Viewing Art Works

Summary of the Viewing Process

Adapting for Student Work

Art works and visual images play an important role in the visual art strand. Viewing a visual image, to be a meaningful experience, should be more than just looking and reacting quickly and without much thought. Teachers can enhance the meaning students derive from visual images by guiding them through the viewing experience. The process provided here can be used for viewing any art work including craft, fine arts, traditional arts, commercial art and the mass media, as long as appropriate questions are asked at each stage.

Viewing is an interaction between the viewer and the art object. Although most art works are constant, the interaction varies with each viewer because of the viewer's own varied perspectives and associations. These include the viewer's unique cultural perspective, associations with elements and images in the work, knowledge of visual art in general, knowledge of the particular artist, etc.

Because interaction is personal and will vary from student to student, an atmosphere of trust and respect must be established. Students should be encouraged to express their personal opinions knowing that their unique perspective will enhance other students' viewing experiences.

Teachers should keep in mind that different people respond in different ways to the same art work. It is also true that one person can, and in most cases should, respond in more than one way to the same art work. Three ways of responding are:

Responding on an emotional level - this refers to feelings evoked by an art work.

Responding on an associative level - this refers to associations one makes with the art work or with images in the work.

Responding on a formal intellectual level - this refers to responses one has after a formal analysis and interpretation of an art work.

The three types of responses vary and shift in emphasis from viewer to viewer and from art work to art work. For example, one viewer might have an immediate emotional response to a work, while another might have an intellectual response. And one art work might demand an immediate emotional response so that most viewers will respond this way initially, while another work might demand that most viewers make immediate associations with images in the work.

Presented below are seven steps a teacher can follow to guide students in viewing art works. Breaking the viewing-responding process into steps is not totally satisfactory. In reality, a viewer jumps back and forth; the steps are not isolated from one another as they appear below. However, the purpose here is to provide the teacher with a guide.

The seven steps presented here are:

• preparation
• first impression
• description
• analysis
• interpretation
• gathering information
• informed judgment

Step One
Preparation

In many ways, preparation for viewing is more establishing a climate for viewing than it is discussing the actual art work or works to be viewed. Students must be made to feel that their own unique contributions to the viewing will be valuable, that their opinions are valid, and that the opinions and perspectives of others are to be likewise respected. This is a time to remind students that we all look at the same art work through different eyes. Our cultural perspectives and past experiences will influence our responses to an art work.

In most cases, it is better not to give students too much information about the work to be viewed. Too much information can strongly influence the students' first impressions and inhibit the flow of ideas at the early stages of viewing. Telling the students too much at this point is like reading them the last few pages of a novel, then going back to read them chapter one.

Viewing is a discovery process. Students will learn from the works and will discover concepts that can be investigated further at the appropriate time.

Step Two
First Impressions

Including this stage gives students the opportunity to air or record their first spontaneous reaction to a work. Everyone has such reactions and denying students the opportunity to express them will cause frustration.

First impressions can later be used in two ways: students can see how they've grown through the process of viewing a work; students can try to explain their first impressions through further investigation and discovery.

It is important that students understand they are neither expected to change their minds nor expected to find a way to justify their first impressions. Some students will change their impressions; some will not. There are no set expectations either way.

You can solicit students' first impressions by asking, "What is your immediate reaction to the work?" If students have trouble answering that or a similar question, ask them for words which immediately come to mind.

Record students' impressions on chart paper, or have them keep track themselves.

Remember, there are no wrong answers.

Teacher Note The sample student comments throughout this section are based on Marie Lanoo's art work "The Dormitory", slide #62 in the Saskatchewan Art Works slide kit. Teachers might want to look at this slide before reading on.

The following are a few examples of what students might say when giving a first impression of this work:

• "This work is strange. It is dark and unexciting. I don't like boring art works."

• "I like this painting. It has a quiet and peaceful quality to it. I think the artist should have put the girl in the middle. That is a funny place to put her in the picture."

• "I don't like it. Who would want to paint such a dull and uninteresting picture and who would ever buy it?"

• I feel like I can relate to this painting. Something about it reminds me of something I have known. But I don't know, I don't really like the feeling."

Look at this stage as taking inventory, similar to taking inventory in a store. You want to come up with a list of everything the students see in the work. The key here is to stick to facts. ("I see five beds.") It is premature at this stage to assign meaning to what is seen, so if the students seem to be focusing on one image or element, say something like, "Keep track of that thought for later. For now, let's list all the different things that we can actually see in the work. Imagine that you are describing the art work to someone over the telephone, or to someone who has their back to the art work."

Some works of art demand interaction through senses other than the sense of sight - - objects that are meant to be touched, objects that make sounds or include sound tapes, objects that have an odor (a sweetgrass basket, for example). Students should record such descriptions as well.

It might help to suggest to students that they keep their descriptions simple. It is not necessary at this stage to try to figure out what the artist is doing or how the artist has manipulated the elements. Don't spend a lot of time on the description stage. Its purpose is limited; it is simply a way to get students to see as much as they can before moving on to analysis and interpretation.

