Response to Chapter 3: Practices of Looking

Response to Chapter 3 of Practices of Looking: Discuss how images function in terms of establishing or exercising power or control. Put in your own words the important points that the authors make in the reading. Be sure not to oversimplify these points and use their terms appropriately.
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The images in society hold great power, they mold the ideologies within a culture, the camera is a "weapon" of social control. The idea of the a film or image "suspends disbelief " and that the viewer can relate to these ideologies through the unconcious tends to trigger some questioning in regards to the structure of society. Why are these viewers, not all but the majoity, enabling themselves to succomb to the ideology of an artist who has one point of view? this notion is a very powerful one which hints to the idea that the artist is a sort of "god" and that they have a moral resposibility to the creation of social ideology.
the gaze seems to have crossed the gender boundaries and images even play with the concept of the gaze, so now it has become a product of commercial rather than a subconsious aspect of an image. A perfect example would be the Coke ad. It is a humorous situation and reverses the male dominated idea of the gaze. Even in non humorous situations, such as the cologne ad, depicts the male "nude" in a traditionaly female pose.
A great topic in this chapter was power and knowledge; surveillance, regulation, and categorization. the images in life tell us what is normal (a model?) and what is not normal or disregarded as beiing normal (exotic cultures?) Images put ideas and cultures in specific categories, which are often challenged and change the idea of the norm, a good thing. Photography has created this so called knowledge of what is supposed to look normal, which is often a false thing, such as in airbrushed models in ads. The camera, especially digital manipulation, can be a very powerful tool, which demands social responsibility.

jon

Chapter 3 Summary and Response: Ashley Lieber

Relating image meaning, through the viewer, to psychoanalytic theory proved to be the most interesting to me, in the beginning of this chapter. The intense relationships that we hold with images must have more psychological meaning, then we regularly accredit them to having, since images can produce and support desire, needs, and wants. With this in mind, I found it particularly interesting that psychoanalytic theory suggests, “in order to function in our lives, we actively repress various desires, fears, memories, and fantasies”. Reflectively I can see the truth in this, especially within my dreams (unconscious thought). Further noted, is Jacques Lacan’s theory of the “infant mirror stage”, which relates to the idea of the cinema in popular culture. It is suggested that movies are so enthralling on the “big stage”, because the bring adults back to the state of “infant mirror”, through conditioning.
The cinema and the visual world alike often support a voyeurism, which is the pleasure of looking or being seen, that often carries a negative connotation “of a powerful, if not sadistic, position”. Mulvey’s theory, that the camera is used as a tool of voyeurism, seems to be likely given the example of our present visual culture (I also responded to the idea of Hitchcock’s Rear Window being a metaphor for the act of viewing films). The male gaze continues to hold a prominence in all visual culture as it has for hundreds of years.
I remember the first time I saw a specific commercial that reverses the roles of male and female gaze, which the author mentions; women clutter close together to catch a gaze at a sexy muscular construction worker whom is drinking a diet coke.
When discussing discourse, the gaze, and the other, this quote specifically struck me; “it is important to note that images are not only factors in interpersonal power relationships… but are also elements in the functioning of institutional power.” Focault’s ideas of discourse specifically relate to a body of knowledge that both defines and limits what can be said about a particular subject. These ideas are reiterated in our visual culture. Foucalt addresses how modern societies are structured on a basic relationship of knowledge and power, and how these ideas relate to production, culture itself (being sold), and to the majority of the populous “wanting to fit in”. Therefore through our basic needs to belong, we are highly acceptable to being “sold” through visual culture. It is the author’s belief that by closely examining the power of images, and their effect on the viewer, we can better understand cultural norms of race, sexuality, gender, and ethnicity.

