John Berger Ways of Seeing

For this weeks seminar we discussed a pictorial chapter from the influential book, Ways of Seeing, John Berger. Whilst discussing the chapter we had 4 questions to keep in mind. I have included in this post, what I felt were the most interesting questions and discussion about the chapter. As preparation for this session I watched Berger's thought provoking four part BBC series Ways of seeing, which I would recommend everyone who is interested in any form of visual arts to watch. The whole series is available on YouTube.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnfB-pUm3eI

Consider why Berger has produced a chapter in a book based solely on images?

One of the things we discussed is that text can be used to manipulate the meaning of images to make them fit an authors point or argument. Having a solely pictorial chapter Berger allows the readers to focus on the images, without distraction and draw there own interpretation and opinions. We are not persuaded or manipulated into particular ways of thinking.This theory also relates to Walter Benjamin's "The work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction" the problem is, with reproduced works of art is they loose original context and meaning "The cameraman, for example, intervenes with what we see in a way which a painting can never do. It directs the eye towards a specific place and a specific story; at the same time it is radical and revolutionary it is also totalitarian. It guides us to a particular side of a story and leaves other parts out. It dulls our perception towards the work of art and introduces distraction as a mode of reception." 

4. Following on from this how can the reading of these images change over time?

Our readings of images change with our culture, the context of the images are no longer dominant or relevant in our modern lives, we see them as history. Our experiences and advances in culture through the past change the way we view them.“During long periods of history, the mode of human sense perception changes with humanity’s entire mode of existence. The manner in which human sense perception is organized, the medium in which it is accomplished, is determined not only by nature but by historical circumstances as well” (Benjamin, 222).

This was a very interesting seminar and a great group discussion and I would recommend reading Ways of seeng . 


Quote sources: http://frankfurtschool.wordpress.com/2008/02/28/summary-the-work-of-art-in-the-age-of-mechanical-reproduction/