John Berger “ways of seeing”



The first subject of the video is an analysis of how reproduction has change personal perceptions of art. What in the past was appreciated by a few at an art museum is now available to a wide variety of people who can give artistic expressions personal meanings depending on the surroundings and the way that reproductions are used. Art can now be used together with print to communicate different ideas. When watching this video, I remembered a print add from Colgate toothpaste that has The Mona Lisa with a bright white smile. Art has also become more accessible and we can see it in everyday objects. For example, the National Art Gallery in Washington DC sells in its giftshop items illustrated with Van Gogh’s The Starry Night, that range from bags, to puzzles, to umbrellas. The interpretation of art can also be influenced by its surroundings. The feelings that I could have about a Goya’s painting hanging at a doctor’s office in my neighborhood will be different from those that I get from watching La Maja painting in an art gallery in Madrid.
The second concept in the video that is noteworthy, is the realization that art is not static and silent but can express different messages. In the video, we can see the effect that a camera can have on our perception of art if only one portion of the art is used at a time. Zooming in on one part and not the whole can communicate different experiences and focus on different intentions of the author. Elements can also be added to an artistic expression to change the feelings of the viewer and the perceptions of the piece. For me, one important element was the changes in perception caused by observing art while listening to music. For example, in the video there is a painting of a group of man seating around a table. When the painting is shown while a high tempo opera is playing, it can be interpreted as a family meal gathering where a heated discussion is taking place. The same image is shown next while sacred music is played. In this last case we can interpret the painting as a meal with the Apostles and Jesus. Therefore, the background music has altered my perspective and interpretation of the art piece.
All of these examples lead to one conclusion: art has become more “personal”.

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