How to Look at Art

You can spend a good deal of time with a single artwork.

First standing back to see the big picture, absorb the general mood, or to feel the overall impact of it.

Then move in closer to see what happens to you.

Take a really deep dive and let your mind wander.

You can point out a specific area and talk about it with other viewers.

Find your favorite and look at nuances in different parts of it.

And don’t forget to explore the venue. It’s a work of art, also. Does it complement the artworks? Is the architecture appropriate for the artworks displayed? Is the lighting as the artist intended for viewing?

After you leave, are you still contemplating the effect of the exhibition? Do you still see the images in other places you look?

I saw this outside the airplane window a few days later and was still thinking about the Mark Rothko exhibition at the Foundation Louis Vuitton.

It’s fun to be an artist.