16
Mediating Visual Experience: Zbigniew Libera’s Photographic Works and Google Street View Imagery łukasz zaremba The word “view” is used in a variety of ways: in specialist jargons, as well as common language. It functions as a synonym for landscape painting or photography, as well as for landscape perceived without the mediation of the picture (looking through a window, we take in the view). It’s a genre and a type of composition, but above all to view constitutes a visual experience and an element of perception. On the most basic level–that of popular art historical lexicons–the term usually operates as a neutral explenans. The fact that the genre of landscape is defined either as a view or a representation of a view calls our attention to the unclear positioning of this term. Is it a part of the world as it is seen or a result of the human act of creation? The view is certainly connected to images, representations, and pictures but also to imagination, appearance, apparition, and looks. And with the look, it is connected to vision, the gaze, eyes, and the notion of visibility. But the view is not fully identical with any of those. It is related to aesthetics but also to topography, to representation and perception. 1 In my essay, I will focus on three points, each one establishing a different situation of looking. Their interlacing in this text aims to show different aspects of visual experience. The first is Zbigniew Libera’s photographic series La Vue (20042006). The second is Google Street View imagery, one of the tools of Google Earth and Google Maps. The third is late nineteenthand early twentiethcentury French writer Raymond Roussel’s technique of building description. Roussel’s technique becomes an object of analysis because it inspired Libera’s two photographic projects and thus contextualizes the artist’s work. Roussel’s technique also establishes a discursive analogon for Google Maps imagery. In all three examples, I will investigate how each constructs its own vantage points and examine how those vantage points interfere with the point of view of an empirical spectator. In the end, however, my goal is to show that a stable division between an image’s vantage point and a spectator’s perspective is impossible to maintain. Flat Pictures and Nonhuman Perception: Zbigniew Libera’s La Vue “What do you see?” This is the question we ask when encounter Zbigniew Libera’s (b. 1959) photographic series La Vue (20042006; in French, “the view,” come from the title of a 1904 poem by Raymond Roussel (18771933)) [Fig.1, Fig. 2]. These photographs fail to show what they promise: views, or views of landscapes. This promise is not only given in the title, but also in the image. It is expressed in its appearance and activated in the work of recognition and identification.

Mediating Visual Experience

Embed Size (px)

DESCRIPTION

Mediating visual experience

Citation preview

  • MediatingVisualExperience:ZbigniewLiberasPhotographicWorksandGoogleStreetViewImagery

    ukaszzaremba

    Thewordviewisusedinavarietyofways:inspecialistjargons,aswellascommonlanguage.Itfunctionsasasynonymforlandscapepaintingorphotography,aswellasforlandscapeperceivedwithoutthemediationofthepicture(lookingthroughawindow,wetakeintheview).Itsagenreandatypeofcomposition,butabovealltoviewconstitutesavisualexperienceandanelementofperception.Onthemostbasiclevelthatofpopulararthistoricallexiconsthetermusuallyoperatesasaneutralexplenans.Thefactthatthegenreoflandscapeisdefinedeitherasavieworarepresentationofaviewcallsourattentiontotheunclearpositioningofthisterm.Isitapartoftheworldasitisseenoraresultofthehumanactofcreation?Theviewiscertainlyconnectedtoimages,representations,andpicturesbutalsotoimagination,appearance,apparition,andlooks.Andwiththelook,itisconnectedtovision,thegaze,eyes,andthenotionofvisibility.Buttheviewisnotfullyidenticalwithanyofthose.Itisrelatedtoaestheticsbutalsototopography,torepresentationandperception.1

    Inmyessay,Iwillfocusonthreepoints,eachoneestablishingadifferentsituationoflooking.Theirinterlacinginthistextaimstoshowdifferentaspectsofvisualexperience.ThefirstisZbigniewLiberasphotographicseriesLaVue(20042006).ThesecondisGoogleStreetViewimagery,oneofthetoolsofGoogleEarthandGoogleMaps.ThethirdislatenineteenthandearlytwentiethcenturyFrenchwriterRaymondRousselstechniqueofbuildingdescription.RousselstechniquebecomesanobjectofanalysisbecauseitinspiredLiberastwophotographicprojectsandthuscontextualizestheartistswork.RousselstechniquealsoestablishesadiscursiveanalogonforGoogleMapsimagery.Inallthreeexamples,Iwillinvestigatehoweachconstructsitsownvantagepointsandexaminehowthosevantagepointsinterferewiththepointofviewofanempiricalspectator.Intheend,however,mygoalistoshowthatastabledivisionbetweenanimagesvantagepointandaspectatorsperspectiveisimpossibletomaintain.