Psychoanalysis and the Image Spectator:
The first "section" in chapter three starts off about film studies and psychoanalysis and how they relate to looking. Psychoanalysis describes having "intense relationships" with images because people tend to derive pleasure and strong emotions from seeing, especially while watching a movie. We can feel for the characters of the film, identifying with his or her problems, and this is maximized by the theaters they are shown in; it's dark and cool, and we can regress back to just simply "feeling" while watching. Jean-Louis Baudry compared this process to the mirror phase of an infant; the child, while watching a person walk around and what not, can imagine controlling such physical movements, but can't actually exert that sort of control. It seems like a frustrating time of life to me, but it provides the basis for the child to understand that he or she is actually an independent body, also bringing about a feeling of alienation.

The Gaze:
When I think of the gaze, I automatically assume "male gaze" because that is what most traditional art has been painted/drawn/etc. for. Women were depicted as nudes, objects, more or less, created simply for male pleasure, and were sometimes even shown looking vainly in a mirror as if to show the man that, since the woman is so in love with herself and her reflection, it's ok for the guy to unabashedly look at her nakedness. This can be applied to films, as well, and brings up the concept of voyeurism, which is the term used for deriving pleasure in looking at someone (or something) that doesn't know it is being watched. The movie "Rear Window" was used as an excellent example; a man, confined to a wheelchair, begins to spy on his neighbors through his window, and they have no idea they are being watched. It's a control issue, really, but there are those that LIKE to be watched, as well. (That's called exhibitionism.)

Changing Concepts of the Gaze:
Not all images are being created for white males anymore. (Thank goodness) There are pictures made just for women to drool over. Still, there are some companies that continue to portray women as sex objects, primping and posing for the cameras; it seems that this tradition will be a bit harder to fade away because it's so ingrained in our culture. Even ads and commercials meant for women, such as the Diet Coke ad example used where the women ooh and ahh over a well-muscled construction worker while he isn't looking, denies that they have the "power" over him that usually comes from looking. He refuses to acknowledge their presence, thus negating the power they are supposed to have had. It's sometimes hard to tell whose gaze an image is meant for, and who is the one objectified by it.

Discourse, the Gaze, and the Other:
The gaze isn't all about objectification, however, it can also be used as a tool for power. Discourse was a term French philosopher Foucalt wrote about: "a group of statements which provide a means of talking about a particular topic during a particular period in history." The example given was his fascination with madness. Back during Renaissance, madness wasn't as negative as it is nowadays. The town "fool" was looked upon with a kind of sympathy and even viewed as wise, in a way. During the 18th and 19th centuries, however, this changed drastically; "mentally ill" people were seen as menaces to society and locked away inside instituions. So the same term can have drastically different meanings depending on what time period/context it is viewed in, proving that concepts such as "madness" are not objective.

Power/Knowledge and Panopticism:
Power isn't neccessarily a totalitarian style concept; societies don't have to function on fear, but cooperation, Foucalt wrote. We willingly obey laws and social norms without being outrightly forced to. Society could not function otherwise; the "powers that be" are very interested in keeping this trend going, because they couldn't function without willing workers, soldiers, creators, etc. They are also the ones who create the images of the "perfect person" with the perfect body, look, home, family, and they use photography to display these "social norms" for their subjects to work towards.

The greatest example of "power" I found in this chapter was the "invisible" threat of the gaurd tower in a prison that doesn't neccessarily have any gaurds inside of it. Just the fact that the tower is simply there and COULD have people within is enough to keep the prisoners in line. This is the same for security cameras in stores; how do we know they are even turned on? Just the presence of one is enough to deter a potential thief away from lawlessness.

The Gaze and the Exotic:
Photography and image-making has been, and still is, used to show the "exotic" aspects of different cultures around the world, like Gauguin's paintings of Tahitian women. He portrayed them as these fantastically different creatures from Western women; who cares that, at the time he had painted them, Western influence was already abundant within the place? (I find this amusing.) Exotic people are always shown as markedly "different," like circus people who's only purpose in life is to be stared at through a glass wall. It's rather superior of us to assume we are the "normal ones" and they the "other", don't you think?

