MediatingVisualExperience:ZbigniewLiberasPhotographicWorksandGoogle

StreetViewImagery
ukaszzaremba
Thewordviewisusedinavarietyofways:inspecialistjargons,aswellascommonlanguage.It
functionsasasynonymforlandscapepaintingorphotography,aswellasforlandscapeperceived
withoutthemediationofthepicture(lookingthroughawindow,wetakeintheview).Itsagenreanda
typeofcomposition,butabovealltoviewconstitutesavisualexperienceandanelementofperception.
Onthemostbasiclevelthatofpopulararthistoricallexiconsthetermusuallyoperatesasa
neutralexplenans.Thefactthatthegenreoflandscapeisdefinedeitherasavieworarepresentationof
aviewcallsourattentiontotheunclearpositioningofthisterm.Isitapartoftheworldasitisseenora
resultofthehumanactofcreation?Theviewiscertainlyconnectedtoimages,representations,and
picturesbutalsotoimagination,appearance,apparition,andlooks.Andwiththelook,itisconnectedto
vision,thegaze,eyes,andthenotionofvisibility.Buttheviewisnotfullyidenticalwithanyofthose.It
isrelatedtoaestheticsbutalsototopography,torepresentationandperception.1
Inmyessay,Iwillfocusonthreepoints,eachoneestablishingadifferentsituationoflooking.Their
interlacinginthistextaimstoshowdifferentaspectsofvisualexperience.ThefirstisZbigniewLiberas
photographicseriesLaVue(20042006).ThesecondisGoogleStreetViewimagery,oneofthetoolsof
GoogleEarthandGoogleMaps.ThethirdislatenineteenthandearlytwentiethcenturyFrenchwriter
RaymondRousselstechniqueofbuildingdescription.Rousselstechniquebecomesanobjectofanalysis
becauseitinspiredLiberastwophotographicprojectsandthuscontextualizestheartistswork.
RousselstechniquealsoestablishesadiscursiveanalogonforGoogleMapsimagery.Inallthree
examples,Iwillinvestigatehoweachconstructsitsownvantagepointsandexaminehowthosevantage
pointsinterferewiththepointofviewofanempiricalspectator.Intheend,however,mygoalistoshow
thatastabledivisionbetweenanimagesvantagepointandaspectatorsperspectiveisimpossibleto
maintain.
FlatPicturesandNonhumanPerception:ZbigniewLiberasLaVue
Whatdoyousee?ThisisthequestionweaskwhenencounterZbigniewLiberas(b.1959)
photographicseriesLaVue(20042006;inFrench,theview,comefromthetitleofa1904poemby
RaymondRoussel(18771933))[Fig.1,Fig.2].Thesephotographsfailtoshowwhattheypromise:views,
orviewsoflandscapes.Thispromiseisnotonlygiveninthetitle,butalsointheimage.Itisexpressedin
itsappearanceandactivatedintheworkofrecognitionandidentification.

Figure1.ZbigniewLibera(b.1959),LaVueseries,20042006,photograph,courtesyofRasterGallery,
Warsaw.

Figure2.ZbigniewLibera(b.1959),LaVueseries,20042006,photograph,courtesyofRasterGallery,
Warsaw.

WhatweseeinLaVuearephotographicprints,colorfulandsometimesoutoffocus.Weimmediately
startsearchingforfamiliarshapesandmotifsandbegintoassociatethecolorswithfamiliarlandscapes.
Perhapsitisnoteventhatwesearchforfamiliarity,forwithoutthoughtwearealreadyconvincedof
whatwerelookingat:abeach,thesky,adesert.But,insteadofabeach,askyandadesert,weare
reallylookingatcloseupsofprintedmagazines,photographed,ormisphotographed,byusingasmall
picturecamerawithamacrolens.Oneofthepicturesshowsaclearhorizonlinedividinglandfromthe
sky,bothwreathedintonesofyellowandred.Supposedlyweseeadesert.Thebrightcircleoflight
couldbethesuncaughtinthatmomentwhenstillglaring,butnotquiteenoughtolightthepatchof
landbeneaththatalreadystartsdisappearincrimsonreddarkness.Beneaththehorizonline,the
brightnessisalreadysuccumbingtodarkness.Somefragmentsarestillclearandsharp,makingpartsof
thelandlooklikeasanddune.Andonlyafterwards,ifatall,wenoticethestrangelightbluemistatthe
bottomofthepicture.Andthenwestarttorealizethephotosgrainyqualityandhowtheshadows
adoptoddlyirregularforms.Werealizesomethingiswrong.Weunderstandthatoureyeshave
deceivedus,thatoursenseofvisualconfidencewasanillusion.Wewerefoolednotonlybywhatwe
saw,butalsobythetitle,andfinallybythemediumofphotographyitself.Welookedthroughthe
photograph,andnotatit.
Liberaphotographspaintedsurfacestocreateviewsthatdonotexistoutsideofhispictures,butappear
real.TheartistsgesturemaybeunderstoodinaBaudrillardianmode:anillustrationordiagnosisof
theinfamousdesertoftherealitself.2InBaudrillardsapocalypticandiconoclasticvision,signsarethe
sourceofothersignsandinaPlatonicprecession,theydriveusawayfromreality.Realitydoesnotexist

