Ways of Seeing

Ways of seeing - is a BBC series created by John Berger and Mike Dibb in 1972.  This four part television program, as it can be understood from the title, proposes alternative ways of interpreting artwoks of the western culture.

Primarily this series focuses on the meaning of oil paintings in social life of people up to the  moment photography was invented. It proposes the idea that not every painting has some deeper philosophical meaning and even if it did, it shouldn't necessarily be the one that most of the art critics define. John Berger suggests taking things shown on the canvas in a more literal way and at the same time making your own deductions as to the hidden meanings, based on your own experience.

Also, there is a book that is written as a companion to this program. Its content is much the same although there is both additional and missing information, compared to the content of the show.  This is mainly becauce different media has different possibilities and advantages. The book itself is a colaboration of five writers John Berger, Mike Dibb, Sven Blomberg, Chris Fox and Richard Hollis and it includes seven essays, three of which consist purely of images.

 

Unlike other critics, neither book nor tv series tells it's audience what to see. The author understands that his oppinion as any other's is only personal. This show only suggests a new way of interpreting art of the western culture and at the same time it tells us that we should take this point into consideration when forming our own opinions.