John Berger About Looking (1980) Berger’ style is his own, which makes reading him like learning a foreign language. He is most concerned with the meaning of art, less so with style, composition, technique, palette – the stuff of conventional criticism. He believes, passionately, that art matters because it can express the artist’s view of life. His question is always, What meanings does the artist express in his painting? And are these meanings socially valid or not? In his discussion of individual artists (Courbet, for example) he ignores art-historical ideas almost completely. He implies that valuing Courbet for his stylistic innovations misses the point.
He’s in good company. Most people want to know what an art work “means”, especially if it’s not obviously a genre painting, a pleasant landscape, or a recognisable portrait. This desire to understand art at some level that can be verbalised explains the popularity of Sister Wendy’s TV programs and books, for example. Anyone who takes art seriously sooner or later comes to some version of Berger’s and Sister Wendy’s belief in the significance of art. For myself, when I look at a painting, I want to see some evidence that the painter was compelled to make it, that he or she made the picture because not making it would have left a gap in the artist’s life. This is the difference between painting as a pastime and making art: the Sunday painter could just as well have spent time reading a book or playing golf.
Berger’s book is not an easy read. But he made me want to know more about some artists, to see more of their work, which is I think the best justification for art criticism. Recommended. ***
More at:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Berger
No comments:
Post a Comment