    FlatPicturesandNonhumanPerception:ZbigniewLiberasLaVue

    Whatdoyousee?ThisisthequestionweaskwhenencounterZbigniewLiberas(b.1959)photographicseriesLaVue(20042006;inFrench,theview,comefromthetitleofa1904poembyRaymondRoussel(18771933))[Fig.1,Fig.2].Thesephotographsfailtoshowwhattheypromise:views,orviewsoflandscapes.Thispromiseisnotonlygiveninthetitle,butalsointheimage.Itisexpressedinitsappearanceandactivatedintheworkofrecognitionandidentification.

  • Figure1.ZbigniewLibera(b.1959),LaVueseries,20042006,photograph,courtesyofRasterGallery,Warsaw.

  • Figure2.ZbigniewLibera(b.1959),LaVueseries,20042006,photograph,courtesyofRasterGallery,Warsaw.

    WhatweseeinLaVuearephotographicprints,colorfulandsometimesoutoffocus.Weimmediatelystartsearchingforfamiliarshapesandmotifsandbegintoassociatethecolorswithfamiliarlandscapes.Perhapsitisnoteventhatwesearchforfamiliarity,forwithoutthoughtwearealreadyconvincedofwhatwerelookingat:abeach,thesky,adesert.But,insteadofabeach,askyandadesert,wearereallylookingatcloseupsofprintedmagazines,photographed,ormisphotographed,byusingasmallpicturecamerawithamacrolens.Oneofthepicturesshowsaclearhorizonlinedividinglandfromthesky,bothwreathedintonesofyellowandred.Supposedlyweseeadesert.Thebrightcircleoflightcouldbethesuncaughtinthatmomentwhenstillglaring,butnotquiteenoughtolightthepatchoflandbeneaththatalreadystartsdisappearincrimsonreddarkness.Beneaththehorizonline,thebrightnessisalreadysuccumbingtodarkness.Somefragmentsarestillclearandsharp,makingpartsofthelandlooklikeasanddune.Andonlyafterwards,ifatall,wenoticethestrangelightbluemistatthebottomofthepicture.Andthenwestarttorealizethephotosgrainyqualityandhowtheshadowsadoptoddlyirregularforms.Werealizesomethingiswrong.Weunderstandthatoureyeshavedeceivedus,thatoursenseofvisualconfidencewasanillusion.Wewerefoolednotonlybywhatwesaw,butalsobythetitle,andfinallybythemediumofphotographyitself.Welookedthroughthephotograph,andnotatit.

    Liberaphotographspaintedsurfacestocreateviewsthatdonotexistoutsideofhispictures,butappearreal.TheartistsgesturemaybeunderstoodinaBaudrillardianmode:anillustrationordiagnosisoftheinfamousdesertoftherealitself.2InBaudrillardsapocalypticandiconoclasticvision,signsarethesourceofothersignsandinaPlatonicprecession,theydriveusawayfromreality.Realitydoesnotexist

  • anymore,signsfunctioningasitsonlysubstitute.InthisperspectivewecouldreadLaVueasthedismissalofanyconnectionsimageshavewithreality,asthedeathofrealityinthefaceofimagesthatproduceotherimages.

    TheartistgivesanotherhintabouttheseriesinhisenigmaticandadmirationalstatementsaboutRaymondRousselsabsolutelyartificialwritingmethod.Rousselslifeandworkinspiredmanyartisticandliterarygroups,including:surrealists,dadaists,OuLiPo,nouveauroman,AmericanpoetssuchasJohnAshbery,aswellastheoristsincludingMichelFoucault.Rousseldescribedhistextualprocedureinhisposthumouslyissuedtext,HowIWroteCertainofMyBooks.3Theaimofhismethod,basedontheambiguityandsimilarityofwords,wastocreateliteraturethathasnothingtodowithreality.4Thebookexemplifieshisprocedurewithatextthatbeginsandendswiththesamesentence.Becauseonlyoneletterisdifferentineither,wederiveanentirelydifferentmeaningfromtheirrespectiveplaceinthetext.5Themostbasicruleoftheprocedurewastodetermineentirelyarbitrarycorrespondencesbyfollowing,forexample,thecompositionofFrenchheroicmeter,findingwordsthatsoundedsimilar,orusinghomonymy.Theprocedurewouldrequiretheauthortoendlesslycomplicatehistaskbyintroducingendlessparenthesesintothetext.Rousselalsostartedandendedhistextswiththesamesentence,whichhadadifferentmeaningineachusage.Theprocedureconstantlytestedtheauthorsabilitytomaneuverbetweenthearbitraryrulesandhistalenttocreateliteraryimages.

