Dissertation Proposal
For my dissertation proposal, it is my intention to investigate the relationship between human eyesight and the vision of a camera, especially in circumstances where sight is defective and therefore its relationship with photography altered. Some of the core elements I would like to consider within this field are the differences between natural and artificial sight, and to begin contemplating where defective vision may align itself between the two, given that it can possess some of the qualities of artificial perspective, that perhaps more perfect sight may not. Moreover, I would also like to consider the idea that human eyesight is imperfect, with variations between peripheral awareness, depth perception, focus, colour and eye co-ordination, all of which establish our visual ability. Although I briefly touched on this topic during the Individual Project of first year, I feel as though I did not have the opportunity to research and develop my understanding of the subject fully, and as such, I would like to continue my investigation, with my dissertation resonating with the ideas expressed in my major project proposal.
With this in mind, I believe that my dissertation could take one of two possible routes, with one placing more focus on the personal experiences of those with defective sight, using a creative writing format to interpret those ideas alongside photography, and the other taking a more analytical approach discussing the relationship between human eyesight and the vision of a camera. With the first route, some of the key topics I would like to outline within my dissertation are the differences and similarities that defective sight has with both natural and artificial perspectives, using a creative writing style to highlight how this idea plays into everyday life, as well as aligning it with the experiences that those with defective sight have with photography. My second route in contrast to this, will investigate the relationship between human eyesight and the vision of a camera, taking into consideration some of the distinguishing features between them, together with examples of where natural sight is unreliable, leading into thoughts on both defective sight and visual illusion. Moreover, this route also offers the opportunity to investigate artists who have explored natural vision and perspective within photography, whether intentionally or not, as well as those who have suffered from some form of defective sight and how that alters their perspective. At this time, I believe I will not be able to make a definitive decision on what route to take with my dissertation until after I have completed my summer reading, as I hope this will offer some indication of the appropriate path to take, in terms of research and development.
Following on from this, some of the possible case studies I will be considering for my research on the relationship between human eyesight and the vision of a camera, will be centred around examples that contemplate how photography relates to human perspective, as well as more scientific narratives that try to explain how our eyes work alongside our brains to produce vision, which can be later contrasted with the photographic image. One example that I wish to employ in this sense, would include Serres and Feenberg-Dibon’s ‘Eyes’, that attempts to investigate the capabilities of our sight and answer basic questions about how we see and what is seeing. Moreover, I will also be investigating examples of defective sight through text such as Trevor-Roper’s, ‘The world through blunted sight: an enquiry into the influence of defective vision on art and character’, which discusses how personality and creative style is influenced by faulty sight, when we are forced to rely on our other senses. Lastly, I will also be looking at visual examples such as Paul Graham’s ‘Man walking in white shirt’ (see fig.3) and Uta Barth’s ‘Field’, which both highlight elements that are consistent with vision and perspective and demonstrate cases of how a photograph can correlate with natural and defective sight. Between these case studies and my summer reading list, I hope to begin developing my research and understanding of the subject, in a way that I can formulate a concise argument for my dissertation and major project.
During the development of my dissertation proposal, I began by considering elements that were associated with both my photographic style and experiences, thinking about how they could be translated into a question that I would find interesting and relevant to my work as a photographer. With this in mind, I returned to the idea of human eyesight, the vision of a camera and defective sight, as it is a subject that is personal to me and my experiences within photography. Throughout my visual work, I have often struggled to use simple elements such as focusing a lens, due to my short-sightedness and double vision, and at some points have become disheartened at the limitations this presents to me as a photographer. As such, I have always found the relationship between natural and artificial sight interesting and felt that it would be a good subject to develop both in my dissertation and major project. In this I am hoping that I can begin to provide more representation of defective sight within photography, while also demonstrating that poor eyesight is not a limitation but an extension of different visual perspectives. Therefore, I am confident that this a topic that can function effectively as a line of enquiry for my dissertation, as it is consistent with both my development and interests as a photographer.
References:
Bonaventura, P. (2017). Blinding white. [online] Tate.org.uk. Available at: http://www.tate.org.uk/context-comment/articles/blinding-white [Accessed 17 May 2017].
Guggenheim. (2017). Field #23. [online] Available at: https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/5345[Accessed 16 May 2017].
Serres, M. and Feenberg-Dibon, A. (2015). Eyes. London: Bloomsbury.
Trevor-Roper, P. (1997). The world through blunted sight: an enquiry into the influence of defective vision on art and character. London: Souvenir.
