Remuneine Visvar AuriRoporocs
gas, Marans Const iraare meee Yale 09
The visual in anthropology
David MacDougall
“The visual as metaphor
Anthropology ba had no lck of intrest nthe visa problem hs
tle ex what todo with This problem i stoic ated
Another enhropolopial problem what odo wit the person ~the so
tent hinking Being wha bang ow clare but, en the anopols
[as pln ef ew ean fen erate ony avery ama part af, As
ttbropology developed rm an armchair dscipine toa dy of act
founmunies, seed somehow strange tht the person, the object of
the antropologis’ attention, should renal lapelytnvsible tothe
tnheopolgisl audience An eal remedy, ewe fnow, wat To beng
trot people to mise, leturer and wich popular venus 4s wo
ir and colonial exposons. Ina sense tht gave lo ofaclentc
respectability to he elting practice of dlpaying indigenous people
‘arses a chess and ether enteranmene (Corbey 1993; Das
1993; Finley 1991; Pojnant 1992; Stet 1972. Iehiy hela of he
Mose of
Ansopology e Krocber's informant and kind of Weng exhib Fane
Boas helped organize the Anthropological Hall at the Weald
Colombian Expostion of 1893 in Chicago, where fourteen Kwok
‘were ieplae! (inter 191: 348-30). Senegalese sam in the foun
tains of Pare dating the Exposition Eshmogriphique de Afeque
(Occidentale of 1895 (Demeny 1996).
"This provided vedi, bu the anthropoogie could’ Sinly puta
\Wolof pater Trobrind gardener into mn etheloyeal manograph. A
beter alternative to importing people was ro pu photographs of then
in the monograph and show Bl of thom at lctre, as Sir Walter
Baldwin Spencer id with hie lms af the Arande at Melbourne Town
Hall in 1902." What I would ke to sbow weal be the rea native’ he
‘wrist i send Lovie Fon (Call and Carl 1982! 37), but
by this tne he meant only uncensored photographs of naked mes and
‘women. nay casera antopolops had caconeed carl, the body
276. imeqetion, rove rom tus surroundings wx often sigulaly
Rechts
uncommosiaive about clare. The anbropologiel ‘bd info
{hele much mote, extendingovtwads from the peso to ocd
the soil group, the ply stg, the fils and pst, the
eins, fortens nf she eck. Phot ne
itt heed lis ap anda some ofthe pressure of the living
Sovwhpecld ny beamed oso the ldwor ste
Moyen, the bsenecl the yerson=regtheed he imporcance of
the vou, whieh thrcugh photoes, fms me mscum atl
Heparin eon tha her ween
‘Ering sur vou images They appeneed to show everthing ad
Societe phycal body remind somone The vse ord
alte the bur you removed get atthe conceptual nd verbal wel
sie bt laning done so yo col ia good eonscnce hw i
Fay. Wal objects, hing excel rest fit a the prod
Id fndors of colar but ating os exposes ft bepan o ace
shew tance (ors) metaphors for wbropology, And
into the vil foe2
z
i
3
i
3
Mimemel Ares at
Jee
Vitvian photographs of hung expeditions often dipped get
andantcope in deve aps ec eben the psig of
th marco eel newt in
Spine and ince pats of posse end nee space This
‘fee onepumentl tnt une he bons ofthe dead stock
the plate of Nespolian catacomb At the Pt Ries Bluscum in
Onitrd some cbs were onnsed sll by chap, athough Hee 9
fimeoval or loony rstonship wa sometimes suggested. The
teshee meri of indian aac a hl edece a ingen
td workmanship becune ps of lrger acted pital dein,
‘The elo ine Mande dene and the Amerins Museu of
Natural History commonkcted tlgous aura of sence celebrating,
nein, mul speci aes ence cleat he nil wort
Freeh vil stood infor an sbsent many, arch areca
278 sod forthe of God
Fora general pblicimbued wih eas of sca Darwinism the visual
appeac caf katie peoples wa the mor abvious way of pling them
Terese beeen clea man and animal Pictores became sbst
Ate for more sbsiact or exoerckoowledge, which any ese was
begining to contdict evoltionary tery Crimi Inguanss, for
(empl vere now recogized as high complen), Features such as
Satedncss snd the use of animal products (feather, ain, hai and
ones, communicated by meane of photographs and wl areas in
aoa aeand megane stations, became sync indcatrs of how
‘ose people were wo nate
“These indiestors were turned back upon anthroplony in books Tor
example, 1 Ree Elggtds Kine Son's Mines 18851 ane esky
fa popular cle cesta te own itera and theatrical savages.
