学进去

Even though a lot of art galleries and museums are free in the UK, many people seldom visit them for fear that they couldn’t understand the art on display. They are afraid that other visitors may be more knowledgeable and that everyone else there understands what the artworks mean except themselves. But this is simply not true. Everyone is equal in front of an artwork and there are no wrong answers.

Modern art can be particularly difficult to understand and appreciate, but enjoying an artwork is a natural gift. Do you like it or not? Do you want to find out more or not? It is really that simple.

A well respected art historian, Ernst Gombrich believes that a viewer completes an artwork, and that part of an artwork’s meaning comes from the person viewing it. So, you see, even if you don’t have a degree in art history, there are really no wrong answers when you are appreciating the artwork.

But there are things you can do to understand and appreciate art a little bit more. When I look at an artwork, I do a visual analysis. I look at the formal elements — color, texture and size. While viewing a painting, I look at the color; I look at the brushstrokes (一笔); I look at what is being described. If you’re looking at an artwork in a gallery, read the wall text at the side of it. If the staff are present, ask questions. Ask your fellow visitors what they think. Asking questions is the key to understanding more. But above all, have confidence in front of an artwork. If you are appreciating an artwork, then you are the intended viewer and it is what you think that matters. You are the only critic that counts.