Visual studies 11-10-2025

Course Structure and Remaining Lectures

  • We are approaching the end of the semester with six sessions remaining in this class.

  • Timeline of the semester:

    • This week’s lectures

    • Next week’s lectures

    • One week off

    • Final week of meetings

    • Final exam

Visual Analysis Assignment

  • Students are required to write a visual analysis of a work.

  • Aim: Translate visual experiences into text through active description.

  • Reminder: Use of outside sources is allowed but must be properly cited.

  • The visual analysis is due at 11:59 PM on this Friday.

  • Following this assignment, there will be two more subsequent assignments (numbers seven and eight).

  • This course serves as a requirement for the major or students may be getting CS or IS Linfield curriculum credit.

  • The compilation of visual analyses will form a portfolio representing the student’s work for the class.

Key Readings and Concepts

  • We are working through the text by Murdoch, focusing on how to perceive the world visually.

  • Importance of understanding Murdoch's discussions on themes.

Details on Self-Portraiture and Its Relevance

  • Mirzov discusses the idea of the selfie, connecting it to historical self-portraiture in the arts.

  • Self-portrait as a reflection of identity and subjectivity.

  • Concept of the selfie in the context of self-portraiture and how they convey personal and societal messages.

Valerie Hagarty's Work

  • Students will also explore Valerie Hagarty’s interpretation of manifest destiny and entropy, using her reimagining of Albert Bierstadt's painting "Bridal Veil Falls in Yosemite Valley" as a case study.

  • Discussion about famous national parks:

    • Yosemite

    • Yellowstone

    • Grand Canyon (field trip planned for December)

Visual Analysis Skills

  • Students have been practicing visual analysis for some time; they should be able to execute the current assignment confidently.

  • Skills involve translating vision into descriptive text, affecting how others might perceive visual works.

Discussion of Cultural Mythology in Art and Politics

  • The text explores themes around majesty and the representation of figures of authority like kings and US presidents:

    • The king’s presentation centers around projections of power, health, and authority.

    • Contrasted with the American presidential image promoting cultural myths, particularly rugged individualism and self-sufficiency in the context of Manifest Destiny.

The Role of the American President

  • Importance of performing the presidential role, with examples including:

    • Ronald Reagan's image as a rancher using props like a white cowboy hat to signify good versus evil in classic Western narratives.

  • Contrast with presidents like LBJ or Nixon, who did not use the cowboy hat effectively (Nixon did not wear one).

Analysis of Hats and Cultural Identity

  • Examination data on images of various presidents wearing cowboy hats, such as:

    • Gerald Ford's awkwardness with using the hat.

    • Jimmy Carter and his public persona in a cowboy hat.

    • Barack Obama’s use of the black cowboy hat as representing authority and control.

    • Donald Trump's red baseball cap as a contemporary cultural signifier.

    • Joe Biden's struggles with hat-wearing image.

The Use of Fast Food in Presidential Image

  • Discussion on how Donald Trump presented himself through his preference for fast food, making it part of his public persona, contrasting with traditional presidential dignity.

  • Anecdotes about various presidents eating in public settings, analyzing how they managed the portrayal of their identity through food and eating contexts.

  • Social implications of imagery around food consumption and its political symbolism.

Artistic Representations of Identity

  • Exploration of female artists and the uncommon representation of women in art history:

    • Examples include Elizabeth Vigee Le Brun and the portrayal of femininity in painting.

    • Comparison with traditional images of motherhood in artwork, accessing commentary on societal norms.

Introduction of Photography and Self-Portrayal

  • Discussion about the historical development of photography and its two major processes:

    • Daguerreotype and the limitations of early photography.

    • Bayard’s self-portrait as a drowned man as a critique of his lack of recognition under the shadow of Daguerre.

  • The absurdity of staged self-portraits in the context of personal expression.

Postmodernism and Identity Construction

  • Overview of postmodernism’s significance in art and identity:

    • Discussion on how identity is always constructed and performed in visual culture.

    • Reference to Henri Toulouse Lautrec and his unique position as a differently-abled artist operating on the margins of societal norms.

    • Analysis of Cindy Sherman's film stills and their commentary on the male gaze in cinema and visual representation.

Review of Major Artists and Their Impact

  • Key figures studied include:

    • Marcel Duchamp and the impact of the performance of identity in art.

    • Nan Goldin’s depiction of marginalized communities.

  • How contemporary artists like Cindy Sherman and Nan Goldin reflect the complexities of identity politics in the context of visual culture.

The Science of Seeing

  • Discussion of how perception works—including eye movement (saccades) and its relation to viewing art, emphasizing how perception is about the selection of visual information.

  • Theoretical explorations into cognitive processes regarding how viewers interpret visual stimuli without consciousness displacing overwhelming sensory information.