anymore,signsfunctioningasitsonlysubstitute.InthisperspectivewecouldreadLaVueasthe
dismissalofanyconnectionsimageshavewithreality,asthedeathofrealityinthefaceofimagesthat
produceotherimages.
Theartistgivesanotherhintabouttheseriesinhisenigmaticandadmirationalstatementsabout
RaymondRousselsabsolutelyartificialwritingmethod.Rousselslifeandworkinspiredmanyartistic
andliterarygroups,including:surrealists,dadaists,OuLiPo,nouveauroman,Americanpoetssuchas
JohnAshbery,aswellastheoristsincludingMichelFoucault.Rousseldescribedhistextualprocedurein
hisposthumouslyissuedtext,HowIWroteCertainofMyBooks.3Theaimofhismethod,basedonthe
ambiguityandsimilarityofwords,wastocreateliteraturethathasnothingtodowithreality.4The
bookexemplifieshisprocedurewithatextthatbeginsandendswiththesamesentence.Becauseonly
oneletterisdifferentineither,wederiveanentirelydifferentmeaningfromtheirrespectiveplacein
thetext.5Themostbasicruleoftheprocedurewastodetermineentirelyarbitrarycorrespondencesby
following,forexample,thecompositionofFrenchheroicmeter,findingwordsthatsoundedsimilar,or
usinghomonymy.Theprocedurewouldrequiretheauthortoendlesslycomplicatehistaskby
introducingendlessparenthesesintothetext.Rousselalsostartedandendedhistextswiththesame
sentence,whichhadadifferentmeaningineachusage.Theprocedureconstantlytestedtheauthors
abilitytomaneuverbetweenthearbitraryrulesandhistalenttocreateliteraryimages.
FoucaultwrotethatRoussel,theauthorofLocusSolus,doesntwanttoduplicatetherealityofanother
world,but,inthespontaneousdualityoflanguage,hewantstodiscoveranunexpectedspace,and
tocoveritwiththingsneversaidbefore.6AsAllainRobbeGrilletsaid,RaymondRousseldescribes,and
thereisnothingbeyondthatdescription;nothingthatwecouldtraditionallycallthemessageRoussel
seemstohavenothingtosay.7Subordinatedtotextualadventuresandarbitraryrulesofcreation,
literatureisflat.Readerswillnotfindpsychologicaldepth,movement,temporalduration,action,or
geometricaldepth.Thereisnoillusionofvolume,noristhereanykindofrealityeffect.
Inhiswritingprocedure,Rousselthusstrovetocreateanautonomousworld,aswellasanautonomous
modeofperception.Inthestaticviewswithinhistexts,nonhumanvision,atermusedbyPierreJanet,
afamouspsychiatristandRousselspersonaldoctor,doesntsimulaterealperception,orevenany
kindofvisualrepresentation.8InRousselsliteraturethereisnoperspectivalmodelandnomovementof
theeyesonthehorizontalaxis.Viewschangelikemoviestillswithoutfluency;objectscastnoshadow
andtheeyeimpliedinRousselsliteratureiscapableofseeingaminiaturepictureofasizeoffew
millimetersrenderingabeachcontoursandlandscapesareabsolutelyclear.Ontheothersideofabay
thereisacarriding,thereisamaninthiscar,thismanhasgotacane,andonthehandguardofthis
canethereisasmallpicture,renderingandsoon.9
Still,hisliteratureisnotmeaningless.Neitherisitautomatic,nordeprivedofsense.Itsautomaticityand
extremeboredomresultfromademandingformalprocedure.Therefore,IarguethatAndreBrton
missedthepointwhendescribingRousselstechnique:Whenextremearbitrarinesswasimposedona
literarysubject,theaimwastohideit,todisperseitinnumerousfragments.10Rousseldidnthide
anything;everythinginhisworkwasflatandonthesurface.Theworld,thestory,thediegesisofhis
autonomousliteraturecannotbedismissedasunimportantbecausetogethertheyformanintegralpart
andaresultofhistextualprocedures.

