John Berger was in a TV show and a book and shown how what we see is influenced by a host of assumptions when nature of beauty, taste, gender and more is concerned.
Berger explored the visual world of painting, photography and graphic art to explore the ideology of images.
Susan Sontag said that a photograph is not just an image it is an interpretation of what is real. I agree with this, but I also believe that images don’t always have to be an exact interpretation. Photography has come a long way even since 1977 and there are so many different genres, some things are realistic and some things aren’t.
Both Sontag and Berger looked at different aspects when it came to the contexts of images. They were very critical of ideas and assumptions in photographs.
Berger and Sontag show the ideologies that are present in subjects of photographs and in the task of photographing itself.
“We only see what we look a, to see is an act of choice.”
I very much agree with this; one can look at an image and see only certain elements because their mind is telling them that is all they can see, yet someone else can see the whole picture and see more meanings.
Ideology is a collection of beliefs held by individuals, groups or societies, It is described as a set of conscious and unconscious ideas which make up the beliefs goals and expectations. It is a comprehensive normative vision that is followed by people that considered it the correct way.
It is also a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of society.
John Berger had ideas – ways of seeing.
a relationship between seeing and knowing
Impact of camera and image reproduction on our way of seeing
portrayal of women
image world created through advertising.
Berger explored ideologies of gender in paintings and related it to the contemporary depictions of women in advertising. He argued that the presence of a woman is different to that of a man.
The men’s presence is dependant upon power. A mans presence suggests what he is capable of doing to you or for you.
The idea of the gendered image shows man and woman in two very different lights:
A woman expresses her own attitude to herself and defines what can and cannot be done to her. She can sometimes be seen in revealing clothing and show more skin – because this is what wants to be seen, but it makes them look more vulnerable sometimes.
A man tends to be shown in a suit, looking very empowered and dominant – because this is what a lot of people believe in. It’s stereotypical to believe that a man is more powerful.
Men want to be seen and women want to be looked at.
Photography Theory 