    FoucaultwrotethatRoussel,theauthorofLocusSolus,doesntwanttoduplicatetherealityofanotherworld,but,inthespontaneousdualityoflanguage,hewantstodiscoveranunexpectedspace,andtocoveritwiththingsneversaidbefore.6AsAllainRobbeGrilletsaid,RaymondRousseldescribes,andthereisnothingbeyondthatdescription;nothingthatwecouldtraditionallycallthemessageRousselseemstohavenothingtosay.7Subordinatedtotextualadventuresandarbitraryrulesofcreation,literatureisflat.Readerswillnotfindpsychologicaldepth,movement,temporalduration,action,orgeometricaldepth.Thereisnoillusionofvolume,noristhereanykindofrealityeffect.

    Inhiswritingprocedure,Rousselthusstrovetocreateanautonomousworld,aswellasanautonomousmodeofperception.Inthestaticviewswithinhistexts,nonhumanvision,atermusedbyPierreJanet,afamouspsychiatristandRousselspersonaldoctor,doesntsimulaterealperception,orevenanykindofvisualrepresentation.8InRousselsliteraturethereisnoperspectivalmodelandnomovementoftheeyesonthehorizontalaxis.Viewschangelikemoviestillswithoutfluency;objectscastnoshadowandtheeyeimpliedinRousselsliteratureiscapableofseeingaminiaturepictureofasizeoffewmillimetersrenderingabeachcontoursandlandscapesareabsolutelyclear.Ontheothersideofabaythereisacarriding,thereisamaninthiscar,thismanhasgotacane,andonthehandguardofthiscanethereisasmallpicture,renderingandsoon.9

    Still,hisliteratureisnotmeaningless.Neitherisitautomatic,nordeprivedofsense.Itsautomaticityandextremeboredomresultfromademandingformalprocedure.Therefore,IarguethatAndreBrtonmissedthepointwhendescribingRousselstechnique:Whenextremearbitrarinesswasimposedonaliterarysubject,theaimwastohideit,todisperseitinnumerousfragments.10Rousseldidnthideanything;everythinginhisworkwasflatandonthesurface.Theworld,thestory,thediegesisofhisautonomousliteraturecannotbedismissedasunimportantbecausetogethertheyformanintegralpartandaresultofhistextualprocedures.

  • RousselsprocedureinspiredLiberanotonlyinLaVue,butalsoaseriesoftemplephotographsfromthesameperiod[Fig.3,Fig.4].11Liberasphotographscapturefamoustemples,amongthemforexampleSantaMariadelFiorewithBrunelleschisiconicdome.Insteadofphotographingthebuildingsthemselves,hetookpicturesoftheirrenderingsfromaphotographicalbum.ThisprocedurebringstomindWalterBenjaminscanonicalessayTheWorkofArtintheAgeofItsTechnologicalReproducibility,atextpublishedayearbeforeRousselssuicide,notonlybecauseLiberaconductsquintessentiallymodernexperimentswithphotography,butalsobecauseofhischoiceofphotographedsubject.12Infact,itisatemple,whichBenjaminpointstoasthetypicalexampleofaworkofart,whoseconditionischangedbytheuseofphotography.AccordingtoBenjaminsvision,theworkofart(acathedral)cannowbeseeninawayinaccessibletothehumaneye,duetothedifferentpointsofviewandcloseupsenabledbyphotography.Benjaminwrites:Thecathedralleavesitssitetobereceivedinthestudioofanartlover.13Itcanalsoappearinsituationsthetempleitselfcannotaccess.

    Figure3.ZbigniewLibera(b.1959),Untitled,2006,photograph,courtesyofRasterGallery,Warsaw.

  • Figure4.ZbigniewLibera(b.1959),Untitled,2006,photograph,courtesyofRasterGallery,Warsaw.

    Liberasworkexploresthelimitsofmechanicalreproduction,swappingthephotographforthecathedralastheprimarypointofreference.Liberatakeshisphotographsfromastrange,unconventionalangleinordertoexposetheflatnessofthefirst,originalphotographicwork.Inthiscontext,hisworkscanbeunderstoodascommentariesonphotographyitself.InthespiritofRousselsprocedure,heexplorestherealmofrepresentation,therelationbetweenrepresentationsandtheirrepresentations(andnotbetweentheworldanditsrepresentation),seekingtodisplayandmakeuseoftheinternalrelationsofthisworld.JustlikeinRousselspoems,Liberacreatesamechanicalperception.Byshiftingthepointofviewofthecamera,hecreatesatechnicalgaze,visibleinandasthisshift.Whatthisphotorepresentsisnotthetemple,butagazegeneratedbetweenthefirstandthesecondphoto.

