By the same token, however, professors assign Ways of Seeing to college freshmen because it is easy. Berger takes his readers beyond the visible, towards a closer understanding of the world as it really is-the one capitalism, patriarchy, and empire try to hide from you. It’s a book about art history and the media, but it’s also a magic trick. I did: Holding that dog-eared copy in my hands today, the book still seems to shiver with revelatory power.įor many Berger fans, Ways of Seeing represents the first time a book trusted them to see past the appearance of things. If you were into art as a teenager, you probably read it then. In the days since his death, Berger has been most widely eulogized for his 1972 BBC series Ways of Seeing, which was adapted into a popular book. He began teaching painting in 1948, and published his last book of essays, Confabulations, only last year. It spanned the second half of the long twentieth century and at least six different jobs (art historian, novelist, playwright, critic, teacher, painter). Our grief has been poured out widely, in proportion to his great generosity. John Berger died on Monday, a few weeks after turning 90.
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