Tbe fit decade of the went century the sereograp and pctre
estand fas weve reaching ther peak, The Keystone Sereosopie
Encropedisof 1906,» puke ist boxed eo view, comtis
13 sefeences to acl geography, peoples of allan’ By 1907 the
12 Ah company wns capt of producing 15,000 sero view cad
pes day (Desh 1977 30-5) Ip 1903-10 86 milion picture postcard
Bere pote in Great Bain alae (Peterson 158: 166). prominent
Wescdgeme was photography indgenous people innate des (er
Pesised)muny yuck a hore produced by) Andean the French
CASE Eortowing ee the photographie systens of TH. Hey Jobo
Tampey and other siete «sl conscioul “anopomec’ sty
Te dames of tascam, usualy showing animals bt sometimes
‘Reloing inodele o priniive’, tated the framing of phocoraphs
Sad pte othe trmpe el of ereoscopi ews.
toe tomsRethinking Vil Ant oly
desta deep sh cl cnet eva
ther pracy asa way of oxgniing socey by pes Like the collecting
‘falta botanical amples potogapy provided anew way of
‘eetng human models, past which further examples could be cox
puted and clasiied (Edwards 19927). Por administrative purposes
‘at offen more important to iden somone sa member of «grou?
than te sow much about the group sll. Vial cls, os Bete
(1912:573-7 nats, help people deny member of ober groups, bt
(a leat inthe Indian cootet) people ‘ate mote koowedgesbe bout
those superior o themselves in satus and power than shout those inf
or (p57) Inthe later eas, vile signs may be more important in
‘efning people a relation to desl than in relation teach ater: The
‘ible emphasises what ones na. For the ealonisers a well afr the
onied a eancep of purty and impurity was an uadeying ricile
of socil segmentation, Manipulating human estegois reinforced the
le ro deco wl at eo pov pd
"he passion for andropomety and photographic cataloguing of etic
tel occupttna pes ~ encourage accrcing to Pinney (1990: 261)
by India’s extraordinary hetrogenety~ was nevertheless no moze than
subset ofthe larger anthroplogcal and imperal project of ping the
ye 2 an eg i 5 en hel
Fe Ho eee Bh 10s ape
‘whole word Sec forms of niasuremeat may have paid meagre returns
[rem of acta! knowlege bit they ha the seisying lok of know
{ge Popular eakure minked this knowledge pictrepesteards fom
fru the world bore such captions as "Type indipine, “Gueser
Toncay’and Atypical wel proportioned Za worms
‘Natal sien, which used xtrtons extensively in comping its
tazonmiee prove an early impets fr athropcony to study the
‘ol pers of eultre,Antiopology was inspired by zalogy, botany
Thi pelogy to deserve the word inal and there was a correspond!
Ing cnphsi apa these aspects of clare tha oul be dawn or po
tegrapbed: Tener, as well considered ic ipeambent upon them 10
(toa ethnographic information, Ninccenth-century bnographies
ial books of exploration ae Sled with ine drawings of implements
ody decorations, comme, every and architectural eas
eshte eos
se | en oni
| Searle
Phosogiaphs were a prominent feature of ethnographic unt the
193s bu become prgsesely eacer inter works, Hatersiey’s The
Boginda of Home (1508), for exnmpe,conaine city photographs
Jmotts Be feof e South Afi Tribe (1912) contains 112 ist
Yan est of them boson, Rata’sAsbat (1923) cota 1B,
Bar by 196, an ethnography such s Spencer's The Sambar cootsines
ul Beal hs Te Manse’ of Metearo of 1988 none mall Some of
the pone reasons for this decine have Been summarised by Pinney
(ipo: aic2), bur the deline ef has pethaps mased the fact that
Aol anchropoogy asa anhropoloy ofthe visual ~ peated cal
lan TlomghertageIfvslaneopoogy Inter becee es focuses
‘Oh content thea on method (nogaphic filmmaking and phorors
hy) a Morphy and Banks not in ths volume chapter 1) perhaps
Fly bec sch interests were S000 hived off into statis of prim
Tear eeeaogy and florRethinking Vinal An olay
20
But there were eer ras oo. Grimshaw (chapter, this volt
snes that the end ofthe nineteenth centr ured of nh
