Maja Bachler WAYS OF REMEMBERING JOHN BERGER John Berger claims that there are two istinct !

ses o" #hotogra#h$% the #ri&ate an the #!'lic( )he #ri&ate relates to the #hotogra#hs one has o" the #eo#le one lo&es* one+s "rien s* etc( )he #ri&ate conte,t creates contin!it$ which is #arallel to the contin!it$ "rom which the #hotogra#h was originall$ ta-en( .ri&ate #hotogra#hs are nearl$ alwa$s o" something "amiliar* whereas the #!'lic #hotogra#h is li-e the memor$ o" a total stranger( /s!all$ the$ are images o" the !n-nown* se#arate "rom one+s e,#erience( B!t still* there is something a'o!t e&er$ #hotogra#h which is intimate( It re#resents the memor$( )he #hotogra#hers are the agents o" this memor$ '!t the$ o not constr!ct the s$stem( )here is a cartoon that 0a!mier ma e o" Na ar in a 'alloon #hotogra#hing the whole o" .aris 'elow( )his o""ers a cl!e that ma$'e the e$e o" the total stranger is the e$e o" Go * '!t the e$e o" a totall$ sec!larise * totall$ estrange Go ( A Go o" nothingness( Nearl$ in all c!lt!res #eo#le ha&e ass!me that there was somewhere an all1seeing e$e that recor e all e&ents an in that recor ing was im#licit a -in o" j! gement( Berger claims that to a$ we li&e in a c!lt!re which enies histor$* a c!lt!re o" #!re o##ort!nism( So we ha&e the s$stematic !se o" #hotogra#hs* !se as an all1seeing e$e* recor ing e&ents( B!t this all1seeing e$e j! ges nothing( It is an e$e which recor s in or er to "orget( Berger raises 2!estions li-e whether an alternati&e !se o" #hotogra#h$ is concei&a'le an i" it is #ossi'le to !se #hotogra#h$ a ressing s!ch a !se to the ho#e o" an alternati&e "!t!re( His imme iate answer to this is $es 3 $o! can ma-e #ro#agan a with #hotogra#hs s!ch as anti1ca#italist or anti1im#erialist #ro#agan a( 4In the #ri&ate !se o" #hotogra#h$* the #hotogra#h oes not len itsel" to an$ !se* it oes not 'ecome a com#letel$ &al!e1"ree o'ject 'eca!se the !se reconstit!tes the contin!it$ "rom which it was ta-en( Ma$'e one has to consi er how the #ri&ate !se o" #hotogra#h$ co!l 'e e,ten e * co!l 'e enlarge so that it might cease to 'e #ri&ate an 'ecome #!'lic(5 )he #hotogra#h$ awaits a social memor$ which will transcen the istinction 'etween #!'lic an #ri&ate( B!t how can we !se #hotogra#hs* so that* e&en tho!gh we are !sing them #!'licl$* the$ are re#lace in a conte,t which is com#ara'le to that o" #ri&ate #hotogra#hs6

)he #ro'lem is to constr!ct a conte,t "or a #hotogra#h( 4Normall$ #hotogra#hs are !se in a &er$ !nilinear wa$(5 On the other han memor$ wor-s ra iall$* that is to sa$ with an enormo!s n!m'er o" associations all lea ing to the same e&ent( Berger sa$s that i" we want to #!t a #hotogra#h 'ac- into the conte,t o" e,#erience* social e,#erience* social memor$* we ha&e to res#ect the laws o" memor$( In general the 'etter the #hotogra#h* the "!ller the conte,t which can 'e create ( It is necessar$ to constr!ct a ra ial s$stem aro!n the #hotogra#h so that it ma$ 'e seen in terms which are sim!ltaneo!sl$ #ersonal* #olitical* economic* ramatic* e&er$ a$ an historic(