civilized ku # 2616-18 ~ visual literacy

Trompe l'oeil? ~ Old Montreal / Montreal, CA • click to embiggen
Building facade ~ Old Montreal / Montreal, CA • click to embiggen
Window w flowers ~ Old Montreal / Montreal, CA • click to embiggen

There is a difference between looking at photographs - which has become a common cultural practice - or seeing the image. The latter refers to reconstructing the photograph by exploring the deep structure of the image--which involves the application of practical knowledge and creative insights and relies on the cultural or historical consciousness of the reader. Looking is the visual routine of readers, seeing is the visual practice of the literate. ~ Hanno Hardt