RousselsprocedureinspiredLiberanotonlyinLaVue,butalsoaseriesoftemplephotographsfromthe
sameperiod[Fig.3,Fig.4].11Liberasphotographscapturefamoustemples,amongthemforexample
SantaMariadelFiorewithBrunelleschisiconicdome.Insteadofphotographingthebuildings
themselves,hetookpicturesoftheirrenderingsfromaphotographicalbum.Thisprocedurebringsto
mindWalterBenjaminscanonicalessayTheWorkofArtintheAgeofItsTechnological
Reproducibility,atextpublishedayearbeforeRousselssuicide,notonlybecauseLiberaconducts
quintessentiallymodernexperimentswithphotography,butalsobecauseofhischoiceofphotographed
subject.12Infact,itisatemple,whichBenjaminpointstoasthetypicalexampleofaworkofart,whose
conditionischangedbytheuseofphotography.AccordingtoBenjaminsvision,theworkofart(a
cathedral)cannowbeseeninawayinaccessibletothehumaneye,duetothedifferentpointsofview
andcloseupsenabledbyphotography.Benjaminwrites:Thecathedralleavesitssitetobereceivedin
thestudioofanartlover.13Itcanalsoappearinsituationsthetempleitselfcannotaccess.

Figure3.ZbigniewLibera(b.1959),Untitled,2006,photograph,courtesyofRasterGallery,Warsaw.


Figure4.ZbigniewLibera(b.1959),Untitled,2006,photograph,courtesyofRasterGallery,Warsaw.
Liberasworkexploresthelimitsofmechanicalreproduction,swappingthephotographforthe
cathedralastheprimarypointofreference.Liberatakeshisphotographsfromastrange,
unconventionalangleinordertoexposetheflatnessofthefirst,originalphotographicwork.Inthis
context,hisworkscanbeunderstoodascommentariesonphotographyitself.InthespiritofRoussels
procedure,heexplorestherealmofrepresentation,therelationbetweenrepresentationsandtheir
representations(andnotbetweentheworldanditsrepresentation),seekingtodisplayandmakeuseof
theinternalrelationsofthisworld.JustlikeinRousselspoems,Liberacreatesamechanical
perception.Byshiftingthepointofviewofthecamera,hecreatesatechnicalgaze,visibleinandasthis
shift.Whatthisphotorepresentsisnotthetemple,butagazegeneratedbetweenthefirstandthe
secondphoto.

