EPISODE 5 : WHY OIL PAINTING?

There is a strange fascination in the observation of oil painting
the object are represented in their aesthetic and formal value
in their SOLIDITY , TANGEBILITY WEIGHT
John Berger explain it very clearly in the television series "Ways of seeing".
He shows how oil paintings have been used to show the richness of their owner, and beyond it their power. How the main goal in this painting was to impress with the beauty and the gauderies of the objects.
The analysis of Berger, goes then on a very different direction.

SOLIDITY, TANGEBILITY, WEIGHT
This are the element in witch I'm interested
the beauty of material , the precision in the description of a material , his texture , his perception, his aesthetic.

Going back to the Berger argument is important as second step to specify a second value witch stay behind the proper use and description of material.
As he distinguishes the technique of oil painting able to produce such an effect in the reproduction of the objects and this technique exerted to show a message behind the simple description of the object - for example in some Rembrandt or Vermeer paintings - witch have to do with "the mystery of time and light " as Berger said.

to see Berger videos on youtube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiNqoyfeQDQ