John Berger
Born: 11-04-1926
John Berger was a multifaceted British writer and artist known for his critical exploration of art and society. Born in 1926, he gained prominence with his influential book "Ways of Seeing," which challenged traditional perceptions of visual culture. Berger's work spanned novels, essays, and art criticism, often weaving together themes of politics, human experience, and visual art. His unique perspective left a lasting impact on both literary and art communities.
Book summaries for books written by John Berger
Quotes
The relation between what we see and what we know is never settled.
Men act and women appear.
Seeing comes before words. The child looks and recognizes before it can speak.
Every image embodies a way of seeing.
The way we see things is affected by what we know or what we believe.
Publicity images create glamour by flattering the spectator.
The spectator-buyer is meant to envy herself as she will become if she buys the product.
We never look at just one thing; we are always looking at the relation between things and ourselves.
The past is never there waiting to be discovered, to be recognized for exactly what it is.
History always constitutes the relation between a present and its past.
Smoke, like memory, tends to linger long after its source has disappeared.
To watch smoke rise is to witness time made visible.