How to See the World-
"Seeing the world is not about how we see but about what we make of what we see. We put together an understanding of the world that makes sense from what we already know or think we know."
Everyone views the world differently because of their up bringing. What they consider beautiful, is based on what was pushed by throughout their childhoods. The male-gaze and the female-gaze conflict each other. They're on opposite sides of the spectrum and different beauty standards.
"Such a theory, well known to philosophers, is vital to human interaction because without it, no one could begin to imagine how others might act...Rather than being a distraction from reality, the imagination is key to our very understanding of how we exist in the world."
It's essential to the development of children to mirror the adults around them. And neurotypical children eventually develop "theory of mind". We begin to image and making assumptions about what other people are thinking. It's rooted in the belief that I have thoughts of my own, so others must have thoughts of their own as well.
Ways of Seeing-
"If you buy a painting you buy also the look of the thing it represents. This analogy between possessing and the way of seeing which is incorporated in oil painting, is a factor usually ignored by art experts and historians."
Paintings enabled the idea of ownership/property. Paintings were mainly owned by men and they were of women. Misogynistic narratives were painted frequently. The women painted were submissive and in essence "giving up their autonomy", to the owner of the painting.
"And the visual desirability of what can be bought lies in its tangibility, in how it will reward the touch, the hand, of the owner."
Men ultimately set the standard for what's popular or in high demand. They also used to decide what would get painted, because they were buying them. The male-gaze has been guiding the media consume since the beginning of painting.
From the Archives-
" Mutu often incorporates cliched depictions of Africans, which admittedly add visual intrigue, as a way to subvert the persistent misrepresentation of Africa."
Wangechi Mutu creates artwork based on her culture and life. She uses material from her environment to create her statues. She is correcting how people view Africa and debunking the stereotypes that are pushed in the media.
"A cool, self-possessed woman wearing shades and a blingy lily-shaped bracelet straddles an arching tree trunk that is rooted in each panel as heavenly rays shine down from the upper left."
Her artwork is created for the female-gaze. She creates based on her life and how she views the world. A lot of her pieces are centered around uplifting women of color. The characters that she creates are all based on real life and spirituality.
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