2. What is Visual Culture?
 Visual Culture is the study of a culture that relies
on images. Includes all images that are seen,
made to be seen, and the way it is understood.
 It is a communication through images and
pictures, rather than words.
 “This is visual culture. It is not just a part of your
everyday life, it IS your everyday life.”
 Nicholas Mirzoeff

3.  Visual culture is concerned with the
production, circulation, and consumption of
images and the changing nature of
observation.
In other words, what
we see everyday,
where is comes
from, and where it
goes
Bob and Roberta Smith
“Hijack Reality” 2008

4. Why Study Visual
Culture?
Our daily
experiences are
now more visual
than ever. In the
age of the visual
screen, your
viewpoint is
crucial. For most
people, life is told
through
television, film,
and the Internet.

5. How images change…
Images change based on their context
…For example, Barbara Kruger’s I Shop Therefore I am contrast in
meaning based on the way its message is presented.

6. Constructing the Image
 Images are meant to
be seen in a certain
way. This makes the
image unnatural.
 As a viewer of visual
culture, we must see
images as a place
where meanings can
be created and
challenged.
“24” 2008

7. Consumerism in Visual
 American culture revolves around BUYING
Culture
things and CONSUMING them
 Just think about it…Ads are EVERYWHERE!
http://www
.youtube.c
om/watch
?
v=9Gorqro
igqM

8. How to “Read” an
Advertisement

14. Effect of Consumerism
 Sweat shops
 Natural resources
and earth destroyed
 http://www.youtube
.com/watch?
v=SCGEvOmKo98

15. Anti Consumer Ads

16. Find Visual Culture
 Look through a magazine and find a piece of
visual culture that shows consumerism.
 Use scissors, glue, and markers creatively to
SPEAK OUT against consumerism!
 Examples:
 instead of playing games…play outside!
 Saving the environment from harmful waste
 Eating healthy and being HAPPY!