A Cultural History
Interview with Fay Bound-Alberti about her book The Face: A Cultural History. Arugues that the face is a technology whose meaning and perception have evolved with human society. Historically, most people never saw their own faces, with widespread access to mirrors only becoming common in the 19th century. Renaissance art marked a shift towards depicting individual faces, moving beyond symbolic representation. Modern technology, from photography to social media, has intensified the focus on facial appearance, leading to a pervasive culture of beauty ideals and aesthetic pressure. Also discusses prosopagnosia – a condition affecting face recognition – and the social implications of technologies like facial recognition.
