Reading

Ways of Seeing by John Berger

This small book first published in 1972 is an accompanying book for a BBC documentary with the same name. The documentary is not available on DVD, but can be found on YouTube.

It provides some thought provoking ideas on how we perceive art. It starts off by stating seeing comes before words and goes onto explain that different social upbringings will have an impact on how we see. It explains that humans live in a world of visual imagery – making it all the more important to understand the way we see.

The book is split up into several different essays and can be read in any order. There is even one essay that consists only of images, leaving it up to the seer to interpret it in their own way.

The book questions our view of art and how images have been used throughout history. Coincidentally, I’m also reading Photography at the Dock by Abigail Solomon-Godeau that also addresses the same topic in the particular chapter I’m reading, but in a far more in depth manner and from a slightly different perspective.

I think every artist or photographer goes through a stage (a long stage in my case) in their learning where they are looking for answers to ‘What makes a good photograph?’ I have to admit to being slightly disheartened with my interpretation of the contents of these two books, probably because I come from a mostly practical upbringing and was looking for a technical answer. Of course there usually is a technical aspect to some of the most valuable photographs or paintings, but often a more commercial and sinister aspect.

The 50 Most Influential Photographers by Chris Dickie

This is another small book that perhaps should be read at Level 1 or 2 courses. Having just come across it and finding it to contain some useful references to some of the most important photographers, I decided to buy it.

I highly recommend it for students who still have to decide on which famous photographers they may wish to study more about. There are hundreds of famous photographers but far fewer who it can be said have really changed the way people photograph today. This book gives you a brief introduction to 50 of those photographers. It acts as a convenient reference and starting point for deciding which photographer appeals to you the most.

As stated in the ‘Ways of Seeing’ it’s important to understand how we see. It’s equally important to understand why we photograph the way we do and this small book will hopefully give you some insights.