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The Lively Arts Guide to Looking at Art
Looking at a piece of art takes time. You cannot just glance at it;
you must devote time to experiencing it. Just as a piece of music or theater
occurs over time, so should your interaction with visual art. But where
do you start? Below are some hints for "warming up" your eyes
and mind.
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What is the overall mood of the piece? How
does it make you feel? (Can you think of your own title for the piece?)
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Of what material(s) does it consist? Do you
have any associations with that material? What do you think it would
be like to work with that material?
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What colors do you see? Are they warm or cool?
What other ideas and feelings do you associate with those colors?
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What kinds of lines do you see (straight, curvy,
jagged)? What do those kinds of lines suggest (power, energy, stability,
movement, peace)? Does there seem to be movement in one particular
direction?
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Do you see any shapes? Do they appear organic
or geometric, stable or unstable? Are there any negative shapes? How
do they relate to the positive ones?
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What kind of texture does the piece have (whether
actual or implied)? Imagine it in a different texture - would the
feeling/effect change?
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What is the scale? How does it compare to you
or to things in the area around it? How would the piece be different
if the scale were different?
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How does the piece use space? How does it relate
to the space around it?
Some of these questions will be more relevant than
others for each particular work of art, but they will give you a starting
place and focal points for your thoughts.
For additional information on viewing art, please
read the articles by Barbara Loeb entitled "Ways of Looking at Art"
included in The Lively Arts course book.
Printable version of this document
in Word
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