Ways Of Seeing.
John Berger - Ways of Seeing.
Ways of seeing is a 1972 tv series, produced by Mike Dibbled and created by John Berger.
Broadcast on BBC TWO, also adapted into a book, published by Penguin Books.
It gives the viewers his unique take on how we view art. in particular how we view paintings and pictures
How will publicity change our lives?
Berger says, - 'Publicity proposes to each of us in a consumer society that we change ourselves or our lives by buying something more.' -
In saying this I believe he means publicity is trying to sell us a whole package, a dream that using and buying their product will some how give them another form of lifestyle. a transformation of some type, just from buying into a product.
We put value into items and objects due to advertising, publicity and other social influences giving ourselves small term satisfaction and a false feeling of greater well to show off yet we are technically becoming poorer by buying into advertised items.
The relationship between the oil painting and colour photography
- Both are creative forms of expression.
- Both are ways to put across a message.
- Both can be ways of telling a story.
- Oil paintings were used to depict a view of real life at the time, who the person is and what they have done.
- Colour photography can still do the same as the oil painting purpose but also can be altered and edited to present a false narrative with out of reach standards, fooling consumers into buying into a product a lot of the time also endorsed by influence people and current trends endorsed by society in general.
Three dreams:
- dream of later tonight: being surrounded by what brings you pleasure
- the dream of a faraway place: using your thoughts to imagine being somewhere you're not.
- the skin dream: the surface you can touch
Publicity works on anxieties in two ways - these are:
- Ego - what you think of yourself
- Status - what others think of you
