Quotes and timestamps that lead me to the main idea
“The invention of the camera has changed not only what we see, but how we see it” [3:10] Camera’s take pictures that can be reproduced so that everyone can see it instead of needing to be in one place [3:33] The camera made paintings reproducible and even though people say it’s for expanding culture. Because it also tied back to profit and money people who buy these copies might not buy it for its “unique original meaning” [11:18]
“Reproduction of works of art can be used by anyone for their own purposes” [21:10]”because they were really looking and really relating to what they saw to their own experience” [27:42]
“You receive images and meanings which are arranged” [29:12]
What I got from this video in the [20:00~30:00 section] is that art is viewed and explained through many different types of people with different experiences [example with the children] which is why reproduced paintings can be changed in many ways when it comes to the meaning. How the camera chooses certain details in a specific order can tell a story. The camera chooses how you see detail and if it’s zoomed out then you wouldn’t see much detail compared to if you were there in person. He also gives the example of how you can crop an image and change its meaning which causes the intention of the painting to fade. If you see a painting through a camera it’s hard to catch the details unless the painting is zoomed in or the camera pans.
The main idea is that in order to fully experience a painting, you need to be there. The camera changes how you see paintings because you can miss some details or only focus on certain details which changes the entire meaning of the image. If you see other information in text, images or a video before seeing an image it could tell a different story than what is intended to tell. But if you’re there in person to see a painting it would be different because all you’re seeing is the image itself and it’s up to your interpretation without other people manipulating the meaning.
