Visual Culture
The link between art and visual perception has been examined through a number of different lens. Formalism and pluralism are two examples, the latter encompassing such epistemologies as feminism, Marxism and post-structuralism. "Pluralism is the belief that a defining characteristic of the art world is its diversity" (Van Laar & Diepeveen, 1998, p. 18). Diversity is manifested through the myriad of beliefs and values of artists and designers and their intention as they create and by the varied audiences that perceive their work.
Mimesis, the notion that art is imitation evolved from classical Greek philosophy, perpetuating the idea that art reflects the world. Aristotle also recognized that art can shape the world. Contemporary artists realize that art can be used to change the world, or our perceptions of it. In essence, art reflects belief systems.
"The contours of a belief system are directly and indirectly influenced by such cultural factors as education, religion, family, gender, race, ethnicity, tradition and social class" (Van Laar & Diepeveen, 1998, p. 31). Whether consciously or unconsciously, all art and visual design makes a statement about the artist's belief system and elicits a response from the belief system of the viewer.
In this contemporary age of the visual, a new form of culture, visual culture is prevalent. "Visual culture is concerned with visual events in which information, meaning or pleasure is sought by the consumer in an interface of visual technology" (Mirzoeff, 1998, p. 3). Mirzoeff qualifies his definition by explaining that visual technology includes any object created to enhance natural vision, from oil paintings to the Internet. He links the visual culture of culture as the forebearer of postmodern thought.
People in industrialized and post-industrial countries live in highly visual societies. Barnard (1998) further defines visual culture as "anything that has been created or produced with the intention of having some aesthetic effect" (p. 16). Mirzoeff points out that the superior role of language and the spoken world has long cast visual representation in a shadowed position. The emergence of visual culture theory is helping to contest this hegemony and restore visual knowing to its proper equitable place in all aspects of society, including education.
Researchers of visual culture often examine the type of relationships which emerge between the producers and the consumers of visual culture (Barnard, 1998). Often works of art and graphic design have been used to challenge the dominant societal culture, though it is also true that much actually reproduces or supports social order. Images used in advertising promote consumption and perpetuate cultural distinctions of both mainstream and unique group cultures (Tufte, 1997). Visuals and art are often incorporated into the educational setting, usually to augment spoken or written content. There is a need to educate students to view these visual stimuli in a literate and thoughtful way, especially when being used in an educational environment (Wallschlaeger & Busic-Snyder, 1992).
References
Barnard, M. (1998). Art, design and visual culture: An introduction. New York:
St. Martin's Press.
Mirzoeff, N. (ed). (1998). Visual culture reader. New York: Routledge.
Tufte, E. R. (1997). Visual explanations: Images and quantities, evidence and narrative.
Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press.
Van Laar, T. & Diepeveen, L. (1998). Active sights: Art as social interaction. Toronto:
Mayfield Publishing.
Wallschlaeger, C. & Busic-Snyder, C. (1992). Basic visual concepts and principles for
artists, architects and designers. Dubuque, IA: Wm. C. Brown Publishers.
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