  • MechanicalProcedureandItsRelationtoReality:GoogleMaps

    Sofar,mycommentsonRousselsliteraryprojectandLiberasphotographicrealizationsconfirmaninterpretationabouttheworksasdisconnectedfromreality,affirmingformality,mechanicality,andunreality,aninterpretationthatfitsintoBaudrillardsmodel.Baudrillardmournsthedeathoftherealcausedbytheabundanceofrepresentations.RousselandmaybeLiberaaswell,seemtoaffirmthisattitude.14

    Googlesenterprisefitswellintothenarrativeschemeofrepresentationunderstoodasreduplication,misrepresentation,andasrepresentationthatbreaksoffitsconnectionwithreality.ThetotalityofGooglesenterpriseevenseemstoembodytheopeningimageformBaudrillardsessayThePrecessionofSimulacra,whichborrowsanimagefromthewritingsofBorges.There,thecartographersmadprojectisamapthatcoverstheentireterritoryoftheEmpire.15Initsmissionstatement,Googleenterprisestressesthecompanysambitiontoorganizeinformation,bothintextbasedprojects(forexampleGooglesmainbrowser,orGoogleBooks)asinvisualrepresentationsoftheworld(GoogleImages,orGoogleArtProject).GoogleaccomplishesbeforeoureyescertaingreatfantasiesofWesternculture.Itisagiantarchive,expandinginproportiontothecollateralexpansionofdata.16Itisanenormouslibraryaccumulatingasizableamountofthepastandalmostthewholeofthepresent(thoughitstillhassomeproblemswiththefuture).ThankstothecombinedtoolsofGoogleEarth,GoogleMapsandGoogleStreetView,Googleisbothagiantmapandpanoramaatonce.Itnotonlymakesdifferentpointsofviewsaccessibletoasingleviewer,butalsocreatesnewrenderingsoftraditionalgenresandwaysofrepresentingspace.MadeapparentinBorgesmadproject,oneoftheambitionsofWesternculture,tograspanimageoftheworldthatwouldbeatoncecompleteandrealistic(thankstophotographysrealityeffect),canfinallybeperformedbyGoogleapplications.17Andeventhoughthesetoolsarepoliticalandimperialintheirgesturesandstrategiesofrepresenting,theycanalsobeusedtacticallyandreadsubversively.18

    ThevisualanddigitalrepresentationsofGooglemapping,especiallyitsStreetView,generatespecificwaysofshowingspecificpointsofview.TheworldofGoogleapplicationsisgeneratedbyaprocedure,anautomaticandalgorithmicrenderingprocess.GoogleStreetViewcars,roamingcitystreets,takephotoseverytentotwentymeters.Theseimagesarethendigitallysuturedtogetherandrenderedascontinuous.ButasinthecaseofRousselspoems,anautomaticandmechanicalproceduredoesntruleoutthecreationofacomplexinternalworldwithpeculiarrelationsandcontent.Flatdoesntmeanempty.

    BeforecommentingontheprocessoflookinginscribedinGoogleStreetView,towhichIwillreturninmoredepthlater,IshouldemphasizethatinterpretingGoogleMapsasacurtainthatwecouldmistakeforreality,seemsnotonlyiconoclastic,butwouldalsoinscribeourpresentwithinateleologicalmodelwherewearegraduallydisconnectedfromreality.Accordingtothismodel,everynewvisualtechniqueortoolseemstoworknotasadifferentkindofmediation,butasastronger,higherandlargerwallalienatingusfromanutopian,pureexperienceandclearperception.Thisprocessofalienationissupposedtobeincreasinglydeceptive,asitneedstoconvinceusofitsrealness.Undoubtedlyourwaysofseeingarechanging,butcanwereallyobserveaprocessoflosingcontactwithreality?Anddothosechangesreallymarkadeparturefromreality?Suchastancewouldrequirethinkingaboutvisionassomethingnatural,immediateanddirect.Baudrillardsunderstandingofrepresentationsilentlyimpliesthesamenostalgiaforanunmediatedexperience.

  • Ifweleavebehindthismodelthatconceivesrepresentationasarelationbetweenimage(sign)andtheworld,wecanrethinkthecategoryoftheviewandtherelationbetweenrepresentationandexperience.Myaimhereisnottosuggestanoppositionalmodel,inwhichrepresentationisunderstoodasasimplerelationbetweentheimageandtheobserver,whogainstotalagencyandinterpretativepower.Instead,turningtowardtheprocessoflookinghelpsmoveourinterpretationfromelucidatinganimageasrealityssupplementtoconsideringitanimportantelementintheprocessesoflooking.Inthisinterpretation,animagewouldbepresentinourlook,activelyformingitevenwhenoureyesarenotlookingatapicture.Itcouldalsonotbemaintainedwithinaclosedframe,butwouldactivelypermeateintoourlook(forexampleasanafterimage).Suchexpansionalsohelpstoavoidartificiallyjuxtaposingthesupposedlyclear,transparentandpassiveeyewiththeclosed,framedobjectpicture.Instead,itshouldemphasizetheirmutualcodependence.

