The Object Stares Back: On the Nature of SeeingAt first it appears that nothing could be easier than seeing. We just focus our eyes and take in whatever is before us. This ability seems detached, efficient and rational - as if the eyes were competent machines telling us everything about the world without distorting it in any way. But those ideas are just illusions, James Elkins argues, and he suggests that seeing is undependable, inconsistent and cauthg up in the threads of the unconscious. Blindness is not the opposite of vision, but its constant companion, and even the foundation of seeing itself. Using drawings, paintings, diagrams and photographs to illustrate his points, Elkins raises intriguing questions and offers astonishing perceptions about the nature of vision. |
Contents
INTRODUCTION | 11 |
One JUST LOOKING | 17 |
Two THE OBJECT STARES BACK | 46 |
Three LOOKING AWAY AND SEEING | 86 |
Four SEEING BODIES | 125 |
Five WHAT IS A FACE? | 160 |
Six BLINDNESS | 201 |
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achromatopsia analogies animals art historian artists aware beautiful become begin bird blind spot blue peacock body color crepuscular rays dark death drawing entirely eunuch everything example experience expression eyes eyespots face feel field of vision figure Franz von Lenbach front gaze glance Hallucigenia happens hard head human idea imagine ink brush insects inside interesting invisible Jacques Lacan Jan Six Jonny kind landscape lantern fly Leo Steinberg light metaphors microscope mind Mona Lisa moths motion mouth move naked never normally nose notice object pain painting peacock perhaps person photograph picture pomegranate pornography possible problem proprioception radar remember Roger Caillois scene seems seen sensation sense sexual shape sight skin someone sometimes strange sun dogs tell things thought tree turn understand viewers visible visual walk wall watch whole woman words