MechanicalProcedureandItsRelationtoReality:GoogleMaps
Sofar,mycommentsonRousselsliteraryprojectandLiberasphotographicrealizationsconfirman
interpretationabouttheworksasdisconnectedfromreality,affirmingformality,mechanicality,and
unreality,aninterpretationthatfitsintoBaudrillardsmodel.Baudrillardmournsthedeathofthereal
causedbytheabundanceofrepresentations.RousselandmaybeLiberaaswell,seemtoaffirmthis
attitude.14
Googlesenterprisefitswellintothenarrativeschemeofrepresentationunderstoodasreduplication,
misrepresentation,andasrepresentationthatbreaksoffitsconnectionwithreality.Thetotalityof
GooglesenterpriseevenseemstoembodytheopeningimageformBaudrillardsessayThePrecession
ofSimulacra,whichborrowsanimagefromthewritingsofBorges.There,thecartographersmad
projectisamapthatcoverstheentireterritoryoftheEmpire.15Initsmissionstatement,Google
enterprisestressesthecompanysambitiontoorganizeinformation,bothintextbasedprojects(for
exampleGooglesmainbrowser,orGoogleBooks)asinvisualrepresentationsoftheworld(Google
Images,orGoogleArtProject).Googleaccomplishesbeforeoureyescertaingreatfantasiesof
Westernculture.Itisagiantarchive,expandinginproportiontothecollateralexpansionofdata.16Itis
anenormouslibraryaccumulatingasizableamountofthepastandalmostthewholeofthepresent
(thoughitstillhassomeproblemswiththefuture).ThankstothecombinedtoolsofGoogleEarth,
GoogleMapsandGoogleStreetView,Googleisbothagiantmapandpanoramaatonce.Itnotonly
makesdifferentpointsofviewsaccessibletoasingleviewer,butalsocreatesnewrenderingsof
traditionalgenresandwaysofrepresentingspace.MadeapparentinBorgesmadproject,oneofthe
ambitionsofWesternculture,tograspanimageoftheworldthatwouldbeatoncecompleteand
realistic(thankstophotographysrealityeffect),canfinallybeperformedbyGoogle
applications.17Andeventhoughthesetoolsarepoliticalandimperialintheirgesturesandstrategiesof
representing,theycanalsobeusedtacticallyandreadsubversively.18
ThevisualanddigitalrepresentationsofGooglemapping,especiallyitsStreetView,generatespecific
waysofshowingspecificpointsofview.TheworldofGoogleapplicationsisgeneratedbyaprocedure,
anautomaticandalgorithmicrenderingprocess.GoogleStreetViewcars,roamingcitystreets,take
photoseverytentotwentymeters.Theseimagesarethendigitallysuturedtogetherandrenderedas
continuous.ButasinthecaseofRousselspoems,anautomaticandmechanicalproceduredoesntrule
outthecreationofacomplexinternalworldwithpeculiarrelationsandcontent.Flatdoesntmean
empty.
BeforecommentingontheprocessoflookinginscribedinGoogleStreetView,towhichIwillreturnin
moredepthlater,IshouldemphasizethatinterpretingGoogleMapsasacurtainthatwecould
mistakeforreality,seemsnotonlyiconoclastic,butwouldalsoinscribeourpresentwithinateleological
modelwherewearegraduallydisconnectedfromreality.Accordingtothismodel,everynewvisual
techniqueortoolseemstoworknotasadifferentkindofmediation,butasastronger,higherand
largerwallalienatingusfromanutopian,pureexperienceandclearperception.Thisprocessof
alienationissupposedtobeincreasinglydeceptive,asitneedstoconvinceusofitsrealness.
Undoubtedlyourwaysofseeingarechanging,butcanwereallyobserveaprocessoflosingcontactwith
reality?Anddothosechangesreallymarkadeparturefromreality?Suchastancewouldrequire
thinkingaboutvisionassomethingnatural,immediateanddirect.Baudrillardsunderstandingof
representationsilentlyimpliesthesamenostalgiaforanunmediatedexperience.

Ifweleavebehindthismodelthatconceivesrepresentationasarelationbetweenimage(sign)andthe
world,wecanrethinkthecategoryoftheviewandtherelationbetweenrepresentationandexperience.
Myaimhereisnottosuggestanoppositionalmodel,inwhichrepresentationisunderstoodasasimple
relationbetweentheimageandtheobserver,whogainstotalagencyandinterpretativepower.Instead,
turningtowardtheprocessoflookinghelpsmoveourinterpretationfromelucidatinganimageas
realityssupplementtoconsideringitanimportantelementintheprocessesoflooking.Inthis
interpretation,animagewouldbepresentinourlook,activelyformingitevenwhenoureyesarenot
lookingatapicture.Itcouldalsonotbemaintainedwithinaclosedframe,butwouldactivelypermeate
intoourlook(forexampleasanafterimage).Suchexpansionalsohelpstoavoidartificiallyjuxtaposing
thesupposedlyclear,transparentandpassiveeyewiththeclosed,framedobjectpicture.Instead,it
shouldemphasizetheirmutualcodependence.
ConfrontingYourOwnGaze:BacktoZbigniewLibera
Ithinkthatitistherightmomenttofinally,inthecontextofreceptionorperception,maybealittle
againstLiberasintentions,todumptheanalogybetweenpictorialandtextualimages.Letsdareto
reconsiderthelongdisputeovertherelationbetweenpoetryandpainting.Iassumethatspatialityisnt
alientoliterature,butisactuallyinevitableandunavoidable;itisalsoconstitutiveforthepracticeand
experienceofreading,fortheexistenceofliterature,itisnotmeremetaphor.19WhatLiberas
photographsshow,andwhattheyplaywith,isthenonmetaphoricalaspectofvisioninapicture,one
thatwouldbeimpossibletocreateinatext.20
LetsaskabouttherelationbetweenLiberaspicturesandthevisionofaspectator.Ivestatedthatin
thetempleseriesLiberacreatesamechanicalgazebetweentwophotographs:thephotographed
photographandhisownartworkphotograph.Thisdoesntmeanthatheenforcesthispointofviewon
thespectatorofhiswork.Rather,whenthespectatorstrugglestoreconcilehervisionwithnon
humanvision,shehastoacknowledgetheexistenceofanother,incompatiblewayofseeingbesides
herownvision.Theseries,drawingonthetacticsofanamorphosis,destabilizesthepositionofthe
viewerinamannerthatgeneratesuncertaintyandfluctuation.21
IwouldliketorecallanearlierphotoseriesbyLibera,thisonenotinspiredbyRoussel.Positives(2002
2003)exploresnotonlythemediumofphotography,butalsothemediaofmemoryandvision.
InPositives,Liberarecreatesandenlargesscenesfromphotographsofdramatichistoricalevents,
picturesthatoccupythememoryofhisgeneration.Accordingtothetitleoftheseries,Liberainvertsthe
moodandsenseofthesephotos,byshowingscenesofhappinessandcooperation.ForexampleLiberas
photographResidentsrecallsa1945photograph[Fig.5].Whiletheoriginalphotographdocuments
emaciatedAuschwitzprisonersonthedayofliberation,Liberashowsagroupofpeoplesmilingserenely
forthephotograph.Theirposes,clothesandfiguresarealmostidenticaltothoseofcampprisoners
fromthewellknownoriginal.Thefirstthingthatappearsbeforeoureyesisthisoriginalphotograph,
whichfunctionslikeavisualclich.Afteramomentoflooking,thespectatorgraspsthedifference.


