Final answer:
Jessica Winegar's anthropological research focuses on selective presentation of Middle Eastern art in U.S. galleries influenced by Eurocentric perspectives and displays shaped by orientalism, with Western art at the center and other regions' art at the periphery.
Step-by-step explanation:
Anthropologist Jessica Winegar's analysis suggests a selective presentation of Middle Eastern art in United States art galleries, where 'good' Middle Eastern art is typically exhibited. This curation process tends to privilege certain media and artistic productions, often influenced by Eurocentric art historical perspectives that distinguish between 'craft' and 'fine art' based on the artist's identity and the medium rather than on intrinsic artistic qualities. This is a manifestation of the ongoing 'center-periphery' model where Western art maintains centrality and other regions are marginalized.
Understanding the portrayal of Middle Eastern art and artists in the context of orientalism is important. Orientalism characterizes Middle Eastern societies in contrast to European rationality, often in an exotic and mystified way. Furthermore, the rebranding of galleries, such as those of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, reflects an effort to address these representations by emphasizing regional and individual cultural styles instead of the general and sometimes misleading term 'Islamic Art'.
In summary, the image that would represent the type of art discussed would likely depict works that conform to the accepted narratives shaped by Western historical art convention, often marginalizing other forms of expression deemed as 'craft' or outside the Western canon of 'fine art.'