The following is a possible "inventory" of things the viewer might list for Marie Lanoo's art work "The Dormitory":
Five beds
A line running along a plain dark wall
A teenage girl dressed in dark colours
The girl is looking toward the bottom corner of the painting
The light source is dim and appears to be from a long window or from above.

Step Four
Analysis

At the analysis stage, students will try to figure out what the artist has done to achieve certain effects. They are not yet going to try to figure out what the art work means, or what the theme of the work is. That comes later, during interpretation. They might want to refer back to their first impressions here. For example, a student's first impression of Marie Lanoo's art work "The Dormitory" might be, "It's kind of scary". At this stage, that student would try to decide what exactly is present in the work to make it scary. The following questions can be asked to get students thinking and talking at this stage:

• What grabs your attention in the work?
• Do you see any relationships between the things you listed during the description stage?
• At what do you think the artist worked particularly hard while she did this work?
• What "qualities" do you see in this work (for example, dripping paint, sloppy or messy lines, very precise lines, lots of circles that seem almost to spin).

• How did the artist use colour? What effect did the artist achieve through her use of colour?

• To what effect did the artist use line? Do the lines draw your eye along any particular path of movement? Do they emphasize any one part of the work?

• Are the shapes you see geometric or organic? What effect did the artist achieve through her choice?

• What role does contrast play in this work?

The Elements of Art

Colour: The colour in this painting is predominantly blue-green. Using such a limited palette of colour adds to the mood of the painting.

Shape: The shapes are simple. This simplifies the painting. The girl and the pillows are organic and the beds are geometric. The beds recede into a plain wall and appear to be like trapezoids.

Line: Horizontal lines are repeated in the beds, the floor and the line on the wall. These lines accentuate the calm and quiet. The beds create many diagonal lines that may suggest some kind of tension.

The Principles of Design

Balance: The work is asymmetrically balanced. The asymmetrical balance draws your attention to the side of the work where the figure is seated.

Contrast: There is a lot of contrast. This accentuates the feeling that things are not as they seem. Everything looks calm and peaceful but the strong contrast suggests something else.

Emphasis: The figure is emphasized through the use of contrast as well as isolation. She is located off to one side and our eye is drawn into the bed first and then to the figure.

Movement/Rhythm: There is no motion suggested. The strong triangular composition helps to make it very stable.

Repetition: The beds are repeated in the painting. We have a feeling of monotony from their sameness and starkness.

Variety and Harmony: Variety is not emphasized in this work but maybe that was the artist's intent. The painting is very simply constructed and the asymmetrical balance adds to the tension which is present. The contrast and the colour all work together to present the situation in a harmonious and yet unsettling manner.

Images

The Figure: A young girl is seated on a bed and we cannot see her feet. She is wearing plain, dark clothes. She is introspective and appears to be unhappy and lonely. She is looking down and away from the viewer.

The Background: The lines from five beds converge at a point at the top and centre of the painting. The point appears to be the centre of the circle of light on the wall. The wall is plain and dark at the bottom and appears to be lit by a late afternoon sun coming through a window. There are no signs of the people who use the room. It could be part of any room. The dark wall makes it seem frightening, so the figure's surroundings are perhaps frightening.

The Beds: The beds are plain and close together and have no indication of the kind of person who uses them.

Ask the students to sum up the focus of the work, the reason the artist may have made his or her choices, and the overall effect these choices have upon the work.

Here are some possible responses to summary questions for Marie Lanoo's art work "The Dormitory".

Example 1

"I think the artist wanted us to focus on the beds. The reason I think this is that the artist has put the beds in the middle ground of the painting and one bed is placed in the centre of the painting. It seems like the place is more important than the person."

Example 2

"I think the artist wanted us to focus on the girl. By isolating her at the side of the painting we have a feeling for her isolation. The high contrast and the detail on the girl immediately draw your eye to her. Her closed mouth and eyes make it appear as thought she is sleeping or unable to communicate."

If your students do begin to interpret (for example, "I think the painting is about loneliness"), suggest that they keep track of that thought for the next stage, but for now focus on what the artist has done with the materials and images.

Step Five
Interpretation

Students have now looked at all the "evidence" that can be found in the work. They have applied what they know about the elements of art, the principles of design and the language of images. Now they will be trying to figure out what the work is about. Interpretation is the stage where the students' own perspectives, associations and experiences meet with the evidence found in the work of art. Teachers might want to make some general comments to students, such as the following:

"All art works are about something. Some abstract works are about, for example, colour. Some are about feelings. Some realistic works are about their subject matter -- some landscapes, for example. Some art works are about social issues or cultural issues. Some art works are very accessible - - that is, it is relatively easy for the viewer to understand what the artist was doing. Other works are highly intellectual, and might not be as easy for us to know readily what the artist was thinking about."

• What do you think the theme or subject of the work is (if there is one)?
• What is the work about?
• Why do you think the artist created this work?
• What does the work mean?
• What do you think the artist's view of the world is?

Remind students that the only way to know for sure what an artist was doing is to ask him or her. Students will, however, often come into contact with art works and have no information on the work and no artist to question. The work stands alone. They may still enjoy it, speculate on its significance and come up with their own ideas about it. They can apply what they know about art, design and the images found in the work.

