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  Point of View
by Donna Weaver

"We all live under the same sky, but we don't all have the same horizon."

-unknown

Point of view is defined by Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary as a position from which something is considered or evaluated. Point of view can refer to the vantage point from which you view a scene, or can refer to an opinion or feelings about a subject.

In literary terms, it means the perspective that is established by the narrator of a piece of work. If a character in the story narrates it, it is known as first person. If someone not involved in the storyline tells the story, it is called third person.

 

Just as information can be presented in more than one way in literature, it can also be presented from different viewpoints visually. This may mean that the viewer's gaze is positioned above the scene. This is called a "bird's eye view." The viewer's gaze may also be positioned level with or from below the scene (worm's eye view).

Different points of view can establish different perspectives on the same subject. The creator of a visual might use point of view to give the viewer a better understanding of what is being seen. Objects' appearances change as point of view changes. In the above pictures, each view makes certain details apparent that may not be seen in the other views. From above, a scene may appear small, diminished, or even as though the viewer is secretly looking on something. From eye-level, the viewer may experience a feeling of realism and that he/she is part of the scene. From below, the scene may appear large, looming overhead and overwhelming. It makes the viewer either feel very small, or again, as though a scene is being watched from a secret vantage point.

Influencing the viewer's feelings about a subject may be another reason for using point of view when creating visuals. The creator of a visual may want to influence the viewer's emotions or opinion about a subject by showing it from a particular point of view. Visual information, like written information can be presented from a first person point of view. This may help the viewer to understand the feelings of the subject of the picture.


In this picture, I tried to capture the point of view of my dog Snoopy when our family leaves the house. He stays in a room next to my bedroom with a gate across the doorway to keep him confined. I wondered what it looked like through that gate when we have gone. This point of view shows what I imagine it must be like for him as he looks out waiting for someone to come home. It should create an unpleasant feeling on the part of the viewer.

 

 

 

Do you feel differently when looking up the stairs than when looking down the stairs?

  

Point of view may also be used to create an illusion. Here it seems that these purple flowers are actually trees. This is achieved through using a point of view below the tops of the flowers and having the pine trees in the background. It appears that the flowers are part of the forest we see. This point of view is sometimes used for interest. In movies, such as "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids", it is part of the storyline.


In this picture of friends on a tundra bus in Calgary, the point of view gives the viewer an appreciation for the enormous size of this bus. If this picture had been taken from a great distance, up on a hill level with the windows of the bus, its size might not have been apparent.


Point of view is a powerful and effective tool for expressing feelings, influencing opinion, and giving meaning to something we see. It is used both in literature and in visual language to communicate information, show details, persuade, create illusions, and affect one's perception and understanding of a subject.

 

 

 

 

Examples of Point of View in an online museum:


1. "Rainy Day" from Altered States of Reality
Artist: Renee Falcke is a photojournalist turned artist. "Falcke's work reaches into the human psyche", going beyond the usual point of view seen in fashion and portrait photography. "Tactfulness towards the manifestation of the human spirit in places often overlooked within fashion photography has made Falcke's photographs a standout."
Museum: Agora Gallery, 415 West Broadway, Soho, NY, NY
URL: http://www.agora-gallery.com/frameset_view.html, click on F on homepage, than Renee Falcke, than "Rainy Day."
I chose this photograph because the point of view is unusual. It is below and behind the subject, showing the side of her face. You can really see the details of the raindrops on the shield over her face, and yet, because of the angle, you can see her face clearly. This point of view also makes the viewer feel as though something interesting is happening. It makes you want to lean forward and see what the subject is seeing. I found this point of view intriguing.


2. "Other World", 1947, color wood engraving and woodcut printed in black, red-brown, and green.
Artist: Maurits Cornelis Escher, Dutch, 1898 - 1972
Museum: Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
URL: http://search.famsf.org, click on "The Thinker Image Base", on keywords type "Escher", click on #7 "Other World".
I chose this work because it combines more than one point of view in the same picture. "Depending upon which of this room's three windows we look out, we find our point of view is completely different -- entirely inconsistent with each of the others!" This type of artwork has fascinated me. I can look at it for a long time, over and over, trying to decide which is the "correct" point of view. For some people, this type of art may be frustrating because of its ambiguity. I have two of his works in my house. I had chosen them because I like the challenge and puzzle the multiple points of view present.


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