Permanent Red Essays in Seeing
Permanent Red Essays in Seeing by John Berger, published by Verso Books on March 25, 2025, is a thought-provoking exploration of the intersection between art and politics. This edition, comprising 224 pages, delves into the significance of an artist’s perspective and its relevance to contemporary society. Berger argues that all art is inherently political, reflecting both the artist’s intentions and the context of their time.
In Permanent Red, readers will find a critical examination of historical and contemporary artists, including figures like Picasso, Léger, and Matisse. Berger categorizes these artists into those who struggle, those who fail, and the true masters, emphasizing the importance of understanding past works to gain insight into the present and envision the future. The essays engage with themes of realism and hope, inviting readers to reconsider the role of the artist in transforming the world.
Official synopsis Publisher
Why should an artist’s way of looking at the world have any meaning for us? Any artwork reflects the artist’s intentions, but also its times: therefore all art is political
In Permanent Red, John Berger argues that the contemporary artist should strive for a realism that aims for hope, to transform the world. Surveying the work of historical artists as well as that of near contemporaries such as Picasso, Léger and Matisse, he explores the role of the artist, dividing these figures into those that struggle, those that fail, and the true masters. He explains why we should study the work of the past: in order to understand the present and to rethink the future.
First published in 1960, Permanent Red established John Berger as a firebrand critic willing to broadcast controversial opinions on some of the most important British artists of the day, including Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth.
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