At this stage, two things come together -- the evidence students have found and noted, and their own personal associations and experience. Both of those are important when arriving at a personal interpretation of the work, one that makes sense to them.

The following are some sample answers that might result when discussing Marie Lanoo's art work "The Dormitory".

"I think the work is about loneliness. The reason I think that is because the figure is alone and off to the side in a room. She has no expression on her face and appears to be looking at the floor. The dark colours are foreboding and the contrast of lights and darks further emphasize the figure's feelings of isolation."

"I think the artist created this work because she has felt alone and isolated and wanted to visually represent that feeling."

"I think that the artist sees the world as sometimes being a scary and unhappy place where things are not quite what they appear to be."

Craft and traditional objects can also be dealt with at the interpretation stage. The teacher should encourage students to assign personal associations and meaning to the object, even if thematic interpretation does not apply.

Students can express their interpretations in a number of different ways: small group sharing and discussion, journal writing, poetry writing, arts activities, etc. The teacher can ask students what song or sounds the art work reminds them of; what the art work might say or do if it were to come to life; what the people, animals, elements or images might say to a viewer or to other images in the work; what an appropriate location for the work would be and why; etc.

As in the "first impression" stage of the viewing process, when it comes to interpretation there are no wrong answers. However, students should be encouraged to go beyond free association. Personal interpretation evolves as the viewer combines associations and concrete evidence found in the work.

Step Six
Background Information

This is a stage where students should be encouraged to find out as much about the work and the artist as they can. The teacher can provide information, or the students can embark on research projects.

Inform students that the reason they do this now and not before the interpretation stage is an important one. Following is an example of some comments a teacher might make about background information.

"Art works should provoke thought in the viewer. If you are given the thought or the answer before you experience the art work, your own creative thinking might be by-passed and your experience with the art work will be lessened."

"Art works can challenge you to explore new ideas or emotions, or to perhaps look at the world or an image in a way you've never looked at it before. They can take your breath away with their beauty or disturb you with their ugliness. They can cause you to ask a brand new question that you've never thought of asking before."

"At the right time, written information if very useful. It can help you understand your response to an art work, it can help you understand the artist's intentions and it can lead you to more art works, just as reading a book you like can lead you to many more books."

After students have read Marie Lanoo's statement about her art work "The Dormitory", for example, teachers might ask questions such as:

• How did your interpretation compare to what the artist said about her work?

• Were you surprised by anything she said? If so, what?

• Do you think this is an accessible painting, or one that is difficult to understand? Explain your answer.

• In her statement, the artist explains that this work is part of a larger project. What do you think were included in the other panels?

Guests can be brought into the classroom at this stage to provide the students with information. An artist's visit would be an excellent opportunity if it could be arranged.

If the students have been looking at a traditional art work, this would be an opportune time to embark on cross-cultural studies. Information about the designs, the people, the symbolism, etc. will enhance the students' understanding of the work and of the culture. Students can discuss and exchange varying cultural perspectives.

In summary, what the students explore at this stage may range from the reading of an artist's statement to embarking on a major research project.

Step Seven
Informed Judgment

This stage can be looked at as a culminating and reflective activity. Students will be asked to come to some conclusions about the art work based on all the information they have gathered and on their interpretations.

Have the students return to their first impressions. Ask them the following questions:

• Have your thoughts or feelings about the work changed since your first impression?
• If so, how have they changed?
• What made you change your mind?
• If not, can you now explain your first reaction?
• Will you think about this work again? Do you think anything about it might come back to you?
• Have you seen or learned anything from this work that you might apply to your own art work or your own thinking?

Example 1

"I still think this is a dull painting and I would never buy it, but I do kind of understand why the artist wanted to paint it. I think the artist must have been disturbed or beaten as a child. Maybe she was an outsider like I sometimes feel. I have learned that I should not always be so quick to judge a painting because I can now feel a much closer connection to this painting. I will think about this painting again when I feel like the person in the picture."

Example 2

"Yes, I did change my mind about this work. At first I thought it was too simple and uninteresting. I didn't realize there were ideas being expressed. Now that I've studied it and can see what the artist was doing, I'm impressed. I wouldn't have thought that such a simple painting could express so many ideas. At times I will probably think about this painting in relation to my life. I hadn't thought about using an asymmetrical composition and I think I will try using that in an art work I am planning. I want to try to express a mood like she did by using a triangular composition, colour and contrast to reinforce my point."

Summary of The Viewing Process

1. Preparation -- establishing a climate for viewing

2. First Impressions -- spontaneous reactions to a work

3. Description -- taking inventory

4. Analysis -- figuring out what the artist has done to achieve certain effects:

Elements of Art	Principles of Design
line colour shape form texture Images	balance rhythm emphasis variety	contrast harmony proportion unity

5. Interpretation -- trying to figure out what the work is about

6. Background Information -- finding as much information as you can about the artist and the work

7. Informed Judgment -- culminating and reflective activity

Viewing Art Works Continues