1

Using Visual SourcesUsing Visual SourcesACE / ECA Research TrainingACE / ECA Research Training

October 11 2005October 11 2005

Historical Outline:Historical Outline:Images as Research ToolsImages as Research ToolsImages as Sources of InformationImages as Sources of InformationImages as Historical DocumentsImages as Historical Documents

What Images Do and Do Not Tell UsWhat Images Do and Do Not Tell Us

2

Images as Research ToolsImages as Research Tools

Images have a long history of being used as research tools Images have a long history of being used as research tools ––presenting data and knowledge that cannot be presented in verbalpresenting data and knowledge that cannot be presented in verbalform.form.

‘Cinema expands our vision in time as the microscope has expande‘Cinema expands our vision in time as the microscope has expanded it d it in space. It permits us to see facts which escape our senses becin space. It permits us to see facts which escape our senses because ause they pass too quickly … it eliminates the personal factor … All they pass too quickly … it eliminates the personal factor … All in all, a in all, a film is superior to the best description.’film is superior to the best description.’

RegnaultRegnault (1922) 65(1922) 65

‘Only cinema provides objective documents in abundance; thanks t‘Only cinema provides objective documents in abundance; thanks to o cinema, the anthropologist can, today, collect the life of all pcinema, the anthropologist can, today, collect the life of all peoples; he eoples; he will possess in his drawers all the special acts of different rawill possess in his drawers all the special acts of different races … He ces … He will be present at feasts, battles, at religious and civil ceremwill be present at feasts, battles, at religious and civil ceremonies, at onies, at different ways of trading, eating, relaxing.’different ways of trading, eating, relaxing.’

RegnaultRegnault (1923) 680(1923) 680

3

Anon. - Natives of Tonga on board a sailing ship (1880's)

Anon. - Two young Fijian women, Polynesia (1890's)

Photograph of a Baule ceremonial dance in Vogel (1997)

4

Edweard Muybridge – Plate from The Human Figure in Motion (Philadelphia, 1901)

Edweard Muybridge – Plate from The Human Figure in Motion (Philadelphia, 1901)

5

Illustrations from Darwin, The expression of the emotions in man and animals (London, 1872).

‘Dog approaching another dog with hostile intentions.’

‘The Same in a humble and affectionate frame of mind.’

‘Half-bred Shepherd Dog in the same state.’

‘The same caressing his

master’

‘Cynopithecus niger in a placid condition’

‘The same, when pleased by being caressed’

‘Chimpanzee disappointed and sulky’

6

Expressions of (l.) disdain, contempt and disgust, and (r.) anxiety and grief

Art and architectural history would be unthinkable without the use of visual images – not only reproductions of artworks but also in order to create types (e.g. styles)

7

They function as a means of providing typologies of forms, e.g. the classical orders of architecture . . .

. . . or even of Hindu architecture.

Plates from Ram Raz, Essay on the Architecture of the Hindus (London, 1834)

8

The Imaginary MuseumThe Imaginary Museum

For Malraux (1949) the invention For Malraux (1949) the invention of photography enabled the of photography enabled the construction of a museumconstruction of a museum--withoutwithout--walls walls –– art history is no art history is no longer dependent on the longer dependent on the existence of actual museums. existence of actual museums.

Thus, in the past:Thus, in the past:

‘Isolated works and groups of works, even cathedral statuary, ha‘Isolated works and groups of works, even cathedral statuary, had to d to insinuate themselves into the artistic awareness of those who sainsinuate themselves into the artistic awareness of those who saw w them for the first time, and into a company of masterworks […] Bthem for the first time, and into a company of masterworks […] But the ut the museum without walls, thanks to the mass of works it can show usmuseum without walls, thanks to the mass of works it can show ussimultaneously in reproduction, frees us form the necessity of asimultaneously in reproduction, frees us form the necessity of atentative approach. By revealing a style in its entirety […] thetentative approach. By revealing a style in its entirety […] the new new masterpiece is classified … not against its rivals, but as the lmasterpiece is classified … not against its rivals, but as the leading eading member of a family.’member of a family.’

MalrauxMalraux (1949) 23(1949) 23--2424

9

‘Then, again, black-and-white photography tends to intensify the “family likeness” between objects that have but a slight affinity … very different objects of the same epoch … have lost their colours, texture and natural dimensions (the statue has also lost something of its volume); each, in short, has practically lost its individuality – but their common style is by so much the greater.’

Malraux (1949) 24

‘Thus the angle from which a work of sculpture is photographed, the focussing, and above all, skilfully adjusted lighting, may impart violent emphasis to something the sculptor himself merely hinted at.’

