Summary Of Practices Of Looking: An Introduction To Visual Culture

Chapter 4 of Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture deals with the many different types of realism in art. The chapter also largely focuses on how time has played a key role in the way realism is viewed and how photography and perspective revolutionized the way realism is seen in art. Technological and scientific innovations have created shifts in realism: from two dimensional Egyptian hieroglyphics, to renaissance style reproduction of reality, then photography, and then towards a less realistic more objective form. Therefore, the thesis of this chapter is that the definition and value of realism changes over time, and relies on the viewer. The chapter begins by showing that realism varies based on culture. For example, in

Before perspective was completely understood, art was much less realistic, giving a two-dimensional, single plain like affect. However, scientists figured out ways to truly understand perspective, noticing vanishing points, and truly viewing the world in the three-dimensional way. This gave artists the ability to create highly realistic images that had a dimensional quality. Although I found perspective interesting, it is really confusing to me because I assumed perspective always existed. It seems natural to me to draw what you see, and if you see a vanishing point, you would draw it. However, before these things were truly understood, it wasn't seen widely in art. This is why there was such great shift in artistic styles throughout history; it changed from simplistic, to highly realistic. Another thing that I find interesting is how photography revolutionized the way realism was seen. Throughout history artists have strive to achieve the greatest amount of realism, until the point of photography. Once perfect reproduction was accomplished due to photography, a new era of art emerged where people would create very simple, interpretive art. Photography's effect on the art world shows how science affects the way art is created and