Reflection on John Berger's Ways of Seeing, Episode 1

The reproduction of art diminishes its meaning. The first episode of John Berger's
Ways of Seeing revolves around the idea of how the digital revolution procures profound
issues on the authenticity of art.
Living in the era of the digital revolution enables modern systems on the mechanical
reproduction of art. Photography, for instance, facilitates the transmission of painting across
different media. Berger's argued that this transmission results in extensive definitions of an
artwork, altering its original meaning. He discussed that the place and everything that
revolves around a particular artwork confirms and strengthens its meaning. Denoting from
this, the reproduction of an image detaches it from its unique physical existence, causing
shifts on its actual interpretations.
Berger also highlighted that reproduction also distorts the quality of art. Viewing a
reproduced copy of an artwork compared to its original piece will invariably be different. A
photo of a painting in a museum may seem inconsistent with the qualities of the real artwork.
When we are tasked to compose a formal analysis paper of art in the museum, I experienced
the same struggle. The captured photo exhibited alterations such as changes in colors,
textures, and specific details on the painting, which influenced how I perceived and analyzed
each element of the art.
He also discussed how the movement across the painting and the sound applied to it
establishes significant modifications to the perception of the picture. One can construct an
argument by looking into a specific area of the art or constructing a certain story from the
different scenes inside an art. On the other hand, sound interrupts the stillness and silence of
the art, thus suggesting a different approach to looking into it. The incorporation of words
and other images also changes the meaning. The meaning of an image will change depending
on its context. This idea on reproduction of art can frequently be observed in today's scenario
on the advent of the internet, where people use reproduced images or portions of it to create
language elements in the forms of memes. This action presents a new dimension of the art in
this information age due to its strong cultural significance concealing the real meaning of the
artwork itself.
Eventually, we should not be apprehensive of this digital revolution in the
reproduction of art. One must learn to view these changes as developments. Even if the
reproduction of artwork deviates from the real meaning of it, the accessibility of the art
continuously increases. Through photographic reproduction, piece of art which was once
enclosed in the four corners of the institution where it was situated, can now be easily viewed
by greater audiences.