‘des towards the visual in which the asuned cdberence and super
ityofBaropean dustin’ usin ofthe world wa al share by
the Fist World We. While hs shift may have changed the rate of he
visa ancropology, tid not immediately dni The panopic
‘view of humanity was prada eeplaced by x notion that the He of ay
people could be expressive of te through imapes, a inthe ety fins
Lari and af the 188 CamiyidgeAntropoogcl Expedition to
‘he Torres Sit These ins emphasising ‘showing ovr‘
(Grimshaw pA, Thus a is tine serge apparently sl con
sted aa way of knowing. thd boon eae he en. A
demonstration of fiesmaking (ouch as that ln the Cambridge Torre
Simi footage) could sta template forthe proces along oie
reprodoced, her like flowing an isteuctian marl. Visi record
ing saved the exet in some read sense view that we sil Beng
ely Mae Med 174 ve wt fb ca
tnd preserved by for centre Inepretation could be provided
Tne he eri hing was tosaleag the dts =
Visible caltreand vial media
The einen in vin ntopooy, which Bean wh ech obs
hn pally indi pepe Fen eg dc of
‘skagen Conch 97am A Hans vw
of he iy emerson nepensbl pec snbropcoge apa
ts hve ben fice pee yeu y Kirsten Haas iw ta
‘Snpal ontop wing fim eet 99213}
Sd ince Bloc belt tha antropolgia who delete much ine
{2m hve ot comidene in hei owm hese’ Houtman 198 2
‘hes ef cose atin vis he an
rly aes nt et anes hee Ho
ein ein Vacancies of cod loys emo uch
eer Shistted mags of ther sci roe nan a
SE scet comes teaming the strate of hay A
Teagan ncommuces ea
FocrgEbt Like the tarbuby never sys acing, bt the
wetting ore wo be snl about H Word, on he tht bund
ieee more tony once you ae writen hen,
“Seach seen act nual aoa one
sgn aici ing sane of thle once promise fo, Hat ee
etre hey action ao mae by Nesphy ad Banks th
Feeay chaps yolome What acter ee encamped by
“aul urkopelgy? Tae oom tone ha the sual anhpolsy
Tathes bleu fos On he ther fhe vial cop
{Re fate he eon media w deve a oa cleo Sol
Paks ene is the difetenes beeen ‘nga medium wd uly
RR se usd (181190) The ve il samctines ovesp
carpal wile ston srctimes demands vial conmanicaon
ihe fa form ese an extension of traonal anton
sarees acie int new abject eu The second proposes ich
mpc a its trols moter of scour
“AS atropoony ye cata fom ea nlzopoloy i
ot bnadeing fsscopeineworwee isexpandingrembracince
Sore poccn mae ee cl eens
“ong enn topless benny tention fo
Tog earns nave ese on pry ol
te: histone photprths, newspherogaphy, spore
sie i books, peta sercgrphs dy decorate, fie
fer nigra bowe my, iy ot, ert
re uaa artectre, cides deans, plies,
thea ery ete ad face cxpesion (loth thee ive +
Te Siegord Sec every come an personal soraent
Terral Sign anes on ind, ay of he express yt of
Pat ey tar communicte esnings paral or primary by
sar te Wernay arbre profs rondeed view clare 22
Banh caro of yg’ 1, hc see +
ear al flea gn sens Like those ai opto
een cemee clan at nea clara tie of ur
Shnibelcney of su msn sacs in Wenn yas 32
Sree final sem inwhet were nce called edstnd
{SSS paclynther soil ensaenen wt he Wes
ils nal production peer amore comes ease, frit i
eas ty anaplastic ames of fees
Fee yonng cfr! fom ike ary others fe, AustenRethinking Vil Anthology
Akg exp anced
cnlacepenined pe gabe coy eel
tf ca ee oar ttn elec te
Riche cinerea cab trum hci
corrective to stereotyping, misrepresemtaion and demigrtion {as men
many Native American groups). amma
pinresanei”
npc noi cop fen ne
ote ne cola tp ua Eu Aetna
serdar mater nai ft Tio aah Wor, Sach ak
Ions pes toni sma in eon
ov uth win and oan nso sy a
Sec deumag ota bet inwes nace pa
suscace wel pogo meng pene mean aay
[Siemon ces Se 93) Te pv
sm gem onl hve ago ms i ei
‘ature’ (Ginsbury 1994: 6) in part becuse Indigenous media produ
tend nes tn ng hes whe oar cose
iss sh thee bs cote fo od Inn er
Tees Inenor nero ensign xve
Theis pman slog wh bic Sapss ean 0
Tonge contin wiki socal enclave, no neces considers ho
ays cl bonded sprestsativ of «clu nd pbc ern.
