Seeing Depicted Space (or Not)

Carl Mikael PETTERSSON

Research output: Book Chapters | Papers in Conference Proceedings › Book Chapter

Abstract

What is it to see something in a picture? Most accounts of pictorial experience—or, to use Richard Wollheim's term, ‘seeing-in’—seek, in various ways, to explain it in terms of how pictures somehow display the looks of things. However, some ‘things’ that we apparently see in pictures do not display any ‘look’. In particular, most pictures depict empty space, but empty space does not seem to display any ‘look’—at least not in the way material objects do. How do we see it in pictures, if we do? This chapter offers an account of pictorial perception of empty space by elaborating on Wollheim's claim that ‘seeing-in’ is permeable to thought. It ends by pointing to the aesthetic relevance of seeing—or not seeing—empty space in pictures.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationEvaluative perception
EditorsAnna BERGQVIST, Robert COWAN
Place of PublicationUnited Kingdom
PublisherOxford University Press
Chapter6
Pages129-142
Number of pages14
ISBN (Electronic)9780198786054
ISBN (Print)9780198786054
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 31 May 2018

Fingerprint

Richard Wollheim
Aesthetics
Material Objects

Keywords

  • Aesthetic experience
  • Cognitive permeation
  • Empty space
  • Pictorial experience
  • Seeing-in

Cite this

PETTERSSON, C. M. (2018). Seeing Depicted Space (or Not). In A. BERGQVIST, & R. COWAN (Eds.), Evaluative perception (pp. 129-142). United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198786054.003.0007
PETTERSSON, Carl Mikael. / Seeing Depicted Space (or Not). Evaluative perception. editor / Anna BERGQVIST ; Robert COWAN. United Kingdom : Oxford University Press, 2018. pp. 129-142
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PETTERSSON, CM 2018, Seeing Depicted Space (or Not). in A BERGQVIST & R COWAN (eds), Evaluative perception. Oxford University Press, United Kingdom, pp. 129-142. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198786054.003.0007

Seeing Depicted Space (or Not). / PETTERSSON, Carl Mikael.

Evaluative perception. ed. / Anna BERGQVIST; Robert COWAN. United Kingdom : Oxford University Press, 2018. p. 129-142.

Research output: Book Chapters | Papers in Conference Proceedings › Book Chapter

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PETTERSSON CM. Seeing Depicted Space (or Not). In BERGQVIST A, COWAN R, editors, Evaluative perception. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. 2018. p. 129-142 https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198786054.003.0007

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