THE ART OF SEEING - INTERPRETING
FROM MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES
Facts are selected
from aspects of the whole.
All facts are
interpretations.
Facts may be
interpreted as made of multiple embedded
facts; each of these facts may be view from multiple perspectives generating
potential for multiple interpretations.
It’s a fact that below
is a copy of a painting.
There are lots of
facts in this painting.
What facts can you
see?
The above Painting is
used in the following Nine Exercises.
INTERPRETING FROM
MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES
Notes for Facilitators
Below are nine sets of experiences.
You are invited to be creative in how you use these
resources.
For example, these may be progressively handed out to
participants.
Participants may individually look at each of these sets.
Participants may be divided into groups to share what they
have noticed and what interpretations they have made, and what understandings
they have gained after experiencing each set.
Each set may be handed out one by one to all participants
at the same time. Each time they may
then share with another, and then pairs may join with other pairs and continue
sharing. Then keep shifting and pairing up pairs and groups of pairs.
Another variation is to divide participants into groups.
For example, if there are 20 participants they can be divided into 4 groups of
five and each group gets a different Set from the first four. After personally
looking and group sharing within group, the groups that have looked at Set One
and Three may combine and the other two groups also combine with each other.
After discussion and sharing all of the groups may combine and share. Then the
process may be repeated with Sets Five to Eight. Processes this then hand out
Set Nine to all participants and reform them into 4 groups of five and go
through one of the above processes till all are together in the discussion.
We welcome feedback on your experiences of using this
resource.
Closely look at this
painting.
What things do you
notice?
What do you notice
about:
The foreground and
background?
The use of colour in
the context?
The
lighting?
The
clothes?
The
silhouette of the clothes?
The similarities and
differences in the clothes?
The way people are placed?
Their posture?
The
position of the respective people?
What is this painting
telling you about some of the ideas these people may have about:
o
Their privilege?
o
Their worth?
o
Their sense of self-worth?
What things can you
notice about them that they may not have noticed?
In
what ways may your ways of thinking be limiting your own thinking?
What
can you now better realise about your own
life?
Given
that you can see some things that they may not have seen, what can you begin to
see about your own life that you had not noticed before?
INTERPRETING FROM MULTIPLE
PERSPECTIVES
Closely look at this
painting.
What things do you
notice?
What do you notice
about:
Their
possessions; the similarities and differences in possessions?
What
parts of their body are visible?
Their
hair styles? The similarities? The
differences?
Their
physical contact?
Their
idea of ‘dignity’ – That their behaviour is ‘fitting’ and, ‘proper’?
Which
dress is most like the mother’s?
Which
dress is least like the mother’s; and the next least?
What
have the females got in common?
Presence
and what is absent from the painting that may reasonably be there?
What is this painting
telling you about some of the ideas these people may have about:
o
Their privilege?
o
Their worth?
o
Their sense of self-worth?
What things can you
notice about them that they may not have noticed?
What
has happened with your attending competence in this exercise?
In
what ways may your ways of thinking be limiting your own thinking?
Given
that you can see some things that they may not have seen, what can you begin to
see about your own life that you had not noticed before?
What
can you now better realise about your own
life?
INTERPRETING FROM MULTIPLE
PERSPECTIVES
Closely look at this
painting.
What things do you
notice?
Title of Painting
Barbara
Gamage, Lady Sidney, later Countess of Leicester, with two sons and four
daughters - 1596
Having
the above background information, what else can you notice?
Some
possible discussion themes
Note
the mother has her hands on the two boys.
Both
the two older and the two younger girls are touching,
All
are posed and posing – ways to be imposing.
The
older girls mimic the hair style and dress of the mother.
Only
the oldest girl’s dress has the centre adornment down the front of the dress.
The
older boy has the military hat and sword.
All
shoes are genteel (characterized by exaggerated or affected politeness,
refinement, or respectability) as befits people of property. No work boots
here.
What is this painting
telling you about some of the ideas these people may have about:
o
Their privilege?
o
Their worth?
o
Their sense of self-worth?
What things can you
notice about them that they may not have noticed?
In
what ways may your ways of thinking be limiting your own thinking?
What
can you now better realise about your own
life?
Given
that you can see some things that they may not have seen, what can you begin to
see about your own life that you had not noticed before?
INTERPRETING FROM MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES
Closely look at this
painting.
What things do you
notice?
What is this painting
telling you about some of the ideas these people may have about:
o
Themselves?
o
Their clothes?
o
Their appearance?
o
Their behaviours?
o
Obedience?
o
Their society?
o
Their world?
o
Adult ideas about children?
o
Children’s view about children?
o
Children’s view about Adults
o
Their privilege?
o
Their worth?
o
Their sense of self-worth?
