The Image I Have of the World
Seminar led by Jana Bochet
Have you ever asked yourself how images come about? Not in the sense of a technical process, but in terms of the human capacity to see something as something else – in other words, to recognize an image as such as well as interpret it in this or that way. Of particular importance in this process is viewers' relationship to reality.
First, I'll speak about the fundamental differences between how painting, drawing, and photography (both analog and digital) are discussed within discourse. Then, I'll introduce central theses and problematics within the study of visual culture today: When do we speak of photographs, when do we speak of images, and what do we mean by that? (K. Walton). How do I know what an image shows? (studium and punctum in the writing of R. Barthes). Is there one reality that all things share? How does a photographic image depict this reality? (V. Flusser). Did the situation depicted within a painting ever exist and why [not]? (J. Berger). What's special about drawings, and how do they contain something that can't be seen? (J. Derrida).
By understanding these theses, viewers will then be able to come up with a multifaceted idea of the differences between individual visual representations as well as how they can be interpreted. If time allows, we can also discuss other theses or any questions that members of the audience might have.
Jana Bochet studied philosophy, linguistics, and gender studies at the University of Zurich. She regularly publishes writing dealing with images and photography on www.philosophie.ch, and she also presents lectures and organizes workshops. More
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