The Novice’s Guide To Looking At Art
By: The Museum Associates
Tags: Artwork, Exhibition, Mindfulness, Museums, Art

Lee Mullican, Shatter Passage (1965)

The Novice’s Guide To Looking At Art

Let’s face it — today, you have time. Tomorrow, you will have time. And while of course everybody is coping with COVID-19 differently, many of us are choosing to ignore the mental strain that this outbreak is putting us under. As a result: you have even more time.

What could you do to use this time wisely? We don’t want to take on the role of the online yoga instructor whose flashy, sunny videos have been guilting you into buying a subscription, but we do have an idea for anybody mildly interested in prepping for future art museum visits.

Speaking of prepping, we found some interesting insights into the minds of our trusted community: when asked about the appropriateness of selfies in a museum, 48% of you said yes! As was to be expected, 91% proclaimed their love for museum gift shops, while only 52% showed openness towards museum audio tours. Lastly, the majority (58%) of you showed your adventurous side by confessing that you first looked at a piece before reading the wall label to find more information.

This goes in line perfectly with what we want to talk about next — namely the simple task of looking at art.

Without further ado, read on for a few tips on visiting art in its cosiest home. A fair warning: some of these may seem obvious, but are always easier said than done (and no, they do not include taking a selfie).

Be in the moment.

It’s no use breezing past all artworks just to get through an exhibition. In this case: quality over quantity. If you find yourself drawn to a certain frame, recognise that you are free to walk towards it and do so!

We sometimes forget that there’s absolutely no force moving us in a museum — more than anywhere, you have the freedom to focus on and take in your surroundings in the time and order you need. So before doing anything else, be fully aware of where you are and what you want to achieve by being there.

Be mindful.

Don’t judge yourself for what you feel when looking at art. It may seem obvious, but it’s ignored more often than not. The golden rule: if you’re not interested, then move the hell on. Get going. Don’t linger if you think you have somewhere better to be.

If you see squiggles that don’t seem to cause a reaction, let them remain squiggles. The same goes for religious art, for landscapes or for seemingly bland contemporary objects. If you’re not interested in uncovering a deeper personal meaning, then don’t spend your energy. The fact that you’ve realised that you’re not interested is already enough.

Understand your emotion.

This goes along with being mindful, but we want to underline its importance once more. As soon as you’ve spotted a piece that moves you in one way or another, take a minute to understand why this is the case. What is it exactly that made you pause? Why do you want to find out more? What was the detail that made you stop and spare some of your precious free roaming time?

And finally, take in the details.

First and foremost, get it in your head that you will never understand the true meaning of a certain piece of art. This is what we call intentional fallacy: you can argue that the meaning of an artwork is dependent on your understanding of it and that the artist’s intention is therefore automatically fallacious. Because this is an entirely subjective process, meaning will always be up in the air. In other words, there’s no wrong or right since we’re focusing on internal evidence only. You might as well just give it a go.

Every work of art has its own little charm, and it’s up to you to uncover that for yourself. If anything, this is a highly emotional process, but aside from that, try asking yourself these questions to get yourself started:

What is the piece’s mood? Is it gloomy, chaotic, innocent or erotic?

Does something make you uncomfortable? Does the piece calm you?

What is your eye drawn to?

Can you recognise shadows, where is the light coming from?

Where can you see action? Where do you feel silence?

Can you recognise symbols? What does the motif mean to you?

Is there a story being told?

Importantly, if you’re a person who tends to speed through things — no shame in doing so! There’s no point in forcing yourself to stay in front of a piece if your interest has disappeared. If you’re done, you’re done and off to better things.

The same goes for the following experiment. If you like the pieces as much as we do, take a closer look and try it out. If not, then we’ll see you next time!

Death and Girl, Egon Schiele (1915)