Relax

I found i new analogy for viewing art, one that i would think people who are unsure about art should adopt. I think there is a bit of stress involved in viewing art, especially contemporary art. One is motivated to understand the art, or be able to explain it for the sake of others, and if they cannot explain it, often they lash out at it and dismiss it, or ridicule it.

I feel one should look at art as if it were a rorschach, or ink blot, test. In a rorshach test, we know what we are looking at and we know what we are supposed to do: we are tuned in to our individual collection of memories, and we draw on those memories to interperet the ink blot, to resolve it into images, or feelings.





Do you see the analogy i am making? When i look at a work, my mind is relaxed and open to respond to the imagery with my own life experience, to interperet it in regards to myself. I find that when i ask about the work, or the reasons behind it, i am often disappointed with the answer because it generally conflicts with the history that i have imagined for it.




I am not trying to be idealistic here, because i know that only some works will truly resonate with people on this level. However, if i can communicate this idea to others, especially those who are not particularly "educated" in the arts, i feel i can help them tune in to their own inherent creativity.

Check these out, then look at some art

http://www.medical-library.org/journals/mddx/Rorshach/
http://www.artnet.com/Magazine/features/fineman/fineman10-15-96.asp