Notes on 'Ways of Seeing' - Chapter 1 by John Berger

Introduction to Seeing

• Seeing and Words: Seeing precedes words. We recognize visually before verbal communication.
• Establishment of Place: Our perception of the world is visually established, words attempt to explain but can't alter this visual reality.
  • Example: The sun setting is seen, but the knowledge of Earth's rotation never perfectly aligns with the visual experience.

Influence of Belief and Knowledge on Seeing

• Beliefs Affect Perception: Historical context influences how sights are interpreted (e.g., fire's symbolism in the Middle Ages).
• Love and Perception: Visual perception of a beloved is unique and complete, beyond words.

The Act of Seeing

• Seeing as Active Choice: Seeing isn't just mechanical, it's an active process involving choice and engagement with the surroundings.
• Mutual Visibility: Awareness of being seen influences self-perception.

Images and Perception

• Images as Creations: Images are recreations of appearances, reflecting the creator's perspective.
• Photographs: Not purely mechanical; involve the photographer's selective vision.

Historical Context of Images

• Conjuring Absence: Images historically conveyed appearances of absent subjects.
• Record of Perspective: Images evolved to record how subjects were seen by others.
• Role of Individual Vision: Recognized since the Renaissance, emphasizing personal perspective in art.

Art and Cultural Mystification

• Assumptions in Art: Various cultural assumptions influence art perception (beauty, truth, status, etc.).
• Historical Mystification: Fear of the present mystifies the past, distancing art from its original context.

Case Study: Frans Hals

• Hals' Paintings: Portrayed governors and governesses with implied social and personality traits.
• Mystification in Art Critique: Art often mystified by overemphasis on technical composition rather than confronting social realities.

The Camera's Influence

• Perspective Shift: The camera changed visual perception, illustrating time's effect on images and altering traditional perspective conventions.
• Photography and Reality: Highlighted the relativity of visual experience.

Reproduction and Original Art

• Impact of Reproduction: Changes the meaning of art, dispersing it across different contexts and interpretations.
• Authenticity and Rarity: Originality now tied to rarity and market value.

Modern Use of Art and Reproduction

• Art in Reproduction: Used in diverse contexts, altering original meaning.
• Democratization of Images: Images have become widely accessible, challenging their traditional authority.
• Personal Meaning: Images selected personally hold relevance over traditional museum settings.

Conclusion

• Political Dimension of Art: Art's political implications in modern society relate to access and interpretation.

• Legacy of Walter Benjamin: Berger builds on Benjamin’s ideas about art in the mechanical age.

• Key Images Mentioned: Magritte’s "The Key of Dreams," Hals’ "Regents of the Alms House," Van Gogh’s "Wheatfield with Crows," etc.