The relevance of Berger in approaching images in the present:

Although Berger’s critique focuses on analysing photography, cinematography

and images connected to the occidental world and was conceived several
decades ago, many of his ideas can be applied in order to understand our
relationship with images in the present. His statement that the meaning of
images can easily be manipulated with the addition of framing text, music,
movement or preceding images, has only become more accurate over time, as
the internet that quickly disseminates a lot of information, also bombards us
with so much information that verification becomes problematic and the
multiplicity of interpretations continues to increase. The process of mystification
also remains strong, as the monetary value of “original” pieces of art continues to
increase to mind-boggling heights while the shroud of pseudo-religiosity and
awe remains, despite the growing awareness of the relationship between art and
commerce. In any case, the distance between the masses and the “authentic”
piece of art, which has a high spiritual and monetary capital, has not changed
much since the time of Berger’s essay. Despite the availability of reproduced
images, the members of the lower economic strata cannot afford to take
advantage of the public access to museums, or even the internet. A sense of
alienation still persists between the masses and the original art, although the
educated minority does admittedly try to bridge the gap by dispersing the
mythical aura around these “holy relics”. Hence Berger’s approach to images is
still a valid means of looking at our relationship to images.