Series Foreword

Visual culture has always been central to meaning making, and most recently technology has catapulted its global stakes. Today there is greater access and exposure to visual culture than ever before, outpacing our ability to reflect upon its implications. In response to the need for diverse perspectives on the growing impact of visual culture, the MIT Press began work on a new book series in 2018. Conceived over several years of research and intensive discussion with international scholars, the On Seeing series emerged with a commitment to increase visual literacy.

In 2022, the MIT Press and Brown University Digital Publications announced a partnership to launch the series, with inclusivity and access as driving motivations. Books in the On Seeing visual culture series are published in print and in open access, media-rich digital editions to serve the widest possible audience.

Defined by rigorous research, bold positions, and cultural relevance, On Seeing publications shape new conversations about how we see, comprehend, and participate in visual culture, and how we can do so with informed agency. The diverse authors of On Seeing investigate the ways that power relations are inscribed in the visual, and they develop knowledge about how what we see—and what remains hidden from view—is related to justice.

Founding Organizers: Victoria Hindley, Commissioning Editor, MIT Press, and Allison Levy, Director, Brown University Digital Publications

Editorial Collective: Shahzad Bashir, Lisa Cartwright, Stefanie Hessler, and Trica Keaton