and Images Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words)
Cultural Theory and Images Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words. https://studentshare.org/visual-arts-film-studies/1599748-cultural-theory-and-images.
“Cultural Theory and Images Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/visual-arts-film-studies/1599748-cultural-theory-and-images.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Cultural theory and images

Face Negotiation Theory

While people in individualistic societies struggle to preserve their own best 'images', those in collectivist cultures tend to focus on preserving the good 'images' of their fellow man.... This paper "Face Negotiation theory" focuses on the fact that this theory was created to better comprehend the causes of conflict in terms of the cultural as well as an individual understanding of identity management.... According to Ting-Toomey's face-negotiation theory, it is mainly based on individualism and collectivism (Ting -Toomey, 2010)....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Role of Visual Culture in the Contemporary Cultural Diversity

In both his works, Mirzoeff (“An Introduction” 3; “Visual Culture” 4) argue that visual culture depends of the circumstances under which various images are made and this may not have a significant impact in changing the perceptions of the viewers in relation to accepting and assimilating cultural diversity.... This explains why some countries or regions would censor images to avoid the negative feelings and interpretations (Sturken and Cartwright 390)....
3 Pages (750 words) Research Proposal

Computer Culture Development

Two of them, Corbis and Getty images, are the largest agencies in the world.... You can search through thousands of images in their archives.... More important, you can price images for many different uses at their sites.... With this essay, she presents a major new theory of "evocative objects": Wearable computers, PDAs, online multiple identities, "companion species" (such as quasi-alive virtual pets, digital dolls, and robot nurses for the elderly), "affective computing" devices (such as the human-like Kismet robot), and the imminent age of machines designed as relational artifacts are causing us to see ourselves and our world differently....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Journalists influence the news

Added to this is the greater ability of photographers and photojournalists to manipulate images in many different ways as a means of achieving the image sought.... The requirements for theory building at each stage are different” (Elliott & Lester, 2002).... In a time when digital cameras have finally reached a level of quality sufficient to begin replacing traditional film cameras in the field and the level of sophistication brought to digital image editing has surpassed anyone's dreams, the question of ethics in determining… Ethics, have, of course, been an important consideration since photographs first began appearing in newspapers in the 1850s, shortly after the invention of the camera in the late 1830s (Barber, “The production, presentation, and consumption of visual messages in all manner of media can be justifiably sliced in separate technological, historical, cultural and critical perspectives....
5 Pages (1250 words) Assignment

Ethical Advertising Issues

At the same time, there is also a need to clearly assess why the image creates an impression through certain sensibilities, which are political, cultural and sociological in nature and must be discussed in conjunction with the signs that parts of images create for the spectator to gaze....
6 Pages (1500 words) Case Study

Ethical Advertising: Anti-Obama Billboard Images

At the same time, there is also a need to clearly assess why the image creates an impression through certain sensibilities, which are political, cultural and sociological in nature and must be discussed in conjunction with the signs that parts of images create for the spectator to gaze....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

Cult of Image of Supernatural Origin

Many people know that essence of every religion is first of all a belief in a supreme power, which are able for the performance of unearthly miracles, which exercise is completely impossible for ordinary person.... As a result the original form of religious belief can be described… Both religion and magic have one thing in common - the belief that human's destiny depends largely on the secret, unknown and supernatural forces....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Studies in the Culture of Capitalism

Having said this, it is still necessary to outline a basic theory of culture relevant to this discussion.... Popular culture, specifically, concerns that form of cultural practice and its sum of artifacts that are associated with mass culture; it is culture associated with the massive or the popular classes....
8 Pages (2000 words) Term Paper
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us