When he painted a road, the roadmakers were there in his imagination, when he painted the turned earth of a ploughed field, the gesture of the blade turning the earth was included in his own act. Whenever he looked he saw the labour of existence; and this labour, recognised as such, was what constituted reality for him. (On Vincent Van Gogh)
John BergerWhat makes photography a strange invention is that its primary raw materials are light and time.
John BergerThe publicity image steals her love of herself as she is, and offers it back to her for the price of the product.
John BergerAll photographs are there to remind us of what we forget. In this - as in other ways - they are the opposite of paintings. Paintings record what the painter remembers. Because each one of us forgets different things, a photo more than a painting may change its meaning according to who is looking at it.
John BergerWe never look at just one thing; we are always looking at the relation between things and ourselves.
John Berger