Practices of Looking

The difference between seeing and looking is that seeing is observing and recognizing things around us but, looking is trying to make sense of the things we see.  Art is something that should be seen and then looked at to try and make sense of what the piece is trying to tell you.  "An image can denote certain apparent truths, providing documentary evidence of objective circumstances. The denotive meaning of the image refers to its literal, descriptive meaning. Connotative meanings rely on the cultural and historical context of the image and its viewers' lived, felt knowledge of those circumstances-all that the image means to them personally and socially."  Not only do images have meaning but they also are used for a sort of "propaganda", "images are elements of contemporary advertising and consumer culture through which assumptions about beauty, desire, glamour, and social value are both constructed and responded to."  Certain images can convey meanings that are geared towards a specific event, person, or thing. The value of works can be determined by culture, the artists personal history, and what may be happening socially.