Figure5.ZbigniewLibera(b.1959),Residents(fromthePositivesseries),2003,photograph,courtesyof
RasterGallery,Warsaw.
Positivesexploitsthequalitiesofviewing[Fig.6].Liberamightenlargephotographs(theyaremuch
biggerthantheoriginalpictures),butthisdoesnthelpustoseethemanybetter.
Rather,Positivescritiquesrepresentationbyflatteningthephenomenatheyoughttorepresent;it
critiquesthepublicspassiveacclimationtocertainimages,forgettingwhattheyshowandwhatthey
refer;theycritiquepassivityanddistancegeneratedbycertainusesofphotography;itcritiquesour
waysoflooking.Buttoachievethesecriticalgoals,Positivesneedstouseandrevealitsspectators
vision.Whatisrepresentedhereand,inotherwaysalsoinLaVueandthetempleseries,isvisionitself.
Thespectatorseyeisessentialforthispiecetostartworking.Inawaythesepicturesareemptyuntil
theyaregazedupon,becausevisionistheirmatterandcontent.WhatLiberasviewsshowisthatitis
notpossibletoseparatevisionfromrepresentationortherepresentationalaspectsofthevisionfrom
thepictureorworldbeinglookedat.Moreover,theyshowthatitsonlytheoreticallypossibleto
differentiatetheviewimpliedinthepictureandtheviewoftheempiricalspectator.AlthoughLibera
usesrepresentations,inLaVue,representationsofrepresentations,hisworksexposetheprocessof
lookingasalwaysopaque,distortedandunclear.

Figure6.ZbigniewLibera(b.1959),Nepal(fromthePositivesseries),2003,photograph,courtesyof
RasterGallery,Warsaw.

Liberaspicturesservehereasmetapictures,picturesaboutpictures,astheyexposewhatisessentialto
everyvisualexperience.Theyshowvisionasrecreatingandrecreated,visionnegotiatingwithpointsof
view,andwaysofviewingpreparedforit.Theviewbecomestheresultofthesenegotiations.
TheSelectiveEye:GoogleStreetView
Iwouldliketocomparetwopictures.Thefirstisaclassicalpostcardlandscape[Fig.7];thesecondisa
resultofthemechanicalprocedureofphotographingbyGoogleStreetView[Fig.8].Thefirstoneis
carefullycomposed,andinawayitresemblesaviewfromaboveitisexternal,closed,framedwhile
thesecondonefromStreetViewmightseemlikethepostcard,butonlyatfirstsight.

Figure7.PhotobyClarissaPeterson,CCBYNCSA2.0(source:flickr).

Figure8.GoogleStreetViewscreencapture.TakenApril16,2013.

