ways of seeing 2011

7/25/2019 Ways of Seeing 2011

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Ways of Seeing

A lecture based on the book of the

same title by art critic John Berger


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Ways of Seeing Part I


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Key terms

Image

History

Mystification


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Ways of Seeing

he !ay !e see

things is affected by

!hat !e kno! or

belie"e# We ne"er look at $ust

one thing% !e look at

our relationshi&

bet!een things and

oursel"es#


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Ways of Seeing

Image'(All images are man)

made

(An image is a sight!hich has beenrecreated orre&roduced

( *+am&les of images,

Paintings Photogra&hs

-ra!ings

A"atars


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Ways of seeing

./o other kind of relic or te+t from the &ast canoffer such a direct testimony about the !orld!hich surrounded other &eo&le at other times#0

We see art and are affected by a !hole series oflearnt assum&tions about art#( Beauty( ruth( 1enius

( 2i"ili3ation( 4orm( Status( aste5 etc


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Ways of Seeing

hese assum&tions obscure the &ast#

Berger6s definition of history'

( .7ut of true !ith the &resent5 theseassum&tions obscure the &ast8History

al!ays constitutes the relation bet!een a

&resent and its &ast#0

9et history is also clouded by a &ri"ilegedminority stri"ing to in"ent its o!n history#


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Ways of Seeing

he authoritati"e !ork to date :;


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*ach !oman s&eaks to us the human condition !ithe?ual im&ortance# *ach !oman stands out !ith e?ualclarity against the enormous dark surface5 yet they arelinked by a firm rhythmical arrangement and the subdueddiagonal &attern formed by their heads and hands#Subtle modulations of the deep5 glo!ing blackscontribute to the harmonious fusion of the whole andform an unforgettable contrast !ith the &o!erful !hitesand "i"id flesh tones !here the detached strokes reach a

peak of breadth and strength#


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Ways of Seeing

Background of &aintings'

( 4rans Hals'

@ years old

-estitute most of his life

2ommissioned to &aint the &ortraits in the Winter

1i"en charity of &eat to a"oid free3ing

hose !ho sat are the kee&ers of such charity( What affect might this ha"e on the &aintings,


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Ways of Seeing

7r consider


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Ways of Seeing

he authoritati"e te+t says'

( It has5 for e+am&le5 been asserted

that the egent in the ti&&ed

slouch hat5 !hich hardly co"ers

any of his long5 lank hair5 and!hose curiously set eyes do not

focus5 !as sho!n in a drunken

state#

( He continues to say this is a libel#

4ashionable to !ear hat like that 2ould be a facial &aralysis


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Ways of seeing

Mystification: he &rocess of e+&laining

a!ay !hat might other!ise be e"ident


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Ways of Seeing

Part II


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-efine the follo!ing'

;# Image'

( a sight !hich has been recreated or re&roduced

C# History'

( .7ut of true !ith the &resent5 these assum&tionsobscure the &ast8History al!ays constitutes the

relation bet!een a &resent and its &ast#0

D# Mystification'

he &rocess of e+&laining a!ay !hat might

other!ise be e"ident


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Ways of Seeing

oday !e see the art of the &ast as

nobody sa! it before# We actually

&ercei"e it in a different !ay#

Why,


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Virgin of the Rocks

Eeonardo da Finci/ational 1allery5 Eondon


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The Virgin and Child with St. Anneand St. John the a!tist

Eeonardo da Finci

/ational 1allery5 Eondon


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Ways of Seeing

he 2amera changed e"erything#

( Mr# Waterman sho!ed us this !ith the

Im&ressionists

7riginal &aintings !ere an integral &art of

a building for !hich they !ere designed#

( Michelangelo and the Sistine 2ha&el#

( Ho! has &hotogra&hy changed this,


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Ways of Seeing

Images can be s&liced and used for

s&ecific &ur&oses5 not the original

&ur&ose#

Because images are no! re&roducible5

they can5 theoretically5 be used by

anybody#


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Ways of Seeing

Mona Eisa by Eeonardo -a Finci

Why do &eo&le flock to the Eou"re to see

this,

Paintings no! tra"el to the s&ectator

rather than the s&ectator to the &ainting#

Its meaning is di"ersified#


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Ways of Seeing

he meaning of the original !ork no longer lies in!hat it uni?uely says but in !hat it uni?uely is#

A "isitor of the Mona Eisa might feel somethinglike this5 .I am in front of it# I can see it# his

&ainting by Eeonardo is unlike any other in the!orld# he Eou"re has the real one# If I look atthis &ainting hard enough5 I should someho! beable to feel its authenticity# his is authentic5therefore it is beautiful#0

hen5 !e &ut a dollar amount on it# It hasbecome im&ressi"e5 mysterious5 because of itsmarket "alue#


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This is the last painting Van Gogh painted before hecommitted suicide.


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ways of seeing 2011

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