Berger Ways Of Seeing

Art might not be viewed the same way as another individual could. Some people could “see” or “look” at a painting, distinguishing their perspective or interpretation of an artwork. When I “look” at Alma Thomas’ Gray Night Phenomenon, it’s with a goal to identify what the art depicts. I would probably glance at the painting, not taking my time to analyze its different features. At first glance, I register the painting as simply a piece of artwork with a blue background and yellow specks in a pattern, however I don’t take much thoughtful processes to take place and bring emotions into viewing the piece. When one “looks” at something, it is more routine-like and to figure its function, without much appreciation of the artwork. In contrast to “looking”

“This is where you can find your soul, if you dare.” (Anderson, pg 10) This belief comes from the mind of the Melinda, the progantists, art teacher, Mr. Freeman. Art is truly a door to the mind of an individual, showing things that people aren’t able to say. It shows through images and colors what many people aren’t able to express in words, events and thoughts speaking through the medium. Art is growing as a use of therapy to heal and tell. Psychologists analyze their patients art at a psychological level, interpreting the image into words. One of the theories in art therapy, which is seen throughout “Speak”, is the idea that unconscious thoughts are expressed in an image. (Irvings)These images then can be explained rationally. Melinda’s three major art images, the half dead trees, turkey bone, and cubism represent this theory.

Students through the process of art appreciation will build connections through the exploration of textures, lines, colour and shape when describing, analysing, interpreting and judging the artworks before them (3 chosen images). They are asked to describe what they see, the artist’s use of colour, lines, shapes and texture. They then move onto analysing; what catches their eye, is the composition balanced and do the paintings look flat or do they have depth. The discussion then progresses onto interpretation where students are able to express what type of emotion they feel when looking at the pictures, perhaps the kind of sounds they might hear if they could step into it, and why they think the artist chose this particular subject to paint and what may have inspired the artist.

Using Berger as a guide for art description helped me to learn more about the painting

In this paper I will be describe how I interpret never before seen art pictures. I will discuss how they make me feel, what I think of them, and what region of the brain makes me feel this way, and lastly how this process helped me. First I will pick an artist I have not viewed before, I’ll look at the picture for two minutes observing everything I can. Then I will discuss how I perceive the painting.

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but maybe they are worth far more than that. Pictures, although seemingly simple in nature, are extremely complex. Far too often, people overlook what a picture truly is. When a person looks at an image, they most likely see only the image, nothing else. Many people do not look deep enough into an image to fully comprehend the true meaning of it. However, when an individual begins to truly study an image in an attempt to understand the true complexity of it, they will be surprised at what they overlooked before. As stated by French Realist Painter, Gustave Courbet, “Fine art is knowledge made visible.”

In one of Berger’s essays, he talked about the mystification of art. He stated that in order to understand art, one must understand the present to understand the history of art. He also argued that the reproduction of art has changed the meaning of art itself. For example, a recreation of a painting might be missing a lot of detail, in his case, the painting “Venus and Mars” becomes just a portrait. He also stated that when there are captions in the painting, it changes the meaning of the artwork and impacts the audience in a different way.

"The visual arts have always existed within a certain preserve; originally this preserve was magical or sacred. But it was also physical: it was the place, the cave, the building, in which, or for which, the work was made." (Berger, 32) The quote originating from John Berger's Ways of Seeing portrays that art is made to be preserved in its authentic context. Berger's quote purposes, seeing art in the context which the art was made for is the only way you can experience the art the way it was made to be experienced.

One of Berger’s main ideas in the Ways of Seeing first chapter is how the current technology in the forms of photos and videos reproductions of art have changed the way people see and experience it that “the relation between what we see and what we know is never settled” (page 3) that is why painter Magritte commented on this always- present gap between words and seeing in a painting called ‘The key of Dreams’ in 1898 - 19867. She argues that “We never look at just one thing” and “Our vision is continually active, continually moving, continually holding things in a circle around itself, constituting what is present to us as we are.” (page 3). He also argues that with reproductions, paintings lost their real meaning, since they can be seen in many different places, by different people, and correspondingly depart from the paintings that the painter originally expected the art to be viewed. Before such reproductions existed, the paintings

When you go to an art show do you understand the symbolic interpretation of the pieces? Don’t feel bad, most people don’t. What’s so upsetting about that is that you really miss out on the experience. When I think about interpretation of art I think of Andy Warhol. Andy Warhol’s use of iconography changed not only the art world but the people who came into contact with his art. Once you understand his life and art, you will understand his art as a symbolic representation.

Intrinsically intriguing as the artworks and themes are for many viewers, what lies with greater uniqueness is the visual context of art, as emphasized by Helena. Artworks, despite the era or time period, are always initially distinguished based on the surface; for example, what’s present and what’s going on. As I tour the Grohmann Museum with Helena, I was taught to look at the furthest distance in the portrait rather than the surface.

In “Ways of Seeing”, John Berger, an English art critic, argues that images are important for the present-day by saying, “No other kind of relic or text from the past can offer such direct testimony about the world which surrounded other people at other times. In this respect images are more precise and richer literature” (10). John Berger allowed others to see the true meaning behind certain art pieces in “Ways of Seeing”. Images and art show what people experienced in the past allowing others to see for themselves rather than be told how an event occurred. There are two images that represent the above claim, Arnold Eagle and David Robbins’ photo of a little boy in New York City, and Dorothea Lange’s image of a migratory family from Texas; both were taken during the Great Depression.

That is that power of postmodern art, its ability to challenge and original work of art while maintaining authorship. Like Levine, John Berger too believes that seeing is done with more than the physical eye and works of art carry both meaning and authorship. Berger uses oil painting in his book Ways of Seeing to explain art as a direct continuity which works towards enticing

Although examining art requires a huge knowledge, my intention in this essay is to analyze a piece of art, besides lyrics and the context, I’m going to examine it by following the steps presented by Alain de Botton.

Art can be both a truth and a lie depending on the ways of knowing and the way it is viewed and interpreted by the audience. ‘Art’ is a diverse range of human activities. This essay focuses primarily on visual arts, which include the creation of images or objects in fields with painting, sculpture, photography, and other visual media. It also explores literature, written works that are considered to have creative or artistic value. Pablo Picasso’s belief that, “ Art is a lie that brings us nearer to the truth” addresses how artists create meaning for the audience through their