    ConfrontingYourOwnGaze:BacktoZbigniewLibera

    Ithinkthatitistherightmomenttofinally,inthecontextofreceptionorperception,maybealittleagainstLiberasintentions,todumptheanalogybetweenpictorialandtextualimages.Letsdaretoreconsiderthelongdisputeovertherelationbetweenpoetryandpainting.Iassumethatspatialityisntalientoliterature,butisactuallyinevitableandunavoidable;itisalsoconstitutiveforthepracticeandexperienceofreading,fortheexistenceofliterature,itisnotmeremetaphor.19WhatLiberasphotographsshow,andwhattheyplaywith,isthenonmetaphoricalaspectofvisioninapicture,onethatwouldbeimpossibletocreateinatext.20

    LetsaskabouttherelationbetweenLiberaspicturesandthevisionofaspectator.IvestatedthatinthetempleseriesLiberacreatesamechanicalgazebetweentwophotographs:thephotographedphotographandhisownartworkphotograph.Thisdoesntmeanthatheenforcesthispointofviewonthespectatorofhiswork.Rather,whenthespectatorstrugglestoreconcilehervisionwithnonhumanvision,shehastoacknowledgetheexistenceofanother,incompatiblewayofseeingbesidesherownvision.Theseries,drawingonthetacticsofanamorphosis,destabilizesthepositionoftheviewerinamannerthatgeneratesuncertaintyandfluctuation.21

    IwouldliketorecallanearlierphotoseriesbyLibera,thisonenotinspiredbyRoussel.Positives(20022003)exploresnotonlythemediumofphotography,butalsothemediaofmemoryandvision.InPositives,Liberarecreatesandenlargesscenesfromphotographsofdramatichistoricalevents,picturesthatoccupythememoryofhisgeneration.Accordingtothetitleoftheseries,Liberainvertsthemoodandsenseofthesephotos,byshowingscenesofhappinessandcooperation.ForexampleLiberasphotographResidentsrecallsa1945photograph[Fig.5].WhiletheoriginalphotographdocumentsemaciatedAuschwitzprisonersonthedayofliberation,Liberashowsagroupofpeoplesmilingserenelyforthephotograph.Theirposes,clothesandfiguresarealmostidenticaltothoseofcampprisonersfromthewellknownoriginal.Thefirstthingthatappearsbeforeoureyesisthisoriginalphotograph,whichfunctionslikeavisualclich.Afteramomentoflooking,thespectatorgraspsthedifference.

  • Figure5.ZbigniewLibera(b.1959),Residents(fromthePositivesseries),2003,photograph,courtesyofRasterGallery,Warsaw.

    Positivesexploitsthequalitiesofviewing[Fig.6].Liberamightenlargephotographs(theyaremuchbiggerthantheoriginalpictures),butthisdoesnthelpustoseethemanybetter.Rather,Positivescritiquesrepresentationbyflatteningthephenomenatheyoughttorepresent;itcritiquesthepublicspassiveacclimationtocertainimages,forgettingwhattheyshowandwhattheyrefer;theycritiquepassivityanddistancegeneratedbycertainusesofphotography;itcritiquesourwaysoflooking.Buttoachievethesecriticalgoals,Positivesneedstouseandrevealitsspectatorsvision.Whatisrepresentedhereand,inotherwaysalsoinLaVueandthetempleseries,isvisionitself.Thespectatorseyeisessentialforthispiecetostartworking.Inawaythesepicturesareemptyuntiltheyaregazedupon,becausevisionistheirmatterandcontent.WhatLiberasviewsshowisthatitisnotpossibletoseparatevisionfromrepresentationortherepresentationalaspectsofthevisionfromthepictureorworldbeinglookedat.Moreover,theyshowthatitsonlytheoreticallypossibletodifferentiatetheviewimpliedinthepictureandtheviewoftheempiricalspectator.AlthoughLiberausesrepresentations,inLaVue,representationsofrepresentations,hisworksexposetheprocessoflookingasalwaysopaque,distortedandunclear.

  • Figure6.ZbigniewLibera(b.1959),Nepal(fromthePositivesseries),2003,photograph,courtesyofRasterGallery,Warsaw.

    Liberaspicturesservehereasmetapictures,picturesaboutpictures,astheyexposewhatisessentialtoeveryvisualexperience.Theyshowvisionasrecreatingandrecreated,visionnegotiatingwithpointsofview,andwaysofviewingpreparedforit.Theviewbecomestheresultofthesenegotiations.

