Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2013/08/14

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Subject: [Leica] BLUR - My last words.
From: lew1716 at gmail.com (Lew Schwartz)
Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2013 12:11:10 -0400
References: <8D0670311CBCAD4-BE0-27045@Webmail-m112.sysops.aol.com> <CCE1C7BF-BEBE-4FED-AE94-5051F5E055FC@mac.com>

I don't think it's a folk tale, although I don't have the source at hand.
There are social satirical cartoons that appeared in the French press which
poke fun at the fact that it took the public some time to "get"  the images
they saw in early Daguerreotypes, (ie that they were representations of
stuff out here in the world was not immediately obvious until they were
taught how to decode by a peer). Interesting because they were already
visually literate enough to appreciate images reproduced in the press.
Additionally, you yourself were likely taught this skill. Kids need to have
the correspondences between a 2d image and reality pointed out to them
repeatedly before they "get" it as well. It's a fascinating process to
watch and/or participate in. Grab a grandchild and try it out.

Two additional notable things about this learning process: It works best
when pictures of the parents are used first and, once mastered, the
learning process itself is entirely internalized. No one remembers that it
is an acquired skill and not something that seems entirely self evident.

-Lew Schwartz


On Wed, Aug 14, 2013 at 10:34 AM, George Lottermoser <imagist3 at 
mac.com>wrote:

> I'd love to see an actual source for this oft repeated folk tale.
> I read a good deal of Mead in college; and don't recall coming across this
> "report."
> Nor can I find any documentation of it; except as repeated in photo
> discussions.
>
> I question its veracity due to ancient cave art; as well as the level of
> abstraction, coupled with a sophisticated sense of proportion, found in
> aboriginal artifacts all around the world.
>
> Can anyone help with citing a Mead source for this legend?
>
> a note off the iPad, George
>
> On Aug 14, 2013, at 7:43 AM, lrzeitlin at aol.com wrote:
>
> > When Margaret Mead showed Tahitian natives black and white photographs
> of themselves and their village, they rotated the photos this way and that,
> shook their heads, and handed them back. "Nice designs", they said, "but
> what are they?" Mead then realized that photographs were such abstractions
> that only long experience enables their interpretation.
>
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>


Replies: Reply from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] BLUR - My last words.)
In reply to: Message from lrzeitlin at aol.com (lrzeitlin at aol.com) ([Leica] BLUR - My last words.)
Message from imagist3 at mac.com (George Lottermoser) ([Leica] BLUR - My last words.)