How to Appreciate Art

Note: I apologize for the delay of the blog; This been quite a stressful month. I hope to post bit more often now that my semester has ended to make up for my time away from the blog.

” I could do that.”

“It just looks like a bunch of scribbles.”

“Thats just a bunch of squares.”

Those are some common phrases people say when they don’t know what to look for in art. Today I just want to expand on some of the aspects that can be used for art appreciation. Additionally, I would like to note that art appreciation and enjoyment are not necessarily the same thing. You may not like the art; you may think it’s ugly, boring, basic, etc. That’s okay. Your taste is your taste. However, you can still find the value and appreciate art without necessarily liking it. That is especially important if you go to an art gallery or opening. By allowing your self to appreciate the art, you’ll find that artistic experiences are so much more fulfilling and intellectual.

The Artist

What I mean by this is the artist’s life and experiences. You may know an artist is famous for their work, but why are they famous to begin with? This is a good starting point to appreciate and understand art. Artists use their past experiences to influence e and shape their arts. Artists usually seek to tell a message whether that is what beauty is like to them, what’s is happening, or a memory of an event in their past. Understanding an artist’s past can be vital to unpacking the meaning behind their work. For example, knowing that Frida Kahlo had fertility issues and dealt with many issues help us better understand the story behind some of her works.

The Medium

One of the things that can be taken into account is the time it took the artist to create the art. A large part of that is what medium the art is in. This isn’t the end all be all, but it can help show the hours that have been put into a piece. For example, oil paints can take months to fully dry, Watercolors usually need many layers to develop rich saturation, etc. Work can take anywhere from a few seconds to years to create from inspiration and planning to final completion. Some art is also created to be intentionally temporary where as some art can be made to last for a long time. All of these choices are made intentionally and can be taken into account by the viewer.

The Time Period

The time period helps to decode potential meanings of the art. There are many different art periods with their own individual characteristics. Knowing when a painting was made also assists in appreciating the value of a painting. If a work of art was made in a certain artistic period, the originality can be appreciated. The art was the first or one of the first to be made in a certain way. Art History has had many improvements and innovation, so paying attention to the time period can help us appreciate the art.

The Subject Matter

The actual subject matter is what we see that tells us the meaning. Many artists use objects or animals that are representitive of an intangible concept or feeling.The connotation of certain objects can also influence the overall meaning of a painting. Sometimes an artist puts certain objects to juxtapose one other or they make the subject of a painting doing something unexpected to emphasis the irony. Other times objects can just be exactly the object itself without a deeper meaning. Either way, the subject matter of a painting is very important to being able to value and appreciate it.