Bothpicturesarentinterestedinpeople(considerGooglesstrategyofdefacingpeopleappearingon
theirphotographs).Whereasthepostcardistheresultofchoosingarepresentativeview,theStreet
Viewphotographhasnoambitionofbecomingtherightandproperpicture.Neitheriscomposedclearly
enough.GoogleStreetViewisnotfocusedonthequalityofthepictures,butratherontheexperienceof
vision,ofviewingspace.Andthisexperienceisunderstoodanddisplayedasactive,continuous,fluid.Or
ratheritappearsso.AsGooglestillcannotfulfillitsfantasyofshowingeverythinginrealtimelikea
greatlivesurveillancevideosystem,itusesmontagetoconstructanillusionofmovement.The

incorporealeyeofGoogleStreetViewcanembracealargeangleofvision(360horizontallyand270
vertically).Itscrucialfeatureistheabilitytomovebetweenthesinglesuturedpictures,aswellasblow
upchosenelementsofthephotographs.Thesystem,however,haslimits.Afteracoupleofclicks,we
encountertheborderofvisibilityandarethrownback.Thiscontrastswiththeunlimitedmovement
forward.Onscreenthismoveisnotshownasswitchingfromonepicturetoanother.Thereisnot
blackedoutscreenandnovisualizationofuploadingthenextphoto.Thephotosaresewntogether,
andtheseamsarepreciselytheplaceswherenonhumanvisionisvisible.ToillustratethewayGoogle
StreetViewfunctions,IturntoapassagebyLevManovichfromhiswritingonnewmediaaesthetics:
The1990scompositingsupportedadifferentaestheticscharacterizedbysmoothnessandcontinuity.
Theelementswerenowblendedtogether,andtheboundarieswereerased,ratherthanemphasized.
Thisaestheticsofcontinuitycanbebestobservedintelevisionspotsandspecialeffectssequencesof
featurefilmswhichactuallyputtogetherthroughdigitalcompositing(i.e.,compositinginthenarrow,
technicalsense).
Wecouldalsowonder,whatarethesourcesofthiskindofvisionofvision.22
Theaestheticsofcontinuityiswhatbestcharacterizestherelationbetweensuccessivephotographsin
GoogleStreetView.Introducingmovementtotheview,theyconstituteacontinuum.23
TheRenaissanceoftheExhausted,ImperialLandscape
PhotographicprojectsbyartistslikeMichaelWolforJohnRaffman,whichcutoutsinglepicturesfrom
theoverwhelmingpanoramicimageofGoogleStreetView,demonstratehowoureyesperceiveand
recognizeviews,formsofpresentationandgenres,whicharealreadyknown.Raffmanchooses
photographsthatshowhowthemethodofphotographing,artlessandindifferent,doesnotremove
ourtendencytoseeintentionandpurposeinimages[http://9eyes.com/].24Viewersidentifythestyles,
situations,stories,andmotifsinGoogleStreetView,treatingthemasintentionallycreated.
ButperhapsthemostfruitfulandmostobviousanalogyherewouldbetheonecomparingGoogleStreet
Viewimagestoclassicallandscapepainting.Themythabouttheoriginsoflandscapepaintingisastory
ofemancipationfromothergenres.25Inthismyththeestablishmentoflandscapepaintingasan
independentgenre(itsemancipationfromfunctioningonlyasthebackgroundforasceneorportrait)is
aresultofmanyfactorsandprocesses.Oneofthemisthedevelopmentofanewunderstandingof
nature.Theotheristhedisengagementofthespectatorfromtheworld,aswellassuchpracticalissues
astheusefulnessofthisgenreintheevolutionoftechnicalartisticskills.26
Butthereisalsoanotherstoryabouttheoriginsoflandscapepainting,astoryofexclusion.Fromthe
exampleofGiorgionesTheTempest,wecanseehowagenrecanalsobedefinednegatively,through
thatwhichcannotbesaidaboutit.Giorgionespaintingdidnotalloweasyiconographicalinterpretation,
andsoitwaspronouncedthefirstlandscapepaintingoftheItalianrenaissance.27Thegenreisone
disconnectedfromastory,certainevents,orpeople.Thegenreestablishesanideologicallyconstructed
view,grantingthevieweraspecificposition.

