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Ways of Seeing

Ways of Seeing

John Berger's Ways of Seeing changed the way people think about painting and art criticism. This watershed work shows, through word and image, how what we see is always influenced by a whole host of assumptions concerning the nature of beauty, truth, civilization, form, taste, class and gender. Exploring the layers of meaning within oil paintings, photographs and graphic art, Berger argues that when we see, we are not just looking - we are reading the language of images.

Created ByJohn Berger
StatusEnded
Original NameWays of Seeing
First Air DateJanuary 8, 1972
Last Air DateJanuary 29, 1972
Seasons1
Episodes4
Episode Runtime 0min
LanguageEnglish
Original LanguageEnglish
Production CountriesUnited Kingdom
Production Companies
NetworksBBC Two
Commercial Art
S01E04

Commercial Art

In the fourth programme, on publicity and advertising, Berger argues that colour photography has taken over the role of oil paint, though the context is reversed. An idealised potential for the viewer (via consumption) is considered a substitution for the actual reality depicted in old master portraits.

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