Malraux (1949) 24

‘…‘… reproduction … has created reproduction … has created fictitious arts, by systematically fictitious arts, by systematically falsifying the scale of objects; by falsifying the scale of objects; by presenting oriental seals the same presenting oriental seals the same size as the decorative size as the decorative reliefsreliefs on on pillars and amulets like statues. pillars and amulets like statues. As a result the imperfect finish of As a result the imperfect finish of the smaller work, due to its the smaller work, due to its limited dimensions, produces, in limited dimensions, produces, in enlargement, the effect of a bold enlargement, the effect of a bold style in the modern idiom.’style in the modern idiom.’

MalrauxMalraux (1949) 27(1949) 27

10

Images as Sources of InformationImages as Sources of Information

Design for a handcar by the Courtright Manufacturing Co., of Detroit (published in Scientific American, 1891)

There is also a long tradition of using images as a way of providing information – from scientific diagrams to technical illustrations.

These provide certain kinds of information much more efficiently than verbal description.

As Ivins (1958) demonstrates –scientific imagery only became central following the invention of prints, when imaging became more reliable.

11

Leonardo da Vinci – Design for an 8-barrelled organ. Codex Atlanticus, folio 157 (1480-1482)

Leonardo da Vinci – Design for a giant crossbow. Codex Atlanticus, folio 149 (1480-82)

Plate from John Browne (1642-ca. 1702) A compleat treatise of the muscles, as they appear in the humane body, and arise in dissection... (London, 1681).

Imagery was central to the dissemination of modern medical and biological knowledge in the 16th and 17th century.

12

Giovanni Borelli (1608-79) Illustrations to Aristotle, De MotuAnimalium (Florence, 1680)

Wax moulages from the dermatology clinic of the University of Hamburg showing (l.) herpes and (r.) acne.

13

Images as Historical DocumentsImages as Historical Documents

Exekias – Achilles and Ajax playing a game -Athenian Black Figure Amphora (ca. 555-

530 BCE)

Historical images can often be a source of information about characteristics of the culture in question (e.g. pastimes, hairstyles etc)

14

Courtship of Venus and Mars - House of Marcus Lucretius Fronto, Pompeii (1st Century CE)

Images can also be an important source of information about other aspects of material culture.

When treated as historical documents what is important is not what images intentionallydisplay (i.e. their mythic content) but what they unintentionally give away . . .

Vittore Carpaccio – St. Augustine in his Study (1502-08)

. . . such as furniture design (see the swivel chair)

15

Canaletto - Westminster Bridge, London, with the Lord Mayor's Procession on the Thames (1747)

Canaletto - The Thames and the City (1746-47)

16

Lieve Pietersz Verschuier - Action Between the Dutch Fleet and Barbary Pirates (circa 1670)

What Images Do and Do Not Tell What Images Do and Do Not Tell UsUs

17

Anonymous –Photograph of Jean-Martin Charcot and a Patient (1875)

Charcot was well-known for the systematic study of hysteria and other neuroses – and for his images of his patients.

This images, however, tells us rather more about the status of late 19th century medicine as a social phenomenon.

‘… when encounters between cultures take place, each culture’s images of the other are likely to be stereotyped.. The word “stereotype” (originally a plate from which an image could be printed) is … a vivid reminder of the link between visual and mental images.’

Burke (2001) 125

Images can also be a source of ‘misinformation.’

At the very least they have to be recognised as shaped by the prejudices of the person producing them and the culture in which they are produced.

18

Jean Léon Gérôme - Pool in a Harem (Ca. 1876)

Jean Léon Gérôme - The Carpet Merchant (Ca. 1887)

The first systematic critique of cultural stereotyping was (Said, 1978) but e.g. Gérôme has also had his defenders (see Mackenzie, 1995)

Jan Vermeer

Street in Delft(c. 1657-58)

The townscapes of 17th

century Dutch artists seem to offer a highly faithful depiction of the urban environment.

19

‘‘The doorway, the frontier The doorway, the frontier between public and private between public and private zones, is the centre of zones, is the centre of interest in a number of interest in a number of seventeenthseventeenth--century Dutch century Dutch paintings … Looking at paintings … Looking at pictures such as these it is pictures such as these it is difficult to repress the sense difficult to repress the sense of viewing a snapshot, or of viewing a snapshot, or even of entering a even of entering a seventeenthseventeenth--century house.’century house.’

Burke (2001) 88Burke (2001) 88

But . . .

Peter de Hooch – Courtyard of a House in Delft (1658)

Walker Evans - Negro Church, South Carolina (1936)

Even in the case of photography the image may be semantically charged – i.e. an idealised image or one laden with some other moral or political connotations.