‘All hee factors place nigeius media producers a tt in
incerta and textual pskon. Tei works bor a prod of
‘eS ommanary on contesting colores, Ginsburg further su
FEASMhiris expansion ht plcatons both Fo what epeseted
Re ow afer representation, exatesa'pralix efet which by
‘Replacing the taitonel sew of ethnographic ln, ray in the nd
one (9414), Nile, wetng ma nar vein, is eran not
are ing rail when he ips tht ebnopap ic lakers
ae rstiocexingly mrgoalize, thy would well 10 dently
‘ore lovey thot marginalised peoples (0991)
“XS ahropaogst discover new subjects ~ either in exablshed
ice Clutl ors rin ean ses of the val media ~ hey ay
TEP adine the tevin of antnopology. As indigenous aroups ake
Moles cond f the wal meds they may wel ake tinal
1 aprsentaint ol themecves. Bat i ihe of these
rape ail ntbropalony pee # fedarentl cpistemolocl
‘leapt to ube hos been eld "the anthropological project’ They
ere ake anthropology ore senive 1 the polit nd pos
Bef Seal presentation. Tie more substantive callenge 0 anbro
isp hough comes not simpy from branding ts purview but
Hots coring ino, commoniatve systems dierent rom the
‘ror ploy af word’ I thy it revives the historical question Of
hat ad sth he va
how tps thas ive been ake a his direction have vended to be
isle sn loa apd ar fen the ese ina developing dish
Bier the plonets re offen eon cuter (uch o Fabety and
jhall or secs auch ae Bateson ad Roel fy Roby’ s comment
ann chroplogts can proauce credible chnographic fils then
TURE pone ire in peeing ls about clare Boer
seen an ehnograses? 5H. 168~ elect widespread
‘othe ipovetors nist i aise conservative minsresmEe0
Ee directions have been opened up by foxmally ined anthro
elope dhe rss are often mnconstrcd. As Pt Soller note Jean
Pot noun fis tec nnowins nf bt not fo he
anton: hi fm take to theres fen pezeintion
Efdoa boy Frater, Roch’ ls are accept ony because tei
apemarapbie content exists akin to he illerent Kv of anthro
eee dering they eke pose cinematic. This is per
PeeRSteexperet since mon works of visual anthropology sm at fe
ae Nor‘ lth sal ansopoloy il be worthy of sexo
Staton an tinapology 20 lng ms icnfine et lati
Soames trast ansrepologia concepts no apes,
fn tlio journalism onto antropalogel subjects A
tvinopabg
Theil inty
Resin Vial An
26
ofthese ors etn wedded to ener Forms. None commis isl
ren a of speaking.
Irscun lea tht ws anropology now uigenty neds to cons
ite ie within 4 theres framework that reaseses anti
plogi objectives Aller we ofthe properties ofthe viel mi will
En siguifeant addins to how otbropologts dine thie wa ol
Knowing. which ito sy that categories of anthropological now
wl hae tobe erly tthe, both n lation to scence and tothe
‘eprescotatonlsyaen ff video and photography. The potent
ti echnograpic bln ean 0 longer be thot af spy ab a frm of
Fini etnograpby, 8 Ruby ee rometines defined (1975; 198%,
"The val sea make ose of princes of impli, visual 10
ane, Hentfcaon an shin perspective that fle radely rom
the rinaples of most mibropaogial writing Tey involve the viewer
inbeatite proces and meaning tition suite dferen frm verbal
Statement ge, tier fomation and speculation. Ae Gilbert Lewis
has noted they ao hve quite different wns of placing ses and on
testeling deta, "The pater can elaborate deals without stcfcing
the general lect The plctare may sl eazy suit and mpl n
piel the mats of dei, Vou sce 8 whole. But wena pasion fr
‘Tesi is ployed in terre the effec i quite diferent. Aer along,
cadenc tton of esr the rtd page, the ways a which
twecan represent elie eer are changing (1986 404-1). Abore
{he visuel medi allow us to conaruc knowledge not by esription
{eo borrow Hertand Kass terms) but by a form of equrntanee
(p12 46-59,
Ahqugh shit ja croc dfeencebersen using nd stung the
ssc of the visual, there ran inportae lk beeen tem. The study of
llective visual representation lf generses new questions bout
frow amvopelogy ca romsmunicate about them. Do vaual stems
segue ceri nto iia al cain a’ 18 they
SSBB Gintce poeron of unerencig?
are det our atetion towards 2
ear tg remaied tthe marine of avo
Foe at fa oval sign ster mah
a oy, Vial moots sy et it
ns tng, bt soir ngs eta.
