Meinig, D. W. "The Beholding Eye: Ten Versions of the Same Scene." In The Interpretation of Ordinary Landscapes: Geographical Essays, edited by D. W. Meinig and John Brinckerhoff Jackson. New York: Oxford University Press, 1979.
In "The Beholding Eye: Ten Versions of the Same Scene," D. W. Meinig explains the causes behind varying perceptions of the same landscape. To him, a landscape is "composed of not only what lies before our eyes but what lies within our heads." When looking at any particular scene, viewers incorporate their own beliefs, values, hopes, and fears (to name a few) into their assessments of the landscape. Each viewer wears a unique pair of glasses, with unique lenses, in which to "see" the scene. Meinig counts ten different lenses: landscape as nature, habitat, artifact, system, problem, wealth, ideology, history, place, and aesthetic. Each description is socially constructed by the viewer. Finally, Meinig cautions us to be aware of our biases yet continue to promote open communication of our various interpretations. [M. Murphy]