20

Walker Evans - Billboards and Frame Houses, Atlanta, Georgia (1936)

Other critics (e.g. Other critics (e.g. GeertzGeertz, 1993) have , 1993) have argued that there is a limit to what images argued that there is a limit to what images can observe. Many aspects of cultural can observe. Many aspects of cultural behaviour are ‘behaviour are ‘unphotographableunphotographable:’:’

‘The two movements [twitching and ‘The two movements [twitching and winking] are, as movements, identical; winking] are, as movements, identical; from an Ifrom an I--amam--aa--camera camera phenomenalisticphenomenalisticobservation of them alone, one could not observation of them alone, one could not tell which was twitch and which was wink, tell which was twitch and which was wink, indeed whether both or either was twitch indeed whether both or either was twitch or wink. Yet the difference, however or wink. Yet the difference, however unphotographableunphotographable, between a twitch and a , between a twitch and a wink is vast, as anyone unfortunate to have wink is vast, as anyone unfortunate to have had the first taken for the second knows.’had the first taken for the second knows.’

GeertzGeertz (1993): 6(1993): 6

21

Geertz’sGeertz’s criticisms lead on to the criticisms lead on to the wider criticism of the positivist wider criticism of the positivist attachment to what is attachment to what is immediately visible as the immediately visible as the primary datum of knowledge.primary datum of knowledge.

Guy Guy DebordDebord, , The Naked City The Naked City (1959)(1959)

The concern of traditional art and architectural history, for exThe concern of traditional art and architectural history, for example, with style ample, with style is linked to an overis linked to an over--reliance on images at the expense of other forms of (nonreliance on images at the expense of other forms of (non--visual) analysis (e.g. social history, gender analysis, visual) analysis (e.g. social history, gender analysis, psychogeographypsychogeography). This ). This opens up room for general consideration of the possibilities andopens up room for general consideration of the possibilities and limitations of of images.images.

ReferencesReferencesBanks, M (2001). Banks, M (2001). Visual Methods in Social ResearchVisual Methods in Social Research. London, SAGE.. London, SAGE.Burke, P (2001). Burke, P (2001). EyewitnessingEyewitnessing. London, Reaktion.. London, Reaktion.Darwin, C (1872). Darwin, C (1872). The Expression of Emotions in Man and AnimalsThe Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals. London, John . London, John Murray.Murray.GeertzGeertz, C (1993). ‘Thick Description. Towards a Semiological Theory of, C (1993). ‘Thick Description. Towards a Semiological Theory of Culture,’ in Culture,’ in GeertzGeertz, , The Interpretation of CulturesThe Interpretation of Cultures. London, Fontana, 3. London, Fontana, 3--32.32.ElEl--GuindiGuindi, F (2004). , F (2004). Visual AnthropologyVisual Anthropology. New York, . New York, AltamiraAltamira Press.Press.Knowles, C ed. (2004). Knowles, C ed. (2004). Picturing the Social LandscapePicturing the Social Landscape. London, Routledge.. London, Routledge.Mackenzie, J (1995). Mackenzie, J (1995). Orientalism. History, Theory and the ArtsOrientalism. History, Theory and the Arts. Manchester. . Manchester. Manchester University Press.Manchester University Press.Pink, S (2001). Pink, S (2001). Doing Visual EthnographyDoing Visual Ethnography. London, SAGE.. London, SAGE.RegnaultRegnault, F (1922). ‘, F (1922). ‘L’HistoireL’Histoire dudu CinCinémaéma. Son . Son rôlerôle en en anthropologieanthropologie,’ in ,’ in Bulletins et Bulletins et mémoiresmémoires de la de la SociétéSociété d’anthropologied’anthropologie de Parisde Paris. p. 65.. p. 65.RegnaultRegnault, F (1923). ‘Films et , F (1923). ‘Films et musmuséesées d’ethnographied’ethnographie,’ in ,’ in ComptesComptes rendusrendus de de l’Associationl’Association françaisefrançaise pour pour l’avancementl’avancement des sciencesdes sciences. 2, pp. 680. 2, pp. 680--1.1.Ruby, J (2000). Ruby, J (2000). Picturing Culture. Picturing Culture. Chicago, Chicago University Press.Chicago, Chicago University Press.Said, E (1978). Said, E (1978). OrientalismOrientalism. Harmondsworth, Penguin.. Harmondsworth, Penguin.Vogel, S (1997). Vogel, S (1997). Baule. African Art, Western EyesBaule. African Art, Western Eyes. London and New Haven, Yale . London and New Haven, Yale University Press.University Press.