The abilities to see the unusual in everyday life and notice the unique features of things and objects in their traditional understanding are valuable properties of a creative person. By analyzing the styles of different artists, one can draw attention to the works of John Berger, the writer and critic, and Walker Percy, the writer specializing in philosophy and semiotics. Their approaches to reflecting the surrounding reality are individual and emphasize the unique styles of each of them. At the same time, when evaluating their works, one can highlight some common features, in particular, the abilities to see and interpret.
The talent for paying attention to contexts and details is a common feature of Berger’s and Percy’s work. For instance, in his “Ways of Seeing,” Berger (2008) notes the uniqueness of each piece of art and, in particular, a canvas as an object of observation. In “The Loss of the Creature,” Percy (2011) also draws attention to the value of observation and views cultural heritage from perspectives of color, form, and content. Both authors are researchers and, at the same time, the connoisseurs of details and express their positions based on the analyses of what humanity considers its cultural heritage. This approach allows them to present the reader a familiar picture or landmark from a new perspective, which makes their work valuable.
The abilities to notice the imperceptible and interpret well-known truths in a new way characterize Berger’s and Percy’s work. In the conditions of mass access to art, one can find it challenging to find a style that would allow evaluating art in a non-standard and logical way. Nevertheless, the two authors moved away from the traditional canons of observers and made significant contributions to the study of cultural heritage due to their fresh looks. Therefore, both Berger and Percy may be considered influential figures who, in addition to criticism, are able to surprise readers with their extraordinary views and depth of understanding.
References
Berger, J. (2008). Ways of seeing. Penguin Classics.
Percy, W. (2011). The loss of the creature. In D. Bartholomae and A. Petrosky (Eds.), Ways of reading: An anthology for writers (9th ed.) (pp. 459-471). Bedford/St. Martins.