Question 1

How many named layers of light-sensitive cells are found in the human retina?

Accepted Answer

A)   10
B)   70
C)   100
D)   7000 A

Question 2

Describe the central ideas of the male gaze as it is understood in current theory. Then elaborate on two of the points that Elkins puts forward in an attempt to broaden our understanding and usage of the term "gaze."

Accepted Answer

The central idea of the male gaze, as understood in current theory, is the concept that visual media and art are often created from a heterosexual male perspective, resulting in the objectification and sexualization of women. This perspective shapes the way women are portrayed in art, film, and other visual media, often reducing them to passive objects of male desire.

James Elkins, in his attempt to broaden our understanding and usage of the term "gaze," puts forward two important points. First, he argues that the male gaze is not limited to the perspective of heterosexual men, but can also be present in the work of female artists and in depictions of men. This challenges the traditional understanding of the male gaze as solely a product of male creators and consumers.

Secondly, Elkins suggests that the concept of the gaze extends beyond gender and sexuality, and can encompass a wide range of power dynamics and social hierarchies. This means that the gaze can be influenced by factors such as race, class, and ability, and can manifest in various forms of visual representation beyond just the sexual objectification of women.

By expanding the understanding of the gaze to include these broader perspectives, Elkins encourages a more nuanced and inclusive analysis of visual media and art, moving beyond a narrow focus on gender and sexuality. This allows for a more comprehensive examination of the ways in which power and privilege shape the creation and reception of visual imagery.

Question 3

Discuss how language can both aid and impede our ability to see. How does this relate to memory?

Accepted Answer

Language can both aid and impede our ability to see in a variety of ways. On one hand, language can aid our ability to see by providing us with the vocabulary and descriptive tools to articulate and communicate our perceptions. For example, when we have a rich and nuanced vocabulary, we are better able to express the subtleties of what we see, allowing others to understand and share in our experiences. Additionally, language can help us make sense of what we see by providing a framework for organizing and categorizing our perceptions.

On the other hand, language can also impede our ability to see by limiting our perceptions to the words and concepts available to us. This can lead to a narrow and constrained understanding of the world around us, as we may struggle to articulate or comprehend experiences that fall outside of our linguistic framework. Furthermore, language can also introduce biases and assumptions that shape how we see the world, potentially leading to misunderstandings and misinterpretations.

This relationship between language and perception is closely tied to memory. Our ability to see and understand the world is heavily influenced by our past experiences and the memories we have formed. Language plays a crucial role in shaping and preserving these memories, as it provides the means for us to encode, store, and retrieve information about our experiences. However, language can also distort and manipulate our memories, as the act of verbalizing and recounting our experiences can alter our recollections over time.

In summary, language can both aid and impede our ability to see by shaping our perceptions and understanding of the world. This relationship is closely tied to memory, as language influences how we encode, store, and retrieve our experiences. It is important to be mindful of the ways in which language can impact our perceptions and memories, and to strive for a more nuanced and expansive linguistic framework that allows for a broader and more accurate understanding of the world around us.

Question 4

Jean-Francois Lyotard believed that all language was both discursive and _____________.

Accepted Answer

A)   literal
B)   allegorical
C)   metaphorical
D)   figural

Question 5

List five visual metaphors that are commonly used in our language.

Accepted Answer

The answer of List five visual metaphors that are commonly...

Question 6

The term ____________ was coined in the 19th century, but only gained wide usage after World War II

Accepted Answer

A)   visuality
B)   visibility
C)   visage
D)   visioptics

Question 7

Philosopher _________________'s concept of human existence and the distinction between subject and object, was a crucial ingredient in the concept of the gaze.

Accepted Answer

A)   Jacques Lacan
B)   Fred Wilson
C)   Martin Heidegger
D)   Laura Mulvey

Question 8

The principle conceptualization of seeing and being seen, and visual identity in the fine arts is ______________.

Accepted Answer

A)   visuality
B)   the gaze
C)   chiaroscuro
D)   visibility

Question 9

Briefly describe Wittgenstein's idea of seeing-as.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Briefly describe Wittgenstein's idea of seeing-as....

Question 10

Information that our eyes take in from the outside world makes up ________ of what is eventually processed into images in our brains.

Accepted Answer

A)   20%
B)   33%
C)   50%
D)   80%

Question 11

The region at the center of the eye that seems to see things the sharpest, and where we focus our attention is known as _______

Accepted Answer

The answer of The region at the center of the...

Question 12

_______ is a way of understanding the world as it contends that our identities are largely constituted by systems of images that we experience.

Accepted Answer

The answer of _______ is a way of understanding the...

Question 13

How does Margaret Olin qualify and explain the gaze in relation to art theory?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How does Margaret Olin qualify and explain...

Question 14

Jean-Paul Sartre first formulated the theory of le regard in his 1943 titled _______.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Jean-Paul Sartre first formulated the theory of...

Question 15

A thing that is seen, and especially a thing whose appearance is what matters can best be defined as ___________

Accepted Answer

A)   a concept
B)   an image
C)   a fovea
D)   a meta-subject

Question 16

Briefly summarize Elkins' views on the relationship between the science of vision, and art history.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Briefly summarize Elkins' views on the relationship...

Question 17

Knowledge has been understood as a "kind of seeing and viewing" since at least the time of:

Accepted Answer

A)   Mesopotamia
B)   ancient Greece
C)   the Mayans
D)   the Victorian era

Question 18

Scopophilia can be defined as:

Accepted Answer

A)   a love of seeing and being seen
B)   an obsession with pictures
C)   a fear of horrific imagery
D)   a fetish for social media

Question 19

How does language distract our eyes from seeing?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How does language distract our eyes from...

Question 20

In what ways were Ludwig Wittgenstein and Martin Heidegger in agreement regarding vision and viewing? How did their points differ?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In what ways were Ludwig Wittgenstein and...

Exam 1: Concepts and Theories of the Visual