Eye and I: Assumptive Folly in the I and the Institution

Abstract

Following is a discussion of bias in the visual processing system and the complex, intertwined relationship between both physiologically determined and socially/culturally determined forms of bias. Through an examination of historical attitudes towards objectivity in relationship to perception, and a discussion of the ways in which prevailing attitudes have not kept pace with current science, I explore the intersection between assumptions, orthodoxy, and objectivity. The perceptive faculties harbor evolutionarily inherited forms of preference, while the act of viewing art bears the burden of long histories of accepted practices. Additionally, the institutions where we interact with art frame the experiences of interaction, dictating possible outcomes of engagement within those frameworks. Through an examination of various artists and scientists work, and a discussion of my own work, I establish an avenue to discuss the importance of contemplating bias in the eye, the mind, and the institution.