Manda Portenga

to try and sum up this chapter...... it mainly deals with the struggle between the creators of the images and the recievers of images.
the creators attempt to seduce the viewer/communicate the idea (to get the viewer to respond in the way they want) and the viewer trys to make and intelligent decision about the image (how reliable it is, what is it saying etc..)

the increased circulation and acessibilty of images has impacted the desire to fit in and conform which regualtes much of the images we see and images we create (including the image of ourselves we create).

it also touches on the idea that the way we define oursleves is through opposites.
we believe we can define ourselves through images, hence the sucess of glossy advertising.

this all is involved with our desires (the specatorship theory)

the idea of looking and being looked at. "the gaze" how we respond to it.

amanda

Chapter 3 of the text begins with the idea of psychoanalytic theory and how it applies to the power of images in our lives. The concept of spectatorship is discussed at length and it refers to the importance of the psyche in our processing of images. We are receptors of images and through them we activate certain repressed emotions, on both conscious and subconscious levels. This is one form of power that the image possesses. Another is power exerted through the concept of the gaze. The text describes the gaze as "fundamentally about the relationship of pleasure and images," (76). The gaze is discussed as it relates to the cinema, the static image, and advertising. In all cases it usually involves a balance of power and sexuality between the audience (male or female) and the subject of the image. In current popular culture, the use of the gaze in imagery reflects the changing gender roles of a society. It can empower or subjugate either gender, or help to further blend the line between roles. Also interesting was the concept of the institutional gaze, which can exert power over all members of a given group. This power can be carried out through an inspecting gaze or a normalizing gaze. The normalizing gaze is planted in the minds of members of a culture through images that inform them of what the ideals of beauty and aesthetics are, thereby encouraging conformity and a more easily manageable society. An inspecting gaze has the same effect not through imagery but by manufacturing an awareness in the individuals of a society that they are being watched and should behave a certain way. One final major topic is the power of the photograph, explored in detail through its ability to establish difference by creating binary oppositions such as male/female, black/white, culture/nature. In creating these oppositions dominance is established to one side, one more way in which an image is associated with power.

joel

Psychoanalysis and the image spectator: This deals with the pleasure we receive from images and how we might come to relate to what we see. Relating to many ways in which we see the world can be attributed to the active unconscious. We are unable to understand everything that goes on in the back of our brain, but the unconscious reveals itself in our dreams—our desires and fears show up in strange ways (sadly it’s hard for most people to recall them). Although, Lacan’s concept of the mirror phase is a great example of how an audience can live the lives of characters in a movie. We can separate ourselves physically from the screen, but one can exist in the movie through common relationships. Therefore images can be very persuasive (I won’t even get into Fahrenheit 911).

The Gaze: This concept is also dealing with the concept of desire to look at images. This term usually has negative connotations, because it’s usually relating to something you’re not supposed to be doing. The male gaze is still a dominant factor in our society; most images assuming the viewer are male. This is something hard to overcome, since men have been catered and dominantly in power throughout history. Women have been objectified for so long that our society may never recover, therefore women are assumed to be here for the male to drool over. Some efforts are made to blur this distinction, such as trying to objectify the male in the same way. This concept only seems silly, because the male can ignore the gaze upon them (also conventional ideals suggest that the male figure just isn’t constructed as beautifully as the female, and this is their worth).

Discourse, the gaze, and the exotic: What we have here is the invention of photography and documentation for institutions. With examples of mug shots and medical photos, we are given small portions of reality and they become the norm. If you look at mug shots all day long, you might come to think you can pick out a criminal right off the street. Leading into stereotypes one can watch an episode of “Cops” and see how our society really thinks of minorities. The same goes for people of other countries in which we don’t understand the culture. We mainly see other people from different countries as if we were tourists, and Americans especially are going to assume they’re more advanced. For instance, the typical American view on Africa is an exotic place where wild animals roam everywhere, much like what is depicted in National Geographic. These types of everyday images get burned into our brains, and the subconscious is most likely tainted for the rest of your life. Now this is power through imagery.

