ways of seeing
John Berger’s “Ways of Seeing”
John Berger’s “Ways of Seeing” is an in depth look on art, the way people view it and the influences that traditional oil painting has had on society and modern day publicity. The beginning of the book goes into the issue of how people now look at art versus how people in the past look at art and how reproduction has effected this. The relationship between social status and the subjects of oil painting, particularly the female nude is discussed as well. Berger turns to modern day and explains the role that publicity takes in our daily lives and how it is modeled after the traditional oil painting of the past.
Berger embarks on the explanation of the different views of art from the 1500’s to modern day in this first chapter. Images are the most powerful communicator we have. There are things we cannot describe in words but that images can illustrate. The power images have also mystifies viewers. The artist is really the only one who knows exactly what was going on when the painting was made, viewers can only interpret. The mystery intrigues viewers to want more. The composition of the painting can often create the power a painting has, by having unity, harmony or contrast. During the time of traditional oil painting, from 1500-1900, paintings were prized because they were the only way to capture a moment in time and possess it forever. This all changed at the advent of the camera which has manipulated the way we look at art today. Art is now able to be reproduced and many people can view it, not solely an elite few. It also has the ability to change the entire meaning of a painting by placing it with certain texts or other paintings. With the reproduction, arts value has been placed aesthetically and monetarily on a different level then before. Authenticity is paramount now because of the threat of reproduction. On the other hand, art is more widely viewed and loved because of being about to put pictures in books, postcards or
John Berger’s “Ways of Seeing” is an in depth look on art, the way people view it and the influences that traditional oil painting has had on society and modern day publicity. The beginning of the book goes into the issue of how people now look at art versus how people in the past look at art and how reproduction has effected this. The relationship between social status and the subjects of oil painting, particularly the female nude is discussed as well. Berger turns to modern day and explains the role that publicity takes in our daily lives and how it is modeled after the traditional oil painting of the past.
Berger embarks on the explanation of the different views of art from the 1500’s to modern day in this first chapter. Images are the most powerful communicator we have. There are things we cannot describe in words but that images can illustrate. The power images have also mystifies viewers. The artist is really the only one who knows exactly what was going on when the painting was made, viewers can only interpret. The mystery intrigues viewers to want more. The composition of the painting can often create the power a painting has, by having unity, harmony or contrast. During the time of traditional oil painting, from 1500-1900, paintings were prized because they were the only way to capture a moment in time and possess it forever. This all changed at the advent of the camera which has manipulated the way we look at art today. Art is now able to be reproduced and many people can view it, not solely an elite few. It also has the ability to change the entire meaning of a painting by placing it with certain texts or other paintings. With the reproduction, arts value has been placed aesthetically and monetarily on a different level then before. Authenticity is paramount now because of the threat of reproduction. On the other hand, art is more widely viewed and loved because of being about to put pictures in books, postcards or