Perception & Depiction

PHI272

Department of Philosophy, Lingnan University

Spring 2009

Mikael Pettersson

Office: AR 125 (Office Hours: Thursdays 11:30–13:30)

Phone: 5195 6722

E-mail: mikaelpettersson@ln.edu.hk

Brief Course Description

The course offers an exploration of philosophical accounts of the nature of pictures and depiction, with a special emphasis on how the latter relates to our perceptual capacities.

Aims

To acquaint students with an important area of philosophy, as well as to give them understanding of important aspects of vision and visual representations (especially paintings and photography).

Learning Outcomes

This course is designed to enhance basic reasoning, appreciative, and expressive skills, as well as to promote an enhanced understanding of a number of philosophical issues raised by depiction, perception and their relations. Completion of the course should grant students:

Basic knowledge of issues and arguments in the philosophy of perception and depiction. This knowledge enables students to:

1. Understand the nature and function of visual representation.

2. Assess claims made about the nature and function of depiction.

3. Understand what role perception serves in our interpretative engagement with pictures.

Ability to engage in further, independent learning and reflection. This ability enables students to:

1. Appreciate problems and arguments related to depiction.

2. Grasp new connections between perception and depiction.

3. Bring some of this knowledge to bear in the appreciation of visual representations, artistic and other.

Indicative Content

Topics that will be discussed include: Precisely what role does perception play in our understanding of pictures? Does perception pose constraints on what counts as a realistic pictorial style? (And if so, how?) Is photography a particularly realistic medium because it somehow "reproduces" vision? (And if so, how?)

Teaching Method

Lectures and tutorials.

Measurement of Learning Outcomes

Students' engagement with the examples, lectures, and readings, and corresponding progress towards the learning outcomes outlined above, will be measured by means of examinations comprising both short-answer and more substantive, reflective essay questions. Assessment of the students will focus on their active engagement with the philosophical readings and issues, and on their ability to develop articulate critical responses.

Assessment

20% Participation

40% Mid-term exam

40% Final exam

Required Readings

Currie, Gregory, "Photography, Painting and Perception," Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 49:1 (1991), 23-9.

Danto, Arthur, "Animals as Art Historians," in Beyond the Brillo Box, Berkley: University of California Press, 1992.

Goodman, Nelson, Languages of Art, 2nd ed., Indianapolis: Hackett, 1976. (Excerpt)

Hopkins, Robert, "Explaining Depiction," Philosophical Review, 104 (1995), 425-455.

Lopes, Dominic, Understanding Pictures. Oxford: Clarendon, 1996. (Excerpt)

–, Sight and Sensibility, Oxford: Clarendon, 2005. (Excerpt)

Snyder, Joel and Neil Walsh Allen, "Photography, Vision and Representation," Critical Inquiry, 2, (1975), 143-69.

Walton, Kendall, "Transparent Pictures: On the Nature of Photographic Realism," Critical Inquiry, 11, (1984), 246-77.

–, "Pictures and Hobby Horses," in Marvelous Images, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.

Wollheim, Richard, "Seeing-as, Seeing-in, and Pictorial Representation," in Art and Its Objects, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1980.

Further Reading:

Carroll, Noël, "Modernity and the Plasticity of Perception," Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 59 (2001), 11-17.

Danto, Arthur, "Seeing and Showing," Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 59 (2001), 1-9.

Friday, Jonathan, "Transparency and the Photographic Image," British Journal of Aesthetics, 36 (1996), 30-42.

Hopkins, "What Makes Representational Painting Truly Visual?" Aristotelian Society Supplementary Volume, 77 (2003), 149 - 167.

Lopes, Dominic, Understanding Pictures. Oxford: Clarendon, 1996. (Chapter 3)

Martin, Edwin, "On Seeing Walton's Great-Grandfather," Critical Inquiry, 12 (1986), 796-800.

Maund, Barry, Perception. Chesam: Acumen, 2003.

Peacocke, Christopher, "Depiction," Philosophical Review, 96 (1987), 383-410.

Walton, Kendall, "Looking Again through Photographs: A Response to Edwin Martin," Critical Inquiry, 12 (1986), 801-808.

–, Mimesis as Make-Believe: On the Foundations of the Representational Arts, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1990. (Chapter 8)

–, "On Pictures and Photographs: Objections Answered," in R. Allen & M. Smith (eds.), Film Theory and Philosophy, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997.

–, "Depiction, Perception and Imagination: Responses to Richard Wollheim," Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 60 (2002), 27-35.

Wartofsky, "Rules and Representation: The Virtues of Constancy and Fidelity put in Perspective," Erkentniss, 12 (1978), 17-36.

Wartofsky, Marx, "Art History and Perception," in J. Fischer (ed.), Perceiving Artworks, Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1980.

Wollheim, Richard, "On Pictorial Representation," Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 56 (1998), 217-226.

Lectures & Seminars

Date	Lecture/Seminar
	Part I. Perception & Approaches to Depiction
20.1	Introduction.
22.1	"Non-perceptual" Approaches to Depiction: Semiotics, Goodman.
3.2	Seminar, Reading: Excerpt from Goodman's Languages of Art.
5.2	Pictures, Perception and Make-Believe.
10.2	Seminar, Reading: Walton, "Pictures and Hobby Horses."
12.2	Seeing, Seeing-that, Seeing-as, Seeing-in.
17.2	Seminar, Reading: Wollheim, "Seeing-as, Seeing-in, and Pictorial Representation."
19.2	The Shapes of Things: Hopkins on Depiction
24.2	Seminar, Reading: Hopkins, "Explaining Depiction." (Excerpt.)
26.2	Looking at Pictures: What Do You See? And How Does It Look?
3.3	Seminar, Reading: Excerpt from Lopes, Sight and Sensibility.
5.3	Summary
10.3	Concluding Discussion
12.3	Mid-term Exam. Venue: MBG01, Main Building; Time: 9:30 -11:30 am
	Part II. Perception, Styles of Depiction & Realism
17.3	Goodman, Good Likenesses, and the Given.
19.3	Seminar, Reading: Excerpt from Goodman, Languages of Art.
24.3	Styles of Depiction & Recognition.
26.3	Seminar, Reading: Excerpts from Lopes, Understanding Pictures & Lopes, Sight and Sensibility.
31.3	Against Relativism & Plasticity: Hyman, Carroll & Danto.
2.4	Seminar, Reading: Danto, "Animals as Art Historians."
	Part III. A Special Case? Photography & Perception
7.4	Photographic Realism I: The "Camera Eye."
9.4	Seminar, Reading: Snyder and Allen, "Photography, Vision & Representation."
14.4	Photographic Realism II: Transparent Pictures?
16.4	Seminar, Reading: Walton, "Transparent Pictures: On the Nature of Photographic Realism."
21.4	Troubles with Transparency.
23.4	Seminar, Reading: Currie, "Photography, Painting & Perception."
28.4	Summary
30.4	Final Exam Venue: MBG01, Main Building; Time: 9:30 -11:30 am

For Questions to the Texts/Topics for Discussion, Click Here

Links

"Representation," EoAE

"Nelson Goodman's Aesthetics," SEP

"Depiction," REP

"Photography, aesthetics of," REP

"Perception," REP

"The Problem of Perception," SEP