kiji John Berger’s “Ways of Seeing”: An Exercise in Demystifying Visual Power
John Berger's Ways of Seeing is a classic exercise in demystifying visual culture. This article analyzes its four core concepts: 1) How reproduction and context change an image's meaning; 2) The tradition of oil painting as an "aesthetic of ownership" and the "Nude" as a body organized by the male gaze; 3) How advertising functions as modern oil painting by manufacturing "envy"; 4) The demystification of art to reclaim viewer agency. It also explores the book's long-term impact on visual culture and feminist criticism.