Ways of Seeing (Role 1)

In general, the video ‘John Berger / Ways of Seeing’  gives us different examples on how our views on anything, or on paintings in this case, are altered with the main cause being the use of the camera.  One of the points that interested me more was starting at minute 19:32 where John Berger states “The meaning of an image can be changed according to what you see beside it or what comes after it” and it shows how easily influenced one is when a different context is given to someone such as with the Goya painting the video uses as an example by first using a clip with women dancing and the upbeat music that once the image appears it feels like it has less of a serious meaning. However, once they show the next clip with no audio then the image it gives a deeper meaning and relating it to the clip, even more, based on the upsetting feeling the clip would give. Anything can alter the meaning of a painting it can move it away from what it means or bring it closer. To other maybe it won’t it could be due to prior knowledge of the painting that the meaning of the painting can just stick and stay the same even if there is a painting with a completely different meaning or maybe it can still influence in giving a different view  or bring out a different aspect of the painting giving another alteration to a painting and our way of seeing it.

1 Reply to “Ways of Seeing (Role 1)”

  1. Ways of seeing part 2
    In the video linked with episode two by John Berger talks about how “to be naked is to be oneself, to be nude is to be seen naked by others and yet not recognized for oneself. A nude has to be seen as an object to be a nude” (4:12) Connecting this idea of nudity he brings in the example with the painting of Adam and Eve and the example with the man giving the most attractive girl the apple. The way the camera pans tells the story the way the speaker wants us to interpret it, with the audio it also changes what we think is going on and we begin to become guided by it. Adding on to what you said about how “anything can alter the meaning of a painting” and prior knowledge. The audio clip influences the way we see the painting preventing us from making our own interpretation.

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