What would these
people never realize about themselves?
What things can you
notice about them that they may not have noticed?
What
can you now better realise about your
own life?
What
has happened with your attending competence in this exercise?
Given
that you can see some things that they may not have seen, what can you begin to
see about your own life that you had not noticed before?
INTERPRETING FROM MULTIPLE
PERSPECTIVES
Closely examine this
painting.
What things can you
notice?
What
kind of world do they live in?
What
are all the things that are revealed and concealed by this painting?
What
is obvious and not so obvious?
What is this painting
telling you about some of the ideas these people may have about:
o
Their privilege?
o
Their worth?
o
Their sense of self-worth?
What would these
people never realize about themselves?
What things can you
notice about them that they may not notice?
What has this experience of examining this
painting revealed about you?
What
has happened with your attending competence in this exercise?
What things can you
notice about them that they may not have noticed?
In
what ways may your ways of thinking be limiting your own thinking?
Given
that you can see some things that they may not have seen, what can you begin to
see about your own life that you had not noticed before?
What
can you now better realise about your own
life?
INTERPRETING FROM MULTIPLE
PERSPECTIVES
Closely look at this
painting.
What things do you
notice?
Ideas
Children are little adults that
should be seen and not heard.
This type of idea led to the virtual death of play for over 150 years in
Europe
To be vibrantly alive one has spontaneity and
joyful playfulness’
In
the 1500s and 1600s both in Europe and in UK spontaneity and play was squashed
out of everyday life. People had to be very controlled in everything they did.
This was their version of being dignified; all proper and fitting. Even one sin
means you are going to hell! For the poor, both adult and child left home in
the dark to go to work and return in the dark exhausted six days a week – no
time for play. Sunday was the Lord’s Day of Rest.
What is this painting
telling you about some of the ideas these people may have about:
o
Their privilege?
o
Their worth?
o
Their sense of self-worth?
What things can you
notice about them that they may not have noticed?
In
what ways may your ways of thinking be limiting your own thinking?
What
can you now better realise about your own
life?
Given
that you can see some things that they may not have seen, what can you begin to
see about your own life that you had not noticed before?
INTERPRETING FROM MULTIPLE
PERSPECTIVES
Closely look at this
painting.
What things do you
notice?
Reflecting
and Contemplating on this Painting
Gaze
at the painting and see what comes to mind.
Possible
Questions
What
do you notice about the picture?
What
is being conveyed about the idea of possession?
What is this painting
telling you about some of the ideas these people may have about:
o
Their privilege?
o
Their worth?
o
Their sense of self-worth?
In
what ways may their ways of thinking be limiting their thinking?
What
would have been unthinkable for these people?
What things can you
notice about them that they may not have noticed?
In
what ways may your ways of thinking be limiting your own thinking?
Given
that you can see some things that they may not have seen, what can you begin to
see about your own life that you had not noticed before?
What
can you now better realise about your own
life?
INTERPRETING FROM MULTIPLE
PERSPECTIVES
Closely look at this
painting. What things do you notice?
What things do you notice
if you look at this painting from various perspectives?
From the perspective
of:
Your friends
Your parents
A peasant of that time
Possessions
Modern Fashion
The Theatre
Similarities and differences
A person from an African Culture
Modern Celebrity
Innate worth
What
things are revealed, and revealed as previously concealed, by interpreting this
painting from differing perspectives?
What is it like to
switch perspectives?
What other
perspectives could be used?
What is this painting
telling you about some of the ideas these people may have about:
o
Their privilege?
o
Their worth?
o
Their sense of self-worth?
What things can you
notice about them that they may not have noticed?
In
what ways may your ways of thinking be limiting your own thinking?
What
can you now better realise about your own
life?
Given
that you can see some things that they may not have seen, what can you begin to
see about your own life that you had not noticed before?
INTERPRETING FROM MULTIPLE
PERSPECTIVES
Closely look at this
painting.
What things do you
notice?
What
is obvious and not so obvious?
What is this painting
telling you about some of the ideas these people may have about:
o
Their privilege?
o
Their worth?
o
Their sense of self-worth?
What
can you sense and feel:
That the people in the painting would not
have seen, sensed or felt?
That the painter would not have seen sensed
or felt about the painting?
The
person who had this painting painted would not have seen sensed or felt about
the painting?
What has this experience of examining this
painting revealed about:
You?
How
UK society worked back in the 16th Century?
How
society ‘works’ today?
What
may have been the reasons/motives of the person who asked for this painting to
be painted?
What
has this experience revealed about ‘understanding’?
How
has it enriched your understanding?
How
has it enriched your understanding about understanding your own life?
Related Paper: Dignity and Self Worth