Discourse on Ways of Seeing by John Berger - Emily Mc Ewan - Waiting for the Barbarians PDF

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Discourse on "Ways of Seeing" by John Berger - Emily McEwan 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 posters. Since art is so widely accessible famous works are being quoted or appropriated for other works of art, advertisements, and merchandise. The way art is viewed has changed dramatically over the course of a hundred years due to technology and social change. The social meaning of art has always been a dynamic part of art. The masterpieces have always been a symbol of stature, class, culture and education. The subjects of paintings have their own social meaning. The typical female nude painting of traditional oil painting period seems modest compared to what we encounter today, but it is also similar to many photographs today. The typical female nude is painted with the assumption of a male presence, whether in the painting or the viewer as the male presence. The woman is usually posed in a way to please the viewer, her gaze is meant to entice the viewer, and this notion is the same in modern day advertisements and photographs. Berger comments that a woman unconsciously acts in a way knowing she is being viewed. Women are constantly being surveyed, not only by men but by other women, and by themselves. The notion of being viewed is made obvious in the nude paintings. Naked and nude are two separate ideas, the author points out. Naked is being by ones self and naked, without being viewed as an object. Nude is being viewed as an object of sexuality or pleasure. The nude paintings were specifically for men to view as pleasure images. Men could look at this beautiful nude and gain reassurance of their manhood. In return the female gets nothing, this painting seems as if it is about her, but it is not. In fact the artist typically does everything in his power to remove any power she may have, even sexually by removing all body hair. The painting is all about the owner/viewer, the man. The artist may use a mirror for the nude to gaze into, so she also turns into a viewer of herself. The mirror is a symbol of vanity, making the woman vain. Berger points out the hypocrisy of this idea, the woman is vain because she is viewing her self, but the painting is made for the man to view her. Of course Berger explains there is always an exception to the rules and there were masters who created a very

unique painting where it was all about the woman and the loving position of the artist. This was a rarity and these pieces are very revered today for that reason. Berger classifies the women in nude paintings as objects, since that is how they are seen by the artist and the viewer, but objects in paintings also benefited the viewer/owner. Since paintings were already a sign of status and class, the owner wanted to make sure the objects in the painting benefited them through their symbolic meaning. Artist started using metaphysical symbols such as realistic skulls which represented death. These symbols rarely fit into the static materialism way of painting. The illusionism and symbols is what made oil painting stand out from other forms of visual art, and why it was so popular. A portrait could reveal a multitude of characteristics and tastes of the sitter. Reality was being measured by materials in the time of traditional oil painting. Art was just one way to measure reality even though it rarely depicted actual reality. The reality in paintings was supposed to benefit the owner or the sitter in making other people believe the painting depicts owner/sitter.s worth. Oil paintings were to appearances as money was to social relations the author points out. Religious paintings were very popular to show the .moral. standing of the owner, but even these paintings were guilty of provided pleasure for the viewer. Female figures were still posed for the eye of the male viewer even though they were meant to be holy and pure. Anything that could be a status symbol or improve the look of the owner was painted, from food to animals, landscapes to portraits. Rarely was an object painting just because, there was always a self serving purpose behind it. Two of Rembrant.s self portraits are examined to see if they fall into this category. The first, a portrait of him and his new wife, is noted as an advertisement for the artists happy successful life. Later in his life he did another portrait, this is not like the latter. The portrait is solemn and true with his individual style penetrating this painting. This is not an advertisement for his life, this is a question of existence. The art of publicity in the modern day does not ask about existence but asks about your future .Will you be happy?. It looks into the past and refers to the future to make people feel like they need certain things in order to be happy. Publicity takes this idea of materialism and advertising one.s things from traditional oil painting and applies it to modern day advertising. Instead of showing the things that the viewer has, publicity shows what they need in order to be happy. Somehow buying these products will make the viewer happier in the future. Advertising skips the presents it uses popular art from the past or events to convince the viewer they will be happier in the future if they possess this material. The concept of envy and glamour is introduced; these make people happy by having something others don.t. Berger explains the different between glamour now and grace and elegance in the past. There was no glamour in the past. Today glamour is showing off the materials you have that other people do not have and want. Envy is key in advertising it makes people want what the person in the advertisement has; therefore being unsatisfied with their present state. Women and sex are used profusely in advertisement since it appeals to both women and men. Men want the women and the sex and the women want to be the women. This idea of women and sex ties into the beginning of the book; where the women in the advertisements are used for the exact purpose that the female nude was used in traditional oil paintings. Berger paints a grim picture of the effects of traditional oil painting and publicity on the lives of people. It is too often used to promote materialism and individual prosperity and envy. The subjects in oil painting and advertisements are just tools for the constant need to possess certain objects. - Emily McEwan...