Enlarging anbropolony
hemoportance of many ofthese areas of study was recognised long a8
iinornel nt le pty
Jig bnd communicating understandings about tern has been n ining
cc ch te are
ls as
ee ictus
i denn eng ich econ 8
enter ne a so pate ae
Sela cnn chars
sed a chee
Ee ae enepson oe
ne on any na lomet uli coneatonl ike for retina dat
Eoretin iyo sin ed
singly Bt hea
cro yt tid am ie a a
loon proieaconmon baer pen eet
Soe nae ie bee
cg ed enaeer eon
Set nt wc wg dace
i before anthropology emerge a a dlcipine. “ie Selle
eas cell ma a hs
spl sean ars ns et
ttn in ine Bas es
ree nt en tr
eotaipdconcpa ianinge senior
Spinel bps ey Nace ph at
giinicidn lanosog acinar bag
Sanenelinnttes nc aie ee See
{2 Fa 5 aan calc nse oe
‘ening ap at
‘TRelnping of pamotan aera nh eee es
otal ha ol neither
Crepe tomes ncn
‘tin ey ry oder a
ese ongpenar utara a
Se wag ee ae
“nding “ned pt ind weed cena ee
‘Segoe er ere es es ee
cies sae gai (0. 93°), Moshe ee
‘a lol termi
lei nny init Sa inch yah
vial prs ag a
Fessler ta te ese
Tics ean soo cna cr
sive a sicher scase of how cukure pexmeates and puttens social exper
thes rc mano a el
‘Gale se Sec EE
es aia re upon sae”
cel the viewer on multiple levels. They may make j reer dean <
mena pce ho eof else
ftecine nd ort mang and ee
longer simply declarative. .
ies men oy fi is ee
_new works may attempt to construct sets of relationships that resembl
‘Sacelpa eve Sennen oe
asx Sefoned molt pe ea
Rating Vie! An opis
ss ffeing pathway tthe snes wd to scl epee mare
‘rc ten wht ny bei of the ewer wl alen cmsbioe
Fecal ite ree ih cringe
{pun nny ab equ so place tha expeuence wih he contest
Sie Becca tn etd rd wha deans
there area the vial enropolgit sown agageent with he su
flan in. The ixopclogi may never Deel oar ie
fal cusde the mato the wrk ise.
Sontins en anno anderstnding ay before chy
throu mapbor Minetsslone rel enough beense rae xp
“Tl espense sero atl bound on be rekoundy mild
iee'th aptly for cian du th wero Hm wl pas the
‘Reining of ita hac ence yess Ben sabe ne ey
Beef the parent, ss Cine Toren puts (99 4h
Bator in inane) cn be the concreting ofthe self and expe:
‘bein ther tins no sie o analy, bt as bly exesn,
‘Re Mid acon sec, Toes the pele or soc
‘pets fseaps comsrction apd urbe ef
Pie dine eanzpton of ama oir» argent
ik metnnr ms beepers (a 2 rae interdependent
ind uo body Sel and Work 989" 14)Thisellsing of mesg
‘nln forged of spaten ngage cae a cen more
owe emo cosratn iva ned o's car ins doce
‘enn’ lo Wight Some of Cero Pan's Le Sn des es
fl he work of Reon makers sich 8 Aton i ln
Incr issn shee preset th sere hot enone ad
Tag of ejccs ne perce socted wth feng, aeons ad
ater of mind
‘Nod pat oth ataton ofthe ina cay opal ey
snk very conics is prose of more hon it deere. his
‘pect the vaal (ities aurean exhibit pecan o® fil)
{ted ian ater coments, promi commode
inp) or sexe ulinen sn porrograpi be bling toe
rnctapeatel spec. Pancy tlowing, Csi Nt) bes
re ta the tlie and supenson ef he phforah eseble
Th ance chidhood which es he ets (9G), Wht was
vrais vl iggy ast ite tex, sis apa
{et pleted hic Hoda tober conten md tay
Set reeled lein essence ofa oud scons, Jot she
Gvertedprodct ses oly hina colt dzous offcion ad
{ie te poreparac ingen anartve of improv fay.
“Toth anropajt wh knew he cota conten tev inate
spoke eames, bar at per vs pa source of dng, A anc
TEA thoopmph a lof ordueed petal Unite ween 257
Thevinel is antbrepologsRethinking Vit Ach
«tstiptons, which alway provided rome son of context x phot
‘ul be supplied wth any sor of meaning by We viewer heat
retin scent dscns, unwelcome popula ones sich tak
{talon enly escaped rom profesional conto, Sint te hee
ted fiom anthropologists who dec certain fms tobe dong
the public forthe sjecs) trough they mito sows ea
There + moral imperave sais allowing Wewere tp to
The destning use of photogeaphe in monograph ray well be pa
down to thi ens in conceet with a shift ay fom eval
tnthtopology’s ennivoroussppetie for dtl towards more hole