Conclusion

  • The iterative nature of visual culture and its past influences as significant to contemporary understanding in the field, including the enduring nature of the selfie as an essential element of self-representation today.

  • Importance of continuous critique and reflection within visual studies.

The notes mention several individuals and their contributions or significance:

  • Murdoch: Author of a text focusing on how to perceive the world visually, whose discussions on themes are important.

  • Mirzov: Discusses the idea of the selfie, connecting it to historical self-portraiture in the arts.

  • Valerie Hagarty: Explores manifest destiny and entropy, notably through her reimagining of Albert Bierstadt's painting "Bridal Veil Falls in Yosemite Valley."

  • Albert Bierstadt: His painting "Bridal Veil Falls in Yosemite Valley" is part of the case study exploring Valerie Hagarty's work.

  • Ronald Reagan: An example of a president performing the presidential role, using props like a white cowboy hat to signify good versus evil.

  • LBJ (Lyndon B. Johnson) / Nixon: Presidents who did not use the cowboy hat effectively in their public image.

  • Gerald Ford: Described as awkward with using the cowboy hat.

  • Jimmy Carter: Associated with his public persona in a cowboy hat.

  • Barack Obama: Used the black cowboy hat as representing authority and control.

  • Donald Trump: Known for his red baseball cap as a contemporary cultural signifier and for incorporating his preference for fast food into his public persona.

  • Joe Biden: Mentioned in relation to his struggles with hat-wearing image.

  • Elizabeth Vigee Le Brun: An example of female artists and their portrayal of femininity in painting.

  • Daguerre: Associated with the Daguerreotype process, a major historical development in photography.

  • Bayard: Created a self-portrait as a drowned man to critique his lack of recognition compared to Daguerre.

  • Henri Toulouse Lautrec: A differently-abled artist operating on the margins of societal norms, referenced in the context of postmodernism and identity construction.

  • Cindy Sherman: Her film stills are analyzed for their commentary on the male gaze, and she is noted as a contemporary artist reflecting the complexities of identity politics.

  • Marcel Duchamp: A key figure studied for the impact of the performance of identity in art.

  • Nan Goldin: Known for her depiction of marginalized communities and as a contemporary artist reflecting identity politics.


The 'most important words' can be subjective and depend on the specific topic you're interested in within the notes. However, some of the overarching and key concepts discussed throughout the notes include:

  • Visual Analysis: The core skill students are practicing, translating visual experiences into text.

  • Self-Portraiture/Selfie: Explored through Mirzov's discussion, connecting historical art with contemporary self-representation.

  • Identity: A central theme, discussed in relation to self-portrayal, postmodernism, and artistic representations.

  • Cultural Mythology: Examined in art and politics, particularly concerning the American presidential image and Manifest Destiny.

  • Manifest Destiny and Entropy: Key themes in Valerie Hagarty's work.

  • Postmodernism: Its significance in understanding how identity is constructed and performed in visual culture.

  • Perception (The Science of Seeing): How the eye processes visual information, including saccades.

Could you specify if you are looking for important words related to a particular assignment, artist, or concept discussed in the notes?

Based on the provided notes, here are important words and their meanings that are crucial for understanding the course material:

  • Visual Analysis: The core skill taught in the course, which involves translating visual experiences of artworks or images into descriptive text. This skill is practiced to enable students to effectively communicate how others might perceive visual works.

  • Murdoch: An author whose text is a key reading for the course, focusing on theories and methods of perceiving the world visually.

  • Mirzov: A figure who discusses the concept of the selfie, drawing connections between contemporary self-representation and historical self-portraiture in art.

  • Self-Portraiture/Selfie: Refers to the artistic practice of depicting oneself. Mirzov's discussion links historical self-portraits to modern selfies as reflections of identity and subjectivity.

  • Valerie Hagarty: An artist whose work explores themes of manifest destiny and entropy, exemplified by her reinterpretation of Albert Bierstadt's "Bridal Veil Falls in Yosemite Valley."

  • Manifest Destiny and Entropy: Themes explored in Valerie Hagarty's art, relating to American expansionism and the natural degradation or disorder of systems.

  • Cultural Mythology: The concept of shared beliefs, values, and ideas that shape a culture, often examined in the context of political figures (like US presidents) and their public image (e.g., rugged individualism).

  • Postmodernism: A movement in art and theory that questions universal truths and emphasizes that identity is constructed and performed within visual culture.

  • Daguerreotype: A significant early photographic process, known for its unique and detailed images, but also its limitations.

  • Bayard's Self-Portrait as a Drowned Man: A famous early photographic self-portrait by Hippolyte Bayard, created as a critique of his lack of recognition in comparison to Louis Daguerre.

  • Cindy Sherman: A contemporary artist known for her "film stills" which critique the male gaze and the construction of identity in visual representation.

  • Saccades: The rapid, ballistic movements of the eyes when shifting gaze from one point to another, crucial