"Ways of Seeing"

The first episode of "Ways of Seeing" as narrated by John Berger introduces a new way of thinking about art and it's perspective. Many factors influence the way that a piece of art, whether it be a painting, sculpture, book or even a song, is viewed by whomever is observing it. This video made me wonder if the way I view art in different settings or circumstances changes the feeling I may receive from the art. Yet, it makes logical sense that different people will obviously view art in different ways depending on the setting, in which I found this to be somewhat similar to the Italo Calvino article.
It was interesting when John Berger began to explain the idea of the camera in regards to art and how it may change the feeling. I somewhat feel like taking a photo of a painting for example does not allow the viewer to fully emerge themselves into the art form. One of my most favorite parts of going to art museums is having the ability to stand up close to a piece of art and really examine the brush strokes. I feel like when someone just snaps a photo of a piece of art they short themselves the experience of maybe a deeper understanding of the time and effort and precision that went into the creation. This was portrayed to me when I visited the Mona Lisa during my trip to France. Nobody was actually standing and admiring the painting, people were only snapping photos or taking selfies with it with a selfie stick. I remember feeling a sense of profound sadness while trying to view the artwork, because something so world-renown and beautiful deserves to be treated with respect, yet those around me were just snapping pictures to be able to have a story to tell. There is a great deal that someone may not get just by looking at a painting in a photograph or on the internet.    


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