New Ways of Seeing

I am not a big fan of non-fiction, but there are times when I have gone through it and actually liked it.  Being a student of media and photography, “Ways of Seeing” has come across me several times, as a chapter reading or as a YouTube video screened in a class discussion.  Even going through one or two chapters of Ways of Seeing, it provides you new ways to look at things that you have seen many times.  Eventually, after reading chapters and watching YouTube videos, I came across book Ways of Seeing finally. 

Ways of Seeing  is book written by John Berger and Mike Dibb. It explains and argues about the way we look at visual images and criticizes traditional Western cultural aesthetics by raising questions about our ways of seeing. It started as a BBC four-part television series of 30 minutes, and later converted into a book by John Berger.
           The books consist of seven different essays, out of which four essays use words and images. Remaining three just use images to justify topics. Ways of Seeing has been used as a text for studies of visual culture and art history. This book was first published by Penguin Publication in 1972 in United Kingdom,which consisted of 166 pages. John Berger’s Ways of Seeing is an in-depth look on art, the way people perceives it and how the traditional paintings and the modern day publicity have interpreted new images of women and sexuality.
                In the book, Berger compares and explains the different views of art from 15th century to modern day. According to writer, images are the most powerful means of instant communication that human have developed; since it’s really difficult to describe the essence of pictures  in words, it  mystifies viewers-sometimes it also creates an illusion to viewers.Nevertheless,it gives a certain realm for viewers to interpret the way they want to see the pictures. But again, people interpretation of arts differs from place to place, culture to culture and human to human, based on their vision, experiences and cultural backgrounds. In the book, writer argues that the invention of camera has changed traditional value of art forever. With the reproduction of photographs, arts have lost its aesthetic importance,since it is available for advertisements and merchandises, and can be manipulated to disseminate different ideas and messages

                          Berger’s observations on women and sexuality are another important parts of this book, which are unique and thought provoking. According to writer, the typical female nude is painted with the assumption of male presence.  The women are posed in a way to please eyes of the viewers; either it is a painting from 15th century or an advertisement posted on a billboard. Women are viewed not only by male but are constantly surveyed by women themselves. Berger thinks naked and nude are totally different thoughts .Naked is being naked by one self, without being objectified, where as nude is being viewed as an object of sexuality and pleasure. Nude images of women are for men to have pleasure. In return women do not get anything. Berger points out hypocrisy of this idea. He writes,  “The surveyor of woman in herself is male: the surveyed female. Thus she turns into an object-most particularly an object of vision: a sight (p.47).”   
      According to Berger, the art of publicity and advertisement does not ask the question, and answer about present existence of human and humanity. They are more concerned about either past or future.He says, “Publicity is essentially event less...situated in a future continually deferred( P.153).”
              Ideas of publicity have been influenced from the traditional oil painting and materialism, which we can see everywhere in modern day advertisement. Modern advertisement does not show what viewers want to see, instead they show what they think is important and valuable. Berger explains the different between glamour and grace, and complains that today's glamour is nothing but showing off the materials other people do not have. He thinks that images of women and sex have been used a lot in media industry since it appeals to both male and female. 

 When Ways of Seeing was published, it was an instant hit for its new perspectives and observations towards western culture and civilization.  Many critics considered this book partially a response to Kenneth Clark’s Civilization series, which is considered more traditional and conservative views of the western artistic and cultural trend.
          According to critic, Professor Katharine  Reeve, John Berger’s  project was both revolutionary and educational which questioned everything from the representation of gender and politics of patronage to the absences of women artists and female academics.
Many critics complain Ways of Seeing as being too radical and Marxist, since it is one of the rare instances where gender is given serious consideration and male -female power relations are shown in term of patriarchy.
          Even though  some  people were critical about  Ways of  Seeing , many  art critics and historian  took this  books as a new vision  and standard in field of  art education. Ways of Seeing   is definitely a must read book for students of art and media.


YouTube Links for Ways of Seeing  Part I