A Quote On 'Seeing'

A long quote incoming:

And where do the symbols come from? From the years of childhood drawing during which every person develops a system of symbols. The symbol system becomes embedded in the memory, and the symbols are ready to be called out, just as you called them out to draw your childhood landscape.

...

To sum up, adult students beginning in art generally do not really see what is in front of their eyes -- That is, they do not perceive in the special way required for drawing. They take note of what's there, and quickly translate the perception into words and symbols mainly based on the symbol system developed throughout childhood and on what they know about the perceived object.

What is the solution to this dilemma? Psychologist Robert Ornstein suggests that in order to draw, the artist must 'mirror' things or perceive them exactly as they are. Thus, you must set aside your usual verbal categorizing and turn your full visual attention to what you are perceiving -- to all of its details and how each detail fits into the whole configuration. In short, you must see the way an artist sees.

--Betty Edwards, The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, p. 82

Edwards is obviously talking about pragmatic "how" of drawing here, but I found this quote remarkably in line with philosophical inquiry regarding seeing the world "as it is" and how our pre-built categories affect what it is we perceive when we look at the world.

Tagged: quote, art, philosophy,