Ways of Seeing

The video "Ways of Seeing" made me question the way that I have looked at paintings, sculptures, plays and other forms of art. It is interesting to think that the way in which we view art will have completely different outcomes on each individual person. I never thought about how a painting can be different when viewed on a computer screen verse when it is viewed in person. Now that I think about it, it makes a complete difference. One of my favorite painters is Monet. Because of this I have seen many of his paintings on my computer, TV, phone, and postcards that I own but it wasn't the same as actually seeing his paintings in person at the Louvre. Each time I have seen Monet's paintings in person it always amazes me how much time and effort he must have put into just a single painting. When you look closer at one of his paintings you can see the exact brushstrokes he made and exactly the time when he lifted his paint brush off of the canvas, you can see the about of paint that was used because of the differing sized globs of paint and sometimes you can even see what colors he mixed together to make another color that can be seen better when at a distance. All of these things can't truly be seen unless you are right in front of the painting itself and not through a screen or a photograph.
Another aspect of the video that I thought was interesting was how/where we view a piece of art can change the way we understand it. When John Berger showed a painting in silence it felt totally different from when he showed the same picture with opera music with it. The painting itself seemed to take on a completely different feel and attitude based on the music that played while it was on the screen.