Ways of Seeing

"Discuss how CONTEXT has an effect on our understanding, our perception of art, of MEANING."

The meaning behind a work of art is dependent on many different aspects: the artist, the viewer, the setting and so on. It all depends on the context in which the artist creates his or her piece of art and when and by whom that work of art is viewed. In John Berger’s Ways of Seeing, he states that “[t]he way we see things is affected by what we know or what we believe” (8). What people know and believe depend on his or her own personal experiences, so the way in which a person sees and understands art varies. Therefore, the context is very important to take into consideration when exploring the understanding and meaning of art.

A good example of how context matters is when Berger discusses the importance of perspective and the invention of the camera. The perspective of the painting or drawing is that of the artist’s, so the artist is the one who creates the viewpoint (16). However, the invention of the camera allowed for everything to be captured, not just what the artist sees (18). Before the camera was invented, people relied on paintings and drawings in order to recreate and depict what they saw. However, all artists have different ideas and likings, so the focal points may vary. For example, if two artists were to be looking at the same landscape, one artist may focus on the texture and arrangement of the trees, whereas another artist may focus on the sky’s intensity. The ability of the artist to direct the focus is evident in the part of the book that discusses nude paintings and drawings. In many of the nude works of art, the artists show the women looking in the direction of who is viewing her to believe that she is nude for him (56). However, there are some artists that have strong bonds with the women that they are painting or drawing, so the attention of the woman is directed to the artist and not the viewer (58). The artist has the greatest influence on what the audience is to focus on in the painting or drawing.

Also, setting should be considered when exploring how context affects the meaning and understanding of art. A work of art created in the 1800s would be understood differently depending on the person, location, and time. If it were in the 1800s, the people of that time would be more familiar with what is being depicted in the painting. However, in today’s society, people who know more about that time would be able to better understand the context and meaning behind that work of art. This does not mean that a person has to know the history behind the work of art in order to appreciate it, but it helps when trying to fully understand that work of art. Thus, when it comes to understanding art, it depends on who created it, who viewed it, and the setting of both.