HOW2 To Look At Art
By Merrily Kerr, New York Art Tours
When a shark carcass, a group conversation about Iraq or a monochromatic, untitled canvas can be considered art, how do you make sense of what you’re seeing? Most of us know what to do when we look at Old Master paintings: hunt for symbolism, figure out the storyline, appreciate the artist’s skill, and you’ve got it. Not so with contemporary and 20th century art,which oftentimes seems intentionally confusing. Artists, the ones who could really clarify things, often don’t, changing the viewer’s job from passive observer to investigator.
Sounds like work, right? Instead of stepping back and admiring the beauty of a landscape, say, contemporary art makes us ask questions about what a particular set of images or composition communicates. We’re put on the spot, forced into self-awareness with questions about what an artwork evokes, what mood it conveys, what common experiences it might tap into. The good news is that, often, artists make artwork with an audience in mind that technically ‘completes’ an artwork by interacting with it or responding to it. Art can be anything, but without you, it’s nothing.
The best way to see lots of art in a short time and hone your evaluative skills is to visit art galleries. In New York, hundreds of galleries put on new exhibitions every five to six weeks, drawing from stables of artists that can number anywhere from ten to forty or more. Checking out a gallery’s artists on their website can also provide insights into the gallery’s program, while a press release, checklist and press folder for the current show can usually be found at each gallery’s front desk. In museums, this translates to picking up a map and reading wall labels.
Being a proactive art viewer contradicts the idea that art’s meaning can be grasped by just
looking. This may be true for agitprop or advertising, but serious, avant-garde artists build in
layers of meaning that are revealed by consideration, introspection, awareness of an artists’
intentions and context of production. The following list of questions can help you get to grips
with an artwork. Not all art that makes it into a gallery or museum is necessarily good, but when you do find something that is meaningful to you, it can change your world, and that’s worth putting in some effort. Use all or part of the following list of questions to look at artwork, and I guarantee it’ll be worth it. Take your time and have fun!
1. Look at each artwork slowly and carefully, while trying to be aware of your initial responses – both obvious and subtle. What are the first things you notice about the work – what are your first impressions? Watch other people. How are they responding?
2. Note the titles of the pieces. What information does this provide?
3. What materials does the artist use? Anything usual (elephant dung)? Traditional (oil on
canvas)?
4. When was the work made? In the last few years? Or decades ago? If it was all made in the last year, for example, and there is a lot of work, does this mean that the artist works very quickly? Employs lots of assistants? If the work has not been made recently, why is it being shown now?
5. What’s the subject matter? Does the artist develop one theme in the show or several?
6. Who do you think the audience is for this show? Does it seem to be aimed at a particular
demographic? If so, are you included in that group?
7. How does the artist’s background or previous work inform the meaning of the new work?
8. In light of all the above information you’ve gathered and considered, has your initial
impression of the show changed?
Merrily Kerr is an art critic and writer living in New York City. She studied art history in England, where she began writing art criticism. In addition to writing regularly for international art magazines, including Time Out New York and Flash Art, she leads gallery and museum tours for individuals and groups and creates on-line art reviews on video available on her website: www.NewYorkArtTours.com.
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