Power, knowledge, and panopticism: Power is best used when we can’t see who controls it. When we are barraged through stereotypical advertisements, one tends to “believe the hype.” In order to live happily in society, the media informs us on how to take care of ourselves, thus one can buy the products needed to impress others, and we become the perfect citizen. The text mentions the power of the invisible through video cameras, we assume someone is watching and will punish you if you behave wrongly. One can easily pick on the president for making poor decisions, because we know his position as the one who "makes the big decisions". Although, we don’t see what goes on behind closed doors……therefore who really runs the country? “We” should run the country, but that invisible power has too much of a grasp on us.

-rYiN g hILL

[Psychoanalysis and the Image Spectator]
Psychoanalytic theory deals with the pleasure we get from looking at images, and conversely the power images have to give us that pleasure and exercise our unconscious desire and fantasy. The unconscious mind plays a huge role in such theories, being constantly active yet repressed by our logical mind. Cinema is quite powerful in this regard, its setting (sitting in a darkened theater with a convincing view into an alternate world) inviting the viewer to immerse themselves in the film and storyline, suspending their own sense of self and allowing their unconscious mind to actively participate. Film theorists Jean-Louis Baudry and Christian Metz use Jacques Lacan’s ideas to compare film viewing to an infantile state, one in which a viewer experiences a loss of ego while identifying with the film, which is comparable to a child looking at a mirror image of itself, knowing that what it sees is itself, but yet also not. The idea of alienation is important for both a child and an adult – recognizing the dichotomy between what oneself really is, and is capable of, and what one desires or imagines themselves to be. What I think is very important here is the idea that the unconscious mind has an influence on our interpretation of images. We may react to images in a certain way beyond our conscious control, meaning that it becomes more difficult to evaluate images objectively.
[The Gaze]
Something we have all studied countless times in art history, “the gaze,” more specifically, the “male gaze.” Throughout history, from painting to cinema, women have been portrayed in ways pleasing for men to look at. This brings up the terms “scopophilia” (pleasure in looking), “voyeurism” (the pleasure in looking while not being seen, can be connotated as a negative power trip), and “exhibitionism” (pleasure of being looked at). Women traditionally are “on display,” in the possession of the male artist or male owner/viewer of the image. This is also a reflection of women’s roles and value throughout history, which is finally beginning to change as women step out from traditional norms and expectations, thus....
[Changing Concepts of the Gaze]
The traditional roles of male and female, viewer and object, are in transition. Women now also assume the role of viewer, and receive (much) pleasure from looking at men. This has shaken the idea of power relations in viewing – do women have power over men by looking at them? Or are men still empowered? It is also now understood that people do not fit into fixed categories of viewing. Dominant viewing positions can be resisted, such as black viewers resisting the way that black people are identified in movies, or lesbians who re-appropriate films for their own analysis and commentary. Also, there are many different “gazes” defined, breaking out of the traditional single category of “male gaze,” as well as different ways to usurp gaze (empowerment of women).
[Discourse, the Gaze, and the Other]
The concept of gaze crosses over into institutional gazes, beyond subject and spectator, as a form of having power over a group. Foucault wrote about discourse, understanding power systems, using a body of knowledge to limit and define a subject. Photography has been a key part of this, used as documentation for surveillance, regulation, and categorization (normal vs. abnormal).
[Power/Knowledge and Panopticism]
Modern society is set up so that people become self-regulating – they know the rules and abide by them because they are supposed to. This brought up the interesting concept of an inspecting gaze, one that is always watching, or could be watching, that makes us behave according to the rules. In fact, it is merely the idea that someone could be observing that holds such power and convinces the majority of people to act within the law. What an easy way to control a population.
[The Gaze and the Exotic]
The use of photography to document faraway lands has also emphasized differences between peoples. Subjects have no say in how they are represented, and people “back home” can look at them as exotic and strange, and thus inferior. What if they had the cameras first and came to document us “Westerners?” Orientalism is one manifestation of this, in which Asian countries are portrayed as exotic, and used to infuse products or advertisements with a feeling of the exotic that a consumer would supposedly enjoy by using the product. You can visit the Sahara! Just buy our perfume!

Alexis