LetmequoteafewoftheeightThesesonLandscapefromW.J.T.MitchellsessayImperial
Landscape:
1.Landscapeisnotagenreofartbutamedium.
2.Landscapeisamediumofexchangebetweenselfandtheother.
8.LandscapeasaparticularhistoricalformationassociatedwithEuropeanimperialismisan
exhaustedmedium,nolongerviableasamodeofartisticexpression.Likelife,landscapeis
boring;wemustnotsayso.28
Althoughtherelationbetweentheviewandthelandscapeisuncertain(stemmingfromthesamefamily
ofconcepts,theyarenotidentical,interchangeableorsymmetrical),manyofMitchellsthesescanbe
appliedtothecategoryoftheview.Iwouldespeciallyliketoconcentrateonthemediatorystatusof
theview.Suchanunderstandingoftheviewallowsustoreflectuponitsposition,place,andlocationin
aprocessoflooking.AsIhavetriedtoshowinmyanalysisofLiberaswork,theviewislocatedinvision
itself,inpracticesoflooking.Themediatingpositionofaviewwouldmeanthattheviewfunctionsasan
extensionofoureyes,andatthesametimeasthatwhichisinbetweentheretinaofaneyeandthe
surfaceofwhatisseen.
ByconceivingGoogleStreetViewasanenormouslandscape,Idonotaimtoplacethisformofimaging
inahistoricalcontext.Mygoalisnottocomparetheexperienceoftheviewerconstructedbythe
softwareandbytraditionallandscapepainting.WhatIwanttostress,however,istheideological,
imperial,andlessvisiblestrategiesofGoogleStreetView.ThesearevisibleinGooglesslogan,to
organizetheworldsinformationandmakeituniversallyaccessible,whichassumesnotonlyasimple
appropriationoftheworld,apictorialcolonization,butalsoitsstandardizationandsubordinationto
(postEnlightenment)systemsofvalue.Theseprocessesare,moreover,achievedthroughvisual
measures.
Mitchellmightberight,then,whenhewritesthatlandscapeisanexhaustedmediuminWesternart.
Althoughofcoursetheendoflandscapeismythical.IntoolssuchasGoogleStreetView,however,
landscapereinventsitselfasacommonandpopulartool,extremelypowerfulinitsubiquity.Itseems
muchmorepowerfulthananolder,modernformoflandscape:postcards.Asoureyesandourfingers
getaccustomedtoformsofGoogleStreetView,andthroughitsformstospecificviewsoftheworld,the
reembodimentofthelandscapenaturalizesitselfinourcontemporarymediascape.
Mitchellconcludeshistheseswithakeysentence:Likelife,landscapeisboring;wemustnotsayso.If
Imnotmistaken,heispointingtoJohnBerrymanspoemDreamSong14,asongofboredom,
perfectlyrenderingtheexhaustionofWesternsociety.
IconcludenowIhaveno
innerresources,becauseIamheavybored.

Peoplesboreme,
literatureboresme,especially
greatliterature,
Henryboresme,withhisplights&gripes
asbadasAchilles,
wholovespeopleandvaliantart,whichboresme.
Hisisalsoasongaboutlandscape:
Life,friends,isboring.Wemustnotsayso.
Afterall,theskyflashes,thegreatseayearns,
weourselvesflashandyearn.
Whatisleftforusiseitherthepositionexemplifiedbythesubjectsoptimistic,naivemother(Everto
confessyourebored/meansyouhaveno/InnerResources.)orthepassiveandhelplesssubject(and
somehowadog/hastakenitself&itstailconsiderablyaway/intothemountainsorseaorsky,leaving
/behind:me,wag.).Arethereanyotherpositionsavailableinfrontofanexhaustedmedium?29
1. SeeamongsomanyotherW.J.T.Mitchell,ed.,LandscapeandPower(Chicago:Universityof
ChicagoPress,2002,secondedition)andDenisE.Cosgrove,SocialFormationandSymbolic
Landscape(Madison:UniversityofWisconsinPress,1998).Althoughbothauthorsfavorthe
categoryoflandscape,theyshowitsclosedependenceonaviewaswellasthepracticeof
looking,andsituateboththeseconceptswithinabroadertopographicalrelationwithplaceand
space.
2. JeanBaudrillard,SimulacraandSimulation,trans.SheilaFairaGlaser(Michigan:Universityof
MichiganPress,1994),2.
3. RaymondRoussel,HowIWroteCertainofMyBooks,trans.TrevorWinkfield(NewYork:SUN,
1977).
4. CitedinBohdanBanasiak,RaymondRoussel,Soceekstazyinocmelancholii(Lodz:Thesaurus
2007).MuchofmyknowledgeaboutRaymondRousselsliterarypracticeisdrawnfromBodgan
BanasiaksexcellentbookonRoussel.
5. Withinhisdaytodaylife,Rousseldidntwanttointerferewithrealityinanyway.Forexample,
heorderedaspecialmodelofatruckcamperintheRollsRoycefactoryaroulette
automobile,thatallowedhimtotravelwithoutmovingfromhishome.
6. MichelFoucault,DeathandtheLabyrinth:TheWorldofRaymondRoussel,trans.CharlesRaus
(London:Continuu,,1986),18.

