John Berger - Why Look At Animals?

I have been looking at John Bergers Why Look At Animals for a screen printing project which I have been working on this project will allow us to use and learn about Screen Printing. My main focus on photography is food and I have been going through many different ideas of how I could use Animals and food together to create a Screen Print. Below Is a summary of John Bergers work and my thoughts on it.

John Berger tells us that the domestication of cattle did not begin as a simple prospect of milk and meat. Cattle had magical functions sometimes oracular, sometimes sacrificial. 

I believe that in modern day civilisation people have changed there views tremendously on animals in terms of keeping pets or what animals we eat why we may eat them and how everything is prepared. An example of this can be seen in the times of Ancient Egyptians and how they may have worshipped the cat to an extent of creating statues and for religious beliefs where as now we see cats as pets and nothing more. 

Another example of this is the amount of people who choose to be vegetarians because they believe that eating an animal is wrong where as a long time ago people may have not had a choice like that since food was of great importance to survive since there was a much bigger lack of food back then compared to how it is now.

Many animal sacrifices may have been made in the old days but now it is very rare to see these types of so called gatherings or ceremonies. Many animals all over the world are considered as food and some to an extent that certain parts of a particular animal are seen as delicacies and are still seen as delicacies in some country's to this day. I will be looking further into the food world of why people may see these types of foods as delicacies and how food from animals is not seen the same way as it may use to be.