Amanda Thomas

Art 133 (PM)

Professor Ward
9 September 2015
Unit Paper 2
More Than Meets the Eye
In Interpreting Visual Culture, the author discusses that two significant practices while
identifying an image or a piece of art are connotation and denotations (Barrett, 2003, Page 6).
Throughout the article, Barrett mentions different forms of art and the different ways that people
interpret or lack an interpretation for the art forms. The author discusses that it is important to
teach children to further examine and look into the different meanings, connotations, and
denotations of an image because there could be a larger message that the artist wants people to
see. For example, the children pick apart the Rolling Stones cover, in order to further understand
more about the images and context on the cover.
It is important for people to further look into a picture or painting and pieces of art
because and artist most likely has a deeper meaning than what people first assume when looking
at the image for the first time. It is important because people can learn more about certain
subjects and objects by further looking at the contextual clues that are given, like the ladys eyes
looking over our head (pg. 9) on the cover of Rolling Stone. If people further examine images,
art structures, or different texts, incorrect assumptions will less likely be made. This could create
a world with more acceptance to diversity and different ideas and cultures. I will definitely be a
teacher and parent who helps teach their children and their students that there is more to and
object or person than what meets the eye.

Barrett, T. (2003). Interpreting Visual Culture. Art Education, No2 (56), 6-12.