What of a scene is known through perspectival change? — Look at the scene from different standpoints and perspectives. Circumspect. Circle the scene and look from multiple standpoints and notice what is concealed behind. Move closer and further. Particular objects enlarge and recede, individually but always in obedience to the whole. See what is so subtle it is invisible from a distance. See what must be taken in from a distance to be seen at all. See how one perspective shifts into another as you move.

What of a scene is known through illuminative change? — Illuminate the scene with different lights and at different angles, or with several different lights at several different angles. Diffuse the light, direct it. Concentrate it and spotlight particular regions. See what features of the scene stand out, and how the scene as a whole is affected by how it is illuminated.

What of a scene is known through manipulative change? — Move the objects in the scene around. Decompose. Dissect. Disassemble. Analyze. Recompose. Hold objects in your hands and inspect them. Take objects apart and see how they’re made. Put it all back together.

What of a scene is known through intermediary change? — Looking at the view through a different lens. Look through different diffracting, diffusing, distorting, focusing and coloring filters. Compare. Take in less, take in selectively, and take in more.

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Seeing from multiple perspectives gives a person a different perspective on perspectives. Seeing in different lights illuminates illumination. Manipulation decomposes compositions into composed composable elements. Intermediated vision interposes an intermediating awareness of intermediation that can never be completely removed.

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Perception always adds and subtracts. It is precisely these modifications that distinguish perceiving something and staring into chaos.

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If the scene is known strictly in terms of the objects that compose it, what is lost? What sneaks in?

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Imagine a stationary spectator observing the scene. What could you show him of the scene that he doesn’t already have?

We could bring him different lenses to look through.

We could carry certain objects to him and allow him to inspect them.

We could spotlight certain parts of the scene, show them in different colored lights, or illuminate the whole scene as evenly as possible.

We could hold up a mirror and show him how the scene looks standing at various standpoints.

What exactly gets shown in each of these examples, and what remains hidden?

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What do scientists show us? Poets? Painters? Friends? Authorities? Philosophers? Novelists? Researchers? Biographers? Autobiographers?

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If you hold up a mirror to show the spectator a view of the scene that includes himself observing it, what does the spectator learn? What does he learn about the scene, about himself, about being a spectator, about observation?

When he looks at the scene in the mirror, does he see the scene as he would if were observing it from the mirror’s standpoint?