How to, authentically, appreciate art.

Eternal Turtle
Eternal Turtle – Oil on Paper

Go to an art gallery, museum or spiritual place (or my blog, Instagram, or shop; if you like), and walk around until you find a piece that speaks to you in some way.

You don’t have to like or understand every work in a museum; and you probably won’t.

Avoid looking at any text that might be hanging next to the artwork; that would be like stirring mud into a clear pool.

And you don’t need to know who the artist is. That would influence your authentic reaction to the piece.

I’m a bit of a purist, and have the opinion that if a work of art is effective then it needs no written explanation. It’s not there to work on a verbal level. And anyway, it’s all about how you feel when confronted with what the artist has made for you.

Don’t let anybody else (including the artist) tell you how you should feel about a work of art. It’s your own authentic experience; and you might well see or experience something that even the creator missed.

And it doesn’t matter whether anybody else likes the things that touch your heart, or not.

Then, just stand, or sit, and look at the piece. If it’s a sculpture, walk around it; find the angles you like.

Then just let it work on you; let it do its magic.

Now, you’ve got to take a risk, and allow your feelings to flow…

…and wait for the WOW!

 

Eternal Turtle – Now available to buy at my Etsy store.