Ways of Seeing

John Berger's classic Ways of Seeing is essential reading for any art lover, photography practitioner, art theorist, historian, educator or student.

Originally published in 1972, the book focuses on how people understand and interpret visual culture, especially art and advertising. Today it could be equally applied to all forms of media, including social media. Although John Berger's well-known book is not explicitly semiotic, the focus of both his book and the original BBC TV series is highly relevant for challenging the way we 'look': on the subject of the male gaze, on social codes of looking, on the representation of women and on visual persuasion in advertising. He encouraged viewers to become active participants in interpreting images, rather than passive consumers, and to question the power structures embedded within visual representations - something more important than ever in a post-truth world.

'This is an eye-opener in more ways than one- by concentrating on how we look at paintings . . . he will almost certainly change the way you look at pictures.'  The Sunday Times