"Seeing Sherrie Levine" - Sierra

The article “Seeing Sherrie Levine” was definitely not what I expected. The topics discussed in this essay ranged from mundane to somewhat explicit. Levine’s photographic techniques and style are so unique that I still have trouble actually understanding where some of her ideas come from. I found the statement, “Levine’s rephotographs initiate and retrace “a crisis of phenomenality,” a sight of scene that “can no longer be simply perceived, but rather read and interpreted” reminiscent of what we were discussing in class (128). Viewing rephotographed pictures makes the observer see the image from a different perspective and actually question why the image was important in the first place. Although I still find it odd that Levine photographed other artists’ images, I think, while causing some controversy, her process elevated the importance of the original photographs.
I also found the comparison between Levine’s photographs and pornography interesting. The author stated that pornography directly addresses the viewer (150). This differs greatly from Levine’s images in that her pictures are of other images, so the viewer does not connect directly with it. When looking at Levine’s images, the viewer is not directly seeing the original, for there is a layer between the original image and the observer. It is almost as if it is being seen through somebody else’s point of view. Levine’s style allows people to see famous images from a different perspective and makes the viewer appreciate the original even more.