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About Looking Paperback – Illustrated, Jan. 8 1992

by John Berger (Author)

4.4 164 ratings

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As a novelist, art critic, and cultural historian, Booker Prize-winning author John Berger is a writer of dazzling eloquence and arresting insight whose work amounts to a subtle, powerful critique of the canons of our civilization. In About Looking he explores our role as observers to reveal new layers of meaning in what we see. How do the animals we look at in zoos remind us of a relationship between man and beast all but lost in the twentieth century? What is it about looking at war photographs that doubles their already potent violence? How do the nudes of Rodin betray the threats to his authority and potency posed by clay and flesh? And how does solitude inform the art of Giacometti? In asking these and other questions, Berger quietly -- but fundamentally -- alters the vision of anyone who reads his work.

Print length

224 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Vintage
Publication date

Jan. 8 1992
Dimensions

21.6 x 13.8 x 0.76 cm
ISBN-10

9780679736554
ISBN-13

978-0679736554
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Review

There is great stillness in Berger's prose. But after a few pages, his statements start to sing and go on singing." -- New Republic

"Instant readability ... [Berger] makes one see [paintings] as statements or questions in a living language." -- New Statesman

From the Inside Flap

As a novelist, art critic, and cultural historian, John Berger is a writer of dazzling eloquence and arresting insight whose work amounts to a subtle, powerful critique of the canons of our civilization. In About Looking he explores our role as observers to reveal new layers of meaning in what we see. How do the animals we look at in zoos remind us of a relationship between man and beast all but lost in the twentieth century? What is it about looking at war photographs that doubles their already potent violence? How do the nudes of Rodin betray the threats to his authority and potency posed by clay and flesh? And how does solitude inform the art of Giacometti? In asking these and other questions, Berger quietly -- but fundamentally -- alters the vision of anyone who reads his work.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0679736557
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage; Illustrated edition (Jan. 8 1992)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780679736554
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0679736554
Item weight ‏ : ‎ 250 g
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 21.6 x 13.8 x 0.76 cm

Best Sellers Rank: #415,979 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #18 in Psychology of Perception
- #320 in European Art (Books)
- #419 in Art Criticism (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.4 164 ratings

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John Berger

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John Berger was born in London in 1926. He is well known for his novels and stories as well as for his works of nonfiction, including several volumes of art criticism. His first novel, A Painter of Our Time, was published in 1958, and since then his books have included the novel G., which won the Booker Prize in 1972. In 1962 he left Britain permanently, and he lives in a small village in the French Alps.

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Perfect Berger

Reviewed in Canada on April 28, 2023

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This collection of "essays" (the term really doesn't do justice to Berger's work) on a wide-ranging set of topics is indispensable for any readers of John Berger. Second time buying this collection, specifically for the opening piece, the classic "Why Look At Animals?".

A must-have for anyone who is interested in a rigorous but compassionate investigation of looking & our relationship to the world around us. Highly recommended!

Reviewed in Canada on April 8, 2017

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It is as usual another great John Berger book. The photo reproductions are not good but that is to be expected at this price.

Reviewed in Canada on November 21, 2014

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Christmas present

One person found this helpful

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taking a rest

How little we appreciate visually

Reviewed in Canada on March 16, 2001

Most of what our eyes take in is filtered, as we cannot process all that is within the field of our vision. Were there no limits, sleep would be required for the vast majority of each 24-hour period. Our brain provides filters that allow selective acknowledgement or perhaps isolated concentration on those visual cues that we deem important.
Mr. John Berger's book, "About Looking", will radically change your perception of what you see.
Much of the book is dedicated to explaining how various artists' works should be visually understood, what a casual viewer would observe as opposed to someone who is trained in art. I have generally found the long-winded, affected, and pretentious descriptions of art by "Art Experts" to be ridiculous at best and coma inducing more the norm. As Mr. Berger takes you through various artists and how he "sees" their work the language can still seem a bit affected, but as you read, this man uses the words he needs. To suggest he is affecting his explanations would be a petty way to express one's ignorance. Read what he says, and you will see things, as you have not before.
I enjoyed the entire book, however the essays, "Why Look At Animals, and, Uses of Photography", were of greatest interest. They went beyond the explanation of expanding the methods of how the visual can be expanded and included History, Anthropology, and Sociology as well. Many people find zoos artificial, perverse, or even fraudulent. When you read this man's explanation of Animals, our relationships to them over time and how we see them, and they us, regardless of what you now feel you will feel differently.
The same is true in his essay on photography. The science is relatively new, the use and invasion of the camera has become something so common the practice of using a camera is barely noticed. There are the occasional eruptions over privacy, surveillance, and "Big Brother", but those that suggest we are not already a society who have given up much of their privacy, are deluding themselves. Mr. Berger does not just opine on the subject. Court cases, the use of the camera in all its incarnations is explored more deeply than a casual look would suggest there is material to talk about.
This is not a book by a shallow charlatan picking off a couple of quick tricks that make you say hmmmmmmm. He does show that even when the filtered information arrives we see very little of what reaches us; we rarely gain the benefit of all the information. He demonstrates how a bit of inquisitiveness can make what seems ordinary spectacularly special.

