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Visual Culture Questionnaire

In 1996, the journal October published the Visual Culture Questionnaire—four questions about the study of visual culture—alongside responses from art and architecture historians, film theorists, literary critics, and artists.

Chromogenic print under Plexiglas depicting a red sky viewed from below. A black silhouetted urban landscape, featuring skyscrapers and lampposts, rises up all around the viewer to frame the sky.
Chromogenic print under Plexiglas depicting a red sky viewed from below. A black silhouetted urban landscape, featuring skyscrapers and lampposts, rises up all around the viewer to frame the sky.

Discipline and Practice

Lee Weng Choy examines the ways in which the study of visual culture has evolved since the original 1996 Visual Culture Questionnaire
8 mins: 
Critique  /  Article
Four photographs in a row, each showing printed signs on paper displayed in various spots in different shops. The signs are written in languages spoken in Oaxaca. The photograph furthest to the left is of a sign displaying opening hours, hung above a round metal pot of a dark brown food. The next photo shows two elderly and slightly smiling people, one sitting and one standing next to two orange signs hanging above a display of drinks in plastic bottles. The third photo shows two signs hung on a scale. The last photo shows signs of various sizes and colours on small wooden sticks that are stuck into packages of food lying on a shop counter.
Four photographs in a row, each showing printed signs on paper displayed in various spots in different shops. The signs are written in languages spoken in Oaxaca. The photograph furthest to the left is of a sign displaying opening hours, hung above a round metal pot of a dark brown food. The next photo shows two elderly and slightly smiling people, one sitting and one standing next to two orange signs hanging above a display of drinks in plastic bottles. The third photo shows two signs hung on a scale. The last photo shows signs of various sizes and colours on small wooden sticks that are stuck into packages of food lying on a shop counter.

Beyond Discipline

Artist Gala Porras-Kim writes about studying and looking at visual culture beyond established western and academic frameworks and disciplines
7 mins: 
Critique  /  Article
Acrylic painting on paper of an architectural sketch depicting two identical, symmetrical high rise buildings facing each other. Each building consists of an L-shaped section cutting through a round section, with walls lined with windows.
Acrylic painting on paper of an architectural sketch depicting two identical, symmetrical high rise buildings facing each other. Each building consists of an L-shaped section cutting through a round section, with walls lined with windows.

The Dilemma of Disciplines

Yeewan Koon discusses how the study of visual culture has evolved since the original 1996 Visual Culture Questionnaire
10 mins: 
Critique  /  Article
Three vertically oriented illustrations in a row. The illustration on the left depicts a woman kneeling down next to a labrador-like dog. A black and white rectangular graphic of a dog’s profile is imposed over the middle of the scene. The illustration in the middle depicts a person holding up their hand in the air, displaying three fingers with their thumb and little finger folded in. Their face is obscured by a black and white rectangular graphic of a hand displaying a hand in the same position. The illustration on the right depicts a person in black holding a black umbrella. Their face is obscured by a black and white rectangular graphic of the Guy Fawkes mask.
Three vertically oriented illustrations in a row. The illustration on the left depicts a woman kneeling down next to a labrador-like dog. A black and white rectangular graphic of a dog’s profile is imposed over the middle of the scene. The illustration in the middle depicts a person holding up their hand in the air, displaying three fingers with their thumb and little finger folded in. Their face is obscured by a black and white rectangular graphic of a hand displaying a hand in the same position. The illustration on the right depicts a person in black holding a black umbrella. Their face is obscured by a black and white rectangular graphic of the Guy Fawkes mask.

The Quicksand of Knowledge Production

Beng-Lan Goh responds to the Visual Culture Questionnaire, originally published in the journal October in 1996
7 mins: 
Critique  /  Article
Three images side by side. Each image features a plastic toy against a bright colourful background. Each toy is accompanied by text in Urdu underneath it. The toy to the far left is a plastic tiffin carrier with the bottom tier painted green, the next tier painted yellow, the next tier painted a dark brown, and the top tier painted pink. The handle is painted red. The toy in the middle is a plastic boombox in neon pink with green speakers. The toy to the far right is a mobile phone painted turquoise.
Three images side by side. Each image features a plastic toy against a bright colourful background. Each toy is accompanied by text in Urdu underneath it. The toy to the far left is a plastic tiffin carrier with the bottom tier painted green, the next tier painted yellow, the next tier painted a dark brown, and the top tier painted pink. The handle is painted red. The toy in the middle is a plastic boombox in neon pink with green speakers. The toy to the far right is a mobile phone painted turquoise.

Visual Culture and the Popular

Artist Iftikhar Dadi brings up ways in which the study of visual culture has evolved since the original 1996 Visual Culture Questionnaire
7 mins: 
Critique  /  Article

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