Critical Analysis
Snyder, J. and Allen, N. (1975). Photography, Vision, and Representation. Critical Inquiry. pp.143-149.
‘Photography, Vision and Representation’ by Joel Snyder and Neil Walsh Allen (1975), is one example that deliberates the relationship between human eyesight and the vision of a camera, by considering P.H. Emerson’s understanding of “naturalistic representation”; which is the intention to produce a scene that is similar to the “visual impression” of an observer, adopting characteristics’ associated with human sight. From here, Snyder expands on this by introducing new ideas such as photography’s relationship with other mediums and how it is tied to the physical world, unlike traditional art. As the text progresses, he continues this development by introducing Rudolf Arnheim’s understanding that “photographs have ‘an authenticity from which painting is barred by birth’”, which leads into a debate on the “documentary value” of a photograph, and how we are often forced to consider its relationship to the real world. From here, the author uses this progression to contemplate questions associated with authenticity and how even the presence of the photographer may change how a scene is captured. This discussion then shifts to re-introduce other mediums, and brings forward the idea that a photograph is limited by its relationship to the physical world, while other genres can be solely constructed by the artists’ mind without relying on material objects, as photography does. The text then returns to Arnheim to illustrate his view that the “process of photography injects its own ‘visual peculiarities’ into the final picture”, yet it is also argued that in doing so the audience becomes aware that the image is a photograph. Snyder then concludes the extract by reflecting on how these points can be narrowed down into two models, the “visual” and the “mechanical”, which summarises the arguments and brings the chapter to a close. Throughout the text, Snyder seems to navigate the reader through the chosen subject, by considering the understandings of others, occasionally pausing to offer his own insight and to reflect on counter-arguments, that may offer more information or allow the reader to make their own assumptions on the topic. In this, I believe the text is effective in providing the audience with a clear understanding of the subject, that does not neglect to offer alternate responses and thus presents an insightful reflection.
Perec, G. and Lowenthal, M. (2010). An attempt at exhausting a place in Paris. pp.3-9.
‘An attempt at exhausting a place in Paris’ by Georges Perec (1975), is an example that does not directly correlate to my research on the relationship between human eyesight and the vision of a camera, yet does provide an alternate style of writing that resonates with ideas of sight and perspective, which may be constructive in the development of my dissertation. The extract itself is presented as a collection of observations, that disregards more obvious or impressive components, instead focusing on the smaller details that usually go unnoticed. With this, Perec begins with a short paragraph that introduces the location of the text, and indicates to the audience his intention to describe “that which is generally not taken note of, that which is not noticed, that which had no importance”. Following this, the style then changes to a format that is reminiscent of a diary entry or a list, as it begins by noting the date, time, location and weather, before progressing with a description of what he can see. From this point, there is an immediate change of pace within the text, as the author begins to note down what he can see, while also placing them into groups of “visible things”, such as letters, symbols and numbers, as well as more obvious things like trees, vehicles and people. From here, the style once again changes, as Perec begins to describe recurring transport, i.e. “The 86 goes to Saint-Germain-des-Près”, which is then repeated multiple times throughout the text to reiterate how often it has passed him. There is also a section that focuses on colour, labelling different objects with a corresponding shade, such as “green shoes” or “blue taxi”, before returning to once again monitor the trajectories of the buses. Throughout the extract, there are also moments that seem to align with the opening paragraph, as they do not adopt the format of a list, as the rest of the extract does, and feels like a break within the text. Lastly, Perec chooses to end the first section by ‘pausing’ his description, which effectively halts the pattern of listing, as he re-directs his audience to a new location in the following chapter. On reflection, the text provides a completely different style of writing from what I have seen in my previous research, as it adopts a more stylistic approach, which follows a quick description of the authors perspective, that still allows the reader to imagine themselves within the scene. In terms of its relevance to my own dissertation, Perec’s work aligns with ideas of sight and vision, which could provide an interesting alternative to talking about sight, which differs from the descriptions of Snyder.
References:
Perec, G. and Lowenthal, M. (2010). An attempt at exhausting a place in Paris. Cambridge, Mass.: Wakefield Press, pp.3-9.
Snyder, J. and Allen, N. (1975). Photography, Vision, and Representation. Critical Inquiry, [online] 2(1), pp.143-149. Available at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1342806 [Accessed 10 May 2017].
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Snyder, J. and Allen, N. (1975). Photography, Vision, and Representation. Critical Inquiry, [online] 2(1), pp.143-169. Available at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1342806 [Accessed 10 May 2017].
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Sophie May Photography 