(855) 4-ESSAYS

Type a new keyword(s) and press Enter to search

Ways of Seeing Criticism

            If in the anti-elitist atmosphere of the 1960s still anyone believed in the idea of the artist as a genius it was Andy Warhol who thoroughly disabused them: in his latest act of devotion and surrender to America's mass culture he develops a process that enables him to photographically transfer tabloid and advertisement pictures directly on to a silkscreen, allowing not only the infinite production of the original work but also the elimination of any apparent sign of the artist's involvement. To make his point clear he then rocks the art markets by declaring (and later retracting) that some of his work was actually executed by assistants. With some delay also art historians started to shift their attention from the retualized celebration of the artist towards the role of spectators and buyers in defining the status and value of art. It is this context in which "Ways of Seeing" has been written. .
             The multitude of approaches to art suggested by the book's title is also reflected in its composition - if that is the word. Although consisting of numbered essays (both verbal as well as entirely pictorial) Berger explicitly advises the reader (the text begins in a whimsical and refreshing way already on the book's jacket) to go through them in whatever order he pleases, his principal aim merely being "to raise questions". This rather capricious approach somewhat obscures the unifying - and certainly unsettling - theme of the work: instead of examining what art does to us it asks about what we - as spectators, critics, patrons, owners and buyers - are doing to art. It is about the ways in which art serves to legitimize, sustain and conceal social inequality. The central aspects are: class, gender and consumerism. .
             To set the stage for his study, that tellingly is confined to representational art, Berger first dismisses the traditional approach of art history as mystification. Concepts of aesthetics - and in particular those of composition - he argues, have inserted themselves between spectators and paintings to obscure and obstruct any immediate perception of the social content of pictures.


Essays Related to Ways of Seeing Criticism

1. Advertising Criticisms

Advertising Criticisms Advertising is, "any form of nonpersonal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods, and services usually paid for by an identified sponsor" (Dominick 369). ... There are several ways to advertise, such as a primary demand ad, selective demand type ad, direct action ad, indirect action ad, and marketing. ... One criticism of advertising is that a product could cost less to the consumer if advertising were minimized or stopped. ... Ads are criticized for prompting people to buy products that they would not otherwise want or need before seeing or hearing the advertisem...

  • Word Count: 2202
  • Approx Pages: 9
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

2. Feminist Critique

I'm wearying to escape into that glorious world, and to be always there, not seeing it dimly through tears, and yearning for it through the walls of an aching heart; but really with it, and in it - The above are thoughts and conventions that we have ingrained in our children since the days of yore. ... Definition This brings us to the definition of feminist literary criticism. ... Well, it can be stated as a criticism advocating equal rights for women in a political, economic, social, psychological, personal, and aesthetic sense. ... From here, subsequent French Feminist critics focuse...

  • Word Count: 1975
  • Approx Pages: 8
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

3. Alexander Hamiton

Early on in Hamilton's life from seeing the brutal ways of slavery gave him a strong opinion of opposing slavery. ... The Federalist combined bombastic attacks on the Articles of Confederation, insights into human nature, significant criticisms of the Constitution, and clear-headed explanations of the ways in which the proposed government would operate. ...

  • Word Count: 539
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

4. Communication Goal Statement

Handling disagreements & criticisms 3. ... To tell their stories and hope people understand how everyone has lived many different ways. ... My second goal is to handle disagreements and criticisms. ... I can ask my supervisor how to translate my complaints and criticisms into specific requests. ... I can prepare by videotaping myself and seeing what I may want to improve to help me relax more. ...

  • Word Count: 1278
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

5. Northanger Abbey

The Characterization Of Catherine Morland And Details Of Her Experiences As Criticism Of The Gothic Novel Jane Austen consciously refers to and comments on the standards and conventions of the gothic genre in her novel Northanger Abbey. ... The concepts of the gothic are being deliberately and simultaneously utilized and reversed by Austen as she develops Catherine Morland's character and instructs her readers on the ways of the natural world. ... And unlike prior novels where the male character falls completely in love with the heroine before so much as seeing her face, Catherine...

  • Word Count: 777
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

6. Disabilities

I have seen how he reacts to situations and especially to criticism or punishment. I hope that seeing his reactions for years will help me decide how to react to my students. ... I hope that I will learn more ways or ticks to help keep the classroom in good running order. ...

  • Word Count: 455
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

7. Bretton Woods

After World War 1, people found themselves wanting peace more than they ever had before after seeing the destruction that has arose from the war. ... In other words every nation wanted to find ways to ensure a stable global monetary system and an open world trading system. ... However, both the Bretton Woods Institutions and the United Nations have come under increased scrutiny and criticism over the past several years. ... After the initial period of hope and optimism brought by the UN, the organization found itself struggling with augmenting number of criticisms. ... Some other criticis...

  • Word Count: 1157
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

8. Types of Literary Theories

New Criticism Was a formalist movement in literary theory that dominated literary criticism in the middle decades of the 20th century. According to new criticism, the literary text contains its own meaning within itself. ... According to new criticism, in order to understand text we have to detach the text from context. ... This movement belongs to an American critic John Crow Ransom, he introduce new criticism in 1941. ... New criticism want to become objective in the nature instead of subjectivity. ...

  • Word Count: 3373
  • Approx Pages: 13
  • Grade Level: High School

Got a writing question? Ask our professional writer!
Submit My Question