On John Berger's "Viewing" Theory

John Berger,a famous art critic,art historian,painter,novelist and public intellectual in the 20th century,who has made important contributions to the field of visual culture and opened up a new perspective of visual culture and viewing culture.He criticized the formalism in traditional art and analyzed the image culture from the aspect of visual observation,which play an important role in the study of academic theory of visual culture.The creative significance of the visual culture theory proposed by John Berger in the field of visual image criticism is undoubtedly of great significance to the shift of the paradigm of visual image criticism.With the development of media technology and visual culture,the function of image has been diversified.The psychological needs of people are also constantly changing.In this environment,John Berger proposed his own theory of viewing,challenged the traditional view of art and formed a new theory of image viewing criticism with the influence of the left-wing ideology.John Berger's art criticism has very obvious Marxist ideological implications.In his theory analysis,we can see the political color,class,authority and his judgment on gender.He expressed his sympathy to the grass-roots people,but strongly criticized capitalism.John Berger introduced the viewing behavior of the viewer into the viewing theory.He emphasized the importance of the viewing behavior of the viewer in the viewing theory.He examined the relationship between the viewing and the vision and introduced ideology into the viewing theory.John Berger pointed out that "view"itself is a complex behavior,which contains a variety of elements.Ideology belongs to one of the elements;In addition,John Berger realized the reconstruction of the viewing patterns,which is also one of the core contents in his theory of image criticism.He reconstructed the traditional image criticism paradigm from three aspects of general painting,female nude images and advertisement in "The Way of Viewing." John Berger started his research on the basis of the analysis about the flaws in the two major criticism schools in England at that time.And it played an important role in the development and transformation in the theory of art in image criticism.John Berger's theory of viewing is quite influential in the field of art theory in the 20th Century and has important positive significance.But there are still some problems that deserve our reflection on the viewing theory.There are three main aspects:Firstly,some other elements may weaken in the whole theory of viewing because of the highlight of vision when the visual culture and the viewer's act introduced in the viewing theory;Secondly,John Berger is greatly influenced by the thought of the left-wing in Britain.In the wave of post-modern political thought,he expresses a clear political color in his artistic analysis,the criticism of power,sex,capitalism and the sympathy of the weak.These factors will affect his theoretical views;Thirdly,an important core in John Berger's theory of art is reconstruction.In the current digital society,John Berger's view reconfiguration could not align well with the new context in life.