    TheSelectiveEye:GoogleStreetView

    Iwouldliketocomparetwopictures.Thefirstisaclassicalpostcardlandscape[Fig.7];thesecondisaresultofthemechanicalprocedureofphotographingbyGoogleStreetView[Fig.8].Thefirstoneiscarefullycomposed,andinawayitresemblesaviewfromaboveitisexternal,closed,framedwhilethesecondonefromStreetViewmightseemlikethepostcard,butonlyatfirstsight.

  • Figure7.PhotobyClarissaPeterson,CCBYNCSA2.0(source:flickr).

    Figure8.GoogleStreetViewscreencapture.TakenApril16,2013.

    Bothpicturesarentinterestedinpeople(considerGooglesstrategyofdefacingpeopleappearingontheirphotographs).Whereasthepostcardistheresultofchoosingarepresentativeview,theStreetViewphotographhasnoambitionofbecomingtherightandproperpicture.Neitheriscomposedclearlyenough.GoogleStreetViewisnotfocusedonthequalityofthepictures,butratherontheexperienceofvision,ofviewingspace.Andthisexperienceisunderstoodanddisplayedasactive,continuous,fluid.Orratheritappearsso.AsGooglestillcannotfulfillitsfantasyofshowingeverythinginrealtimelikeagreatlivesurveillancevideosystem,itusesmontagetoconstructanillusionofmovement.The

  • incorporealeyeofGoogleStreetViewcanembracealargeangleofvision(360horizontallyand270vertically).Itscrucialfeatureistheabilitytomovebetweenthesinglesuturedpictures,aswellasblowupchosenelementsofthephotographs.Thesystem,however,haslimits.Afteracoupleofclicks,weencountertheborderofvisibilityandarethrownback.Thiscontrastswiththeunlimitedmovementforward.Onscreenthismoveisnotshownasswitchingfromonepicturetoanother.Thereisnotblackedoutscreenandnovisualizationofuploadingthenextphoto.Thephotosaresewntogether,andtheseamsarepreciselytheplaceswherenonhumanvisionisvisible.ToillustratethewayGoogleStreetViewfunctions,IturntoapassagebyLevManovichfromhiswritingonnewmediaaesthetics:

    The1990scompositingsupportedadifferentaestheticscharacterizedbysmoothnessandcontinuity.Theelementswerenowblendedtogether,andtheboundarieswereerased,ratherthanemphasized.Thisaestheticsofcontinuitycanbebestobservedintelevisionspotsandspecialeffectssequencesoffeaturefilmswhichactuallyputtogetherthroughdigitalcompositing(i.e.,compositinginthenarrow,technicalsense).

    Wecouldalsowonder,whatarethesourcesofthiskindofvisionofvision.22

    TheaestheticsofcontinuityiswhatbestcharacterizestherelationbetweensuccessivephotographsinGoogleStreetView.Introducingmovementtotheview,theyconstituteacontinuum.23

    TheRenaissanceoftheExhausted,ImperialLandscape

    PhotographicprojectsbyartistslikeMichaelWolforJohnRaffman,whichcutoutsinglepicturesfromtheoverwhelmingpanoramicimageofGoogleStreetView,demonstratehowoureyesperceiveandrecognizeviews,formsofpresentationandgenres,whicharealreadyknown.Raffmanchoosesphotographsthatshowhowthemethodofphotographing,artlessandindifferent,doesnotremoveourtendencytoseeintentionandpurposeinimages[http://9eyes.com/].24Viewersidentifythestyles,situations,stories,andmotifsinGoogleStreetView,treatingthemasintentionallycreated.

    ButperhapsthemostfruitfulandmostobviousanalogyherewouldbetheonecomparingGoogleStreetViewimagestoclassicallandscapepainting.Themythabouttheoriginsoflandscapepaintingisastoryofemancipationfromothergenres.25Inthismyththeestablishmentoflandscapepaintingasanindependentgenre(itsemancipationfromfunctioningonlyasthebackgroundforasceneorportrait)isaresultofmanyfactorsandprocesses.Oneofthemisthedevelopmentofanewunderstandingofnature.Theotheristhedisengagementofthespectatorfromtheworld,aswellassuchpracticalissuesastheusefulnessofthisgenreintheevolutionoftechnicalartisticskills.26

    Butthereisalsoanotherstoryabouttheoriginsoflandscapepainting,astoryofexclusion.FromtheexampleofGiorgionesTheTempest,wecanseehowagenrecanalsobedefinednegatively,throughthatwhichcannotbesaidaboutit.Giorgionespaintingdidnotalloweasyiconographicalinterpretation,andsoitwaspronouncedthefirstlandscapepaintingoftheItalianrenaissance.27Thegenreisonedisconnectedfromastory,certainevents,orpeople.Thegenreestablishesanideologicallyconstructedview,grantingthevieweraspecificposition.

