project 2 Fetishising the object of your eye

Scopophila derives from Freud's 'sopicdrive'  the infants drive to pleasurable viewer.  This concept is further expanded by Freud's  'primal scene'( i.e. male child unseen by parents watching them copulating, also Lucan's  'mirror stage' (when the boy child realises he is different to his mother).

Voyeurism - meaning viewing the activities of other (unknown to them) and fetishism (in film, the over- investment of other parts of the body) usually through another's eyes.are two strategies adopted by males to counteract the fear of sexual difference, both of which have illicit connotations.

Question 1

The importance of looking and seeing has significance not only in the present day culture but also through history evident in i.e. gorgon: Oedipus - blinded as a punishment.  The project has helped in my way looking in a ritualistic way.  Such as went we visit an art gallery we look for recognition and substitution of what is missing in the exhibits.  Looking also signifies identification and we try to identify with the exhibits in the gallery.  I wonder if the environment of the art gallery allows us a safe place to do this? 

The articles do suggest that staring at someone is a best bad manners and even worst threatening in some ways to look is to show power.

Freud suggests that desire is crucial to looking ( i am not sure I agree with this).the scopophilic instinct is a sexual one.  Pleasure is looking as an object be it painting, china, buildings etc. to try and share its experience.

Some people feel the need to watch television to search for what is missing in their lives and also for identification (ocular interjection) due to the mirror and self image. I think we watch television because we learn from documentaries, etc and find pleasure in others i.e. comedy etc.

I do not think everyone has visual fetishes in relation to sexual gratification in way view (the way I was bought up those avenues were not entertained.  If we were to use a simplified and de-sexual view of fetish, "to replace something with something else" then I would agree that a city dweller could possibly substitute an image of countryside over living in the city.

I think that in general most people would keep images of family wedding etc in the form of either photos and videos as they bring back happy memories and as a memento of happy times.  The importance here is the mirror and self image which could play a greater role in keeping such images.