Gender, ideology and display

Abstract

A visual argument is put forward by means of the association of motifs related to the image of the Fool and its metaphorical meanings, like many mirrors reflecting into one another. This method of shaping [an] argument by intuitively associating visual images, rather than commencing with theoretical debate, aids in confronting the power of images over scholars of visual culture. The analytical strategy to hunt down, tease out and uncover underlying meanings in visual material is modelled upon the example of the wilful and mischievous strategies favoured in the humorously subversive visual examples selected. This is a deliberately picaresque hermeneutic act, because it transgressively aims at exposing various ideological prejudices. This process acknowledges that art historians do not only bring modes of interpretation to works of art, but that objects of art suggest rhetorical possibilities for their interpretation; that images have power over scholars selecting and analysing them. These strategies of Ideology sensitive art and analysis alert to the fact that the act of looking at cultural images is an act of witnessing. It is not a passive reception but an act of bearing witness through sight.

'n Visuele argument word gevoer deur middel van die assosiasie van motiewe wat verband hou met die beeld van die Dwaas en die metaforiese betekenisse daarvan - soos baie spieels wat in mekaar reflekteer. Hierdie metode om 'n argument op te bou deur die intuitiewe assosiasie van visuele voorstellings eerder as om weg te spring met teoretiese debatvoering, dra daartoe by om die mag van voorstellings oor navorsers van visuele materiaal, te konfronteer. Die analitiese strategie om onderliggende betekenisse op speelse wyse in visuele materiaal na te speur, uit te lig en te onthul boots die opsetlike en ondeunde strategiee wat in die geselekteerde visuele materiaal gebruik word, na. Dit is 'n doelbewuste pikareske hermeneutiese handeling, omdat dit ten doel het om verskeie ideologiese vooroordele aan die kaak te stel. Deur hierdie proses word erken dat kunshistorici nie net interpretasiemetodes na visuele voorstellings bring nie, maar dat voorstellings retoriese interpretasiemoontlikhede suggereer; dat voorstellings mag het oor die navorsers wat dit selekteer en ondersoek. Hierdie strategiee van ideologie-sensitiewe kuns en ontleding rig die aandag daarop dat om te kyk na kulturele voorstellings 'n daad van getuienis is. Dit is nie passiewe resepsie nie, maar 'n handeling van visuele getuienislewering.