7. AlainRobbeGrillet,ZagadkiiprzezroczustouRaymondaRoussela,trans.(Polish)Ewa
Wieleyska,Literaturanawiecie910(2007).
8. SeeJ.Garrab,Martial,ouPierreJanetetRaymondRoussel,AnnalesMedico
Psychologiques,166(2008).
9. Here,IgiveashortsummaryofRousselsliteraturebyBogdonBanasiak,Soceekstazy.
10. AndreBreton,RaymondRoussel(18771933),trans.(Polish)EwaWieleyska,Literatura
nawiecie910(2007).
11. TheserieswasshowednexttoLaVueinasmallexhibitioninParistitlesNouvellesImpressions
dAfrique(NewImpressionsofAfrica),atitledonceagainderivedfromRoussels
literature.NouvellesImpressionsdAfrique,GallerieAnnedeVillepoix,Paris,November2006.
12. WalterBenjamin,TheWorkofArtintheAgeofItsTechnicalReproducibility,inTheWorkof
ArtintheAgeofItsTechnicalReproducibilityandOtherWritingsonMedia,ed.MichaelW.
Jenning,BrigidDoherty,ThomasY.Levin(Cambridge,MA:BelknapPressofHarvardUniversity
Press,2008).
13. Benjamin,TheWorkofArt,22.
14. UnlesswereadRousselinthespiritofPauldeMan,whoemphasizestheradical
incommensurabilityofliteratureandreality,butdoesntassumetheannihilatingpowerof
representations.
15. JeanBaudrillard,ProcessionofSimulacras,SimulacraandSimulation,3.
16. AGooglesearchdoesnotsearchtheinternet,ofcourse,butinsteaditsearchesitsowncatalog
oftheinternet.
17. W.J.T.Mitchellnotesthatanothergreathistoricalfantasyisnolongeramerefantasy,but
alreadyareality,namelythecloneunderstoodasalivingpicture.SeeCloningTerror:TheWarof
Images,9/11tothePresent(Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress,2011).
18. ThequestionsofpoliticalandideologicalimplicationsofGoogleareextremelyimportantand
discussedinabundance.SeeStevenLevy,InthePlex:HowGoogleThinks,Works,andShapes
OurLives(NewYork:Simon&Schuster,2011).
19. W.J.T.Mitchell,SpatialForminLiterature:TowardaGeneralTheory,CriticalInquiry6,no.3
(1980),541.
20. Ofcourseitisimpossible,unlessoneforexampleusescoloredfonts,asRousselwanted.
21. Anamorphosisforcestheviewertochangehis/herpointofviewtoseeproperlyandtosee
everything.Butchangingthepointofviewmeansloosingpartofthepicturefromonessight.
Thefigureofanamorphosismarkstheimpossibilityofthestabilizationofvisionand
completenessoftheseenobject,andthatisoneofthereasonswhyitbecamepopularinthe
domainofpsychoanalysis,startingwithJacquesLacansanalysisofTheAmbassadorsbyHans
Holbein.SeeJacquesLacan,TheFourFundamentalConceptsofPsychoanalysis,ed.Jacques
AlainMiller,trans.AlanSheridan(NewYork:W.W.Norton&Co.,1998).
22. LevManovich,LanguageofNewMedia(Cambridge,MA:MITPress,2002),142.
23. Itisworthmentioningthatthereisnothingtechnologicallynecessaryinthiswayofshowinga
shiftfromonepicturetoanother.GoogleStreetViewanditsconstructionoftheviewisa
fantasyaboutseeing,afantasyasfantasticassciencefiction,whichmaybeoneofthesources
ofthiskindofvision.
24. JohnRafman,9EyeofGoogleStreetView,www.9eyes.com,accessedSeptember30,2012.
25. CharlesHarrison,TheEffectsofLandscape,LandscapeandPower,213214.
26. SeeMartinWarnke,PoliticalLandscape(Cambridge,MA:HarvardUniversityPress,1994).
27. SeeDanLattieri,LandscapeandLyricisminGiorgionesTemptesta,ArtibusetHistoriae30
(1994).
28. Mitchell,LandscapeandPower,5.

29. TheauthoristhebeneficiaryofaStartGrantfromtheFoundationforPolishScience.