Approaches to Understanding Visual Culture

This text provides an accessible critical introduction to a variety of different analytic strategies for understanding the range of objects (paintings sculpture adverts furniture textiles photography fashion etc.) that make up visual culture. Beginning with a discussion of what understanding can be taken to mean in relation to visual culture it devotes separate chapters to different approaches to its study using carefully chosen examples to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of these. The major figures associated with particular analytic strategies (Hebdige Panofsky Barthes Wolff etc.) are critically discussed throughout. Alternative more advanced readings are also explored and crucial questions posed such as ''Are we always or ever in control of our understanding?''