9 people found this helpful

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M. D. ROY EARLE

Essays of highly variable value, augmented by reproductions of poor quality

Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2021

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This book of essays is on a wide variety of various topics surrounding looking and seeing. The table of contents lists three major headings..."why look at animals," "uses of photography," and a catch-all category for the main content of this book, "moments lived." My initial impression is that this book reminds me of the first "Berger book" I stumbled upon, "Ways of Seeing."
Both books contain essays of varying interest. In "Ways of Seeing," the essay on the manipulation of the public through advertisements was illuminating. Other essays were of far less interest.
In "About Looking," there are some essays...generally the more concise ones...which contain succinct insights and attempt to make relatively easily understood and pragmatic points. Some of the writing in "uses of photography" and the brief essay "the primitive and the professional" are examples. I learned more interesting information on the history of painting in this brief essay than I did in a series of 15 fifty-minute lectures titled "Introduction to Art, 101." Essays on Magritte and Turner were packed with interesting observations.
On the other hand, some of the more lengthy essays include lengthy quotes by philosophers and poets to make obscure points. In these essays, Berger seems to me to be trying too hard to sound erudite. More than once, I found myself thinking that a better communicator...John Galbraith for example...could have made the same points with less flowery language in an essay 1/4 the length of some in this book.
A related problem, in that it detracts from the practical value of the essays to the reader, is the quality of most of the reproductions. A book discussing photography ought to feature reasonably clear photos. Those included herein are extremely poor reproductions. In "the suit and the photograph," for example, Berger attempts to make a point of questionable value, that suits on missionaries "...confirm and enhance the physical presence of those wearing them," while suits on musicians or peasants fail to hide the fact that these people are workers and peasants. He goes so far as to suggest this distinction can be made even if the faces are blocked out. However, in the paperback edition I own (Vintage International, 1991), the three photos considered are of so high contrast as to render the suits of all individuals a monotone, featureless, black. The details of body language Berger points out are not visible in the photos. Indeed, if I were to block out the faces as suggested, all three photographs would consist of pure black foregrounds with a little bit of detail in the white backgrounds. Trying to play a sophisticated game of "To Tell the Truth" with peasants, musicians, and missionaries given as data photographs of this poor quality is simply an exercise in frustration. If I truly cared about the distinction the author is trying to make (which seems trivial), I would have to seek out far better reproductions of these three photos.
I found myself speed-reading this book, alert for the sections written in a straight-forward fashion of interest to me while skimming quickly over significant portions of digressions of minimal utility, and augmented with poetic and philosophical interludes. Not a good way to absorb carefully the contents of a book, but appropriate for a work of which I expected much more.

3 people found this helpful

Jasmine Jackson

Love

Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2022

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Great condition

Rakesh Gupta

Looking as a Metaphor

Reviewed in India on March 28, 2017

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Multi-layered texts on photography, animals and early twentieth century artists, especially those who stuck to their environments and outlooks find a significant space and sympathetic treatment. The author suggests about man animal relationship as a metaphor. The book itself is a metaphor- looking- a positive exercise- unlike Most Indian tourists in galleries here. Those interested in philosophical and asset hectic issues need to procure this text and will find it a welcome read.

5 people found this helpful

Anschel V.

Many thought provoking ideas, none trivial

Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2018

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Very well written--if you are the kind of person who likes excellent information in hard core form. This is seriously thought-provoking, and not the kind of book you can read very much of at one time.

2 people found this helpful

Evalyn

Great find

Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2021

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Received intact book is in good used condition

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