  • LetmequoteafewoftheeightThesesonLandscapefromW.J.T.MitchellsessayImperialLandscape:

    1.Landscapeisnotagenreofartbutamedium.

    2.Landscapeisamediumofexchangebetweenselfandtheother.

    8.LandscapeasaparticularhistoricalformationassociatedwithEuropeanimperialismisanexhaustedmedium,nolongerviableasamodeofartisticexpression.Likelife,landscapeisboring;wemustnotsayso.28

    Althoughtherelationbetweentheviewandthelandscapeisuncertain(stemmingfromthesamefamilyofconcepts,theyarenotidentical,interchangeableorsymmetrical),manyofMitchellsthesescanbeappliedtothecategoryoftheview.Iwouldespeciallyliketoconcentrateonthemediatorystatusoftheview.Suchanunderstandingoftheviewallowsustoreflectuponitsposition,place,andlocationinaprocessoflooking.AsIhavetriedtoshowinmyanalysisofLiberaswork,theviewislocatedinvisionitself,inpracticesoflooking.Themediatingpositionofaviewwouldmeanthattheviewfunctionsasanextensionofoureyes,andatthesametimeasthatwhichisinbetweentheretinaofaneyeandthesurfaceofwhatisseen.

    ByconceivingGoogleStreetViewasanenormouslandscape,Idonotaimtoplacethisformofimaginginahistoricalcontext.Mygoalisnottocomparetheexperienceoftheviewerconstructedbythesoftwareandbytraditionallandscapepainting.WhatIwanttostress,however,istheideological,imperial,andlessvisiblestrategiesofGoogleStreetView.ThesearevisibleinGooglesslogan,toorganizetheworldsinformationandmakeituniversallyaccessible,whichassumesnotonlyasimpleappropriationoftheworld,apictorialcolonization,butalsoitsstandardizationandsubordinationto(postEnlightenment)systemsofvalue.Theseprocessesare,moreover,achievedthroughvisualmeasures.

    Mitchellmightberight,then,whenhewritesthatlandscapeisanexhaustedmediuminWesternart.Althoughofcoursetheendoflandscapeismythical.IntoolssuchasGoogleStreetView,however,landscapereinventsitselfasacommonandpopulartool,extremelypowerfulinitsubiquity.Itseemsmuchmorepowerfulthananolder,modernformoflandscape:postcards.AsoureyesandourfingersgetaccustomedtoformsofGoogleStreetView,andthroughitsformstospecificviewsoftheworld,thereembodimentofthelandscapenaturalizesitselfinourcontemporarymediascape.

    Mitchellconcludeshistheseswithakeysentence:Likelife,landscapeisboring;wemustnotsayso.IfImnotmistaken,heispointingtoJohnBerrymanspoemDreamSong14,asongofboredom,perfectlyrenderingtheexhaustionofWesternsociety.

    IconcludenowIhaveno

    innerresources,becauseIamheavybored.

  • Peoplesboreme,

    literatureboresme,especially

    greatliterature,

    Henryboresme,withhisplights&gripes

    asbadasAchilles,

    wholovespeopleandvaliantart,whichboresme.

    Hisisalsoasongaboutlandscape:

    Life,friends,isboring.Wemustnotsayso.

    Afterall,theskyflashes,thegreatseayearns,weourselvesflashandyearn.

    Whatisleftforusiseitherthepositionexemplifiedbythesubjectsoptimistic,naivemother(Evertoconfessyourebored/meansyouhaveno/InnerResources.)orthepassiveandhelplesssubject(andsomehowadog/hastakenitself&itstailconsiderablyaway/intothemountainsorseaorsky,leaving/behind:me,wag.).Arethereanyotherpositionsavailableinfrontofanexhaustedmedium?29

    1. SeeamongsomanyotherW.J.T.Mitchell,ed.,LandscapeandPower(Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress,2002,secondedition)andDenisE.Cosgrove,SocialFormationandSymbolicLandscape(Madison:UniversityofWisconsinPress,1998).Althoughbothauthorsfavorthecategoryoflandscape,theyshowitsclosedependenceonaviewaswellasthepracticeoflooking,andsituateboththeseconceptswithinabroadertopographicalrelationwithplaceandspace.

    2. JeanBaudrillard,SimulacraandSimulation,trans.SheilaFairaGlaser(Michigan:UniversityofMichiganPress,1994),2.

    3. RaymondRoussel,HowIWroteCertainofMyBooks,trans.TrevorWinkfield(NewYork:SUN,1977).

    4. CitedinBohdanBanasiak,RaymondRoussel,Soceekstazyinocmelancholii(Lodz:Thesaurus2007).MuchofmyknowledgeaboutRaymondRousselsliterarypracticeisdrawnfromBodganBanasiaksexcellentbookonRoussel.

