Ways of Seeing Essay
The depth of art and the value of these works have been debated throughout time. One of the fundamental pinnacles of a civilization, be it prehistoric or modern, has always been art and artistic renditions of important places and figures. A hefty question remains for the discoverers of these archives – are things actually as they seem within the paintings or photographs, or are they devoid of truth and tell a more emotional story? Each piece of art, according to John Berger “is affected by what we know or believe.” (Berger, 8) Alice Elizabeth Chase seems to find a slightly different meaning to art, using several examples of cultural art to imply that the artist has full control of what we see. She believes their art is affected by their personal beliefs and those beliefs can be examined and identified. Although these principles seem to differ at the core, both authors feel as though each moment portrayed through art is significant in one way or another to the artist. Each moment captured has a meaning beyond face value since it outweighed every other moment in time that the artist could have portrayed.
In John Berger’s book, Ways of Seeing, it is assumed that all art is significant in that the artist saw something deeper in the moment they portrayed. Cameras, despite their harsh reality, are still considered tools of art because the photographer chose a single moment in the everlasting string of time. Alice Elizabeth Chase finds a problem with photographs, claiming, “people get in each other’s way; one person’s shoulder hides another person; shadows blot out detail…the result often looks stiff and unnatural.” (Chase, 35) The dependence on and flow of increasing technology creates a problem for modern art. By Chase’s standards, photography is not to be considered true art due to the unnaturalness of the products. For future artists, it becomes a challenge to capture something as natural as oil and canvas due to the sheer convenience of photography. A simple click can replace hours upon hours of man’s true commodity: time.
Both authors seem to agree that art is a fundamental part of society, sometimes exceeding the importance of written work. Viewpoints can be displayed in a way that a hundred-page novel cannot begin to express. The impressions of a whole generation to the upper class can be demonstrated in subtle strokes of a brush and even the simplest facial expression or added detail can create a plethora of interpretations.
The meaning of art to civilized society is infinite. Symbolically, it represents the thought process of an underrepresented voice. Despite differing opinions, art is what the examiner makes of it. It can mean one thing to the artist and a completely different thing to someone in the future. In an age where language barriers are still apparent, art has displayed the perfect means of communication, whether it be between decades, centuries or generation.
Chase, Alice Elizabeth. Looking At Art. New York City, NY: Thomas Y Crowell Company, 1966.
Berger, John. Ways of seeing. London: British Broadcasting Corp. :, 1972. Print.
