The Power of the Gaze in Modern Art

THE POWER OF THE GAZE IN MODERN ART NAME INSTRUCTOR COURSE DATE The Power of the Gaze in Modern Art Modern art has put much emphasis on the gaze. Now, more than ever, the focal point of art images lies in the gaze. Kripts argues that the gaze can disempower or empower a subject depending on the message that one wants to send. The focus on the eyes lies in the fact that they have the power to desire, intimidate, and observe and it is continuously used to serve a purpose. Some variables are considered when manifesting the power of the gaze. It is important to consider whether one is the object or the subject of the gaze. The gaze can be considered either active or passive and depending on the context; it can help to draw different emotions. In this essay, I am going to look at the power of the gaze in modern art.[Krips, H. (2010). The politics of the gaze: Foucault, Lacan and Žižek. Culture Unbound: Journal of Current Cultural Research, 2(1), 91-102.] Meaning of Gaze In film theory, gaze has been used to refer to the way that people look at an image. It also refers to the way people look at their objects or subjects in any given text. The concept of gaze determines how the audience views the characters and people that are presented before them. The rise in postmodern social theory and philosophy saw a rise in the concept of the gaze. There are several forms of gaze. The first is the spectator’s gaze which refers to the gaze of the people viewing an image. The second is the intra-diegetic gaze which refers to the gaze of one person that has been depicted at another person. The third type of gaze is the direct gaze which is the gaze of a person that has been depicted in a text. These people are normally the subject. The final gaze refers to the “look at the camera” which is the way the camera itself looks at the people. Gazes can be taken at different angles. The most common angles are the oblique and the front angles. In the oblique angle, the subject is normally parallel to you while in the front angle, the subject is in front of you. When high angles are used, it is meant to make the subject look smaller than they are, but it makes them look less powerful or superior. Some people argue that high angles show that the person has more power over the person that has been depicted. Low angle shows that the person depicted has more power over the viewers and the person producing the image. The look on the camera is what makes the gaze, and it is the filmmaker or the photographer that is responsible for it. Gaze helps to have some form of relationship with the text. The shot that has been taken will determine the kind of relationship that is built. The kind of shot taken gives a different meaning to a gaze. Therefore, a gaze must establish a relationship between the viewer and the subject.[Kleminski, A. (2006). CSI: The new face of the male gaze. Global Media Journal, 5(9), 1-14.] A gaze can have power, especially when the object looks at us straight in the eyes. It is the one that catches the most attention and creates an atmosphere of seriousness. We also have social gazing and intimate gazing. Social gazing helps to create a calmer environment and gives an invitation to the other party. Some gazes appear to invite intimac...