    5. Withinhisdaytodaylife,Rousseldidntwanttointerferewithrealityinanyway.Forexample,heorderedaspecialmodelofatruckcamperintheRollsRoycefactoryarouletteautomobile,thatallowedhimtotravelwithoutmovingfromhishome.

    6. MichelFoucault,DeathandtheLabyrinth:TheWorldofRaymondRoussel,trans.CharlesRaus(London:Continuu,,1986),18.

  • 7. AlainRobbeGrillet,ZagadkiiprzezroczustouRaymondaRoussela,trans.(Polish)EwaWieleyska,Literaturanawiecie910(2007).

    8. SeeJ.Garrab,Martial,ouPierreJanetetRaymondRoussel,AnnalesMedicoPsychologiques,166(2008).

    9. Here,IgiveashortsummaryofRousselsliteraturebyBogdonBanasiak,Soceekstazy.10. AndreBreton,RaymondRoussel(18771933),trans.(Polish)EwaWieleyska,Literatura

    nawiecie910(2007).11. TheserieswasshowednexttoLaVueinasmallexhibitioninParistitlesNouvellesImpressions

    dAfrique(NewImpressionsofAfrica),atitledonceagainderivedfromRousselsliterature.NouvellesImpressionsdAfrique,GallerieAnnedeVillepoix,Paris,November2006.

    12. WalterBenjamin,TheWorkofArtintheAgeofItsTechnicalReproducibility,inTheWorkofArtintheAgeofItsTechnicalReproducibilityandOtherWritingsonMedia,ed.MichaelW.Jenning,BrigidDoherty,ThomasY.Levin(Cambridge,MA:BelknapPressofHarvardUniversityPress,2008).

    13. Benjamin,TheWorkofArt,22.14. UnlesswereadRousselinthespiritofPauldeMan,whoemphasizestheradical

    incommensurabilityofliteratureandreality,butdoesntassumetheannihilatingpowerofrepresentations.

    15. JeanBaudrillard,ProcessionofSimulacras,SimulacraandSimulation,3.16. AGooglesearchdoesnotsearchtheinternet,ofcourse,butinsteaditsearchesitsowncatalog

    oftheinternet.17. W.J.T.Mitchellnotesthatanothergreathistoricalfantasyisnolongeramerefantasy,but

    alreadyareality,namelythecloneunderstoodasalivingpicture.SeeCloningTerror:TheWarofImages,9/11tothePresent(Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress,2011).

    18. ThequestionsofpoliticalandideologicalimplicationsofGoogleareextremelyimportantanddiscussedinabundance.SeeStevenLevy,InthePlex:HowGoogleThinks,Works,andShapesOurLives(NewYork:Simon&Schuster,2011).

    19. W.J.T.Mitchell,SpatialForminLiterature:TowardaGeneralTheory,CriticalInquiry6,no.3(1980),541.

    20. Ofcourseitisimpossible,unlessoneforexampleusescoloredfonts,asRousselwanted.21. Anamorphosisforcestheviewertochangehis/herpointofviewtoseeproperlyandtosee

    everything.Butchangingthepointofviewmeansloosingpartofthepicturefromonessight.Thefigureofanamorphosismarkstheimpossibilityofthestabilizationofvisionandcompletenessoftheseenobject,andthatisoneofthereasonswhyitbecamepopularinthedomainofpsychoanalysis,startingwithJacquesLacansanalysisofTheAmbassadorsbyHansHolbein.SeeJacquesLacan,TheFourFundamentalConceptsofPsychoanalysis,ed.JacquesAlainMiller,trans.AlanSheridan(NewYork:W.W.Norton&Co.,1998).

    22. LevManovich,LanguageofNewMedia(Cambridge,MA:MITPress,2002),142.23. Itisworthmentioningthatthereisnothingtechnologicallynecessaryinthiswayofshowinga

    shiftfromonepicturetoanother.GoogleStreetViewanditsconstructionoftheviewisafantasyaboutseeing,afantasyasfantasticassciencefiction,whichmaybeoneofthesourcesofthiskindofvision.

    24. JohnRafman,9EyeofGoogleStreetView,www.9eyes.com,accessedSeptember30,2012.25. CharlesHarrison,TheEffectsofLandscape,LandscapeandPower,213214.26. SeeMartinWarnke,PoliticalLandscape(Cambridge,MA:HarvardUniversityPress,1994).27. SeeDanLattieri,LandscapeandLyricisminGiorgionesTemptesta,ArtibusetHistoriae30

    (1994).28. Mitchell,LandscapeandPower,5.

  • 29. TheauthoristhebeneficiaryofaStartGrantfromtheFoundationforPolishScience.