Ways of Seeing

     I thought it was very interesting how Berger explained the idea that we perceive what the artist is depicting in a very different way than the artist. The is painting what he is imagining, and we don't know what he is picturing but we can see what he painted and assume that is what he was imagining. The artist may have even experienced what he was depicting, and we look at the work of art and absorb this experience even though it is not an actual experience.
     It is very interesting how Berger described how words change the meaning of art. The example he gave was a painting of birds flying over corn fields. After looking at that it didn't seem special in any way, but he then told us to turn the page to reveal text. Under the painting, the text read "This is the last picture that Van Gogh painted before he killed himself" and that was extremely powerful since Van Gogh was one of the most talented and well known artists in history. It allowed me to appreciate the art more.

Baltimore Museum of Art

Henri Matisse, The Pierced Rock (1920)

Henri Matisse, Painter in the Olive Grove (1922)

Roberto Matta, Rocks (1940)

After exploring the BMA, there were specific pieces of art that captured my eye. Two works of Henri Matisse appealed to me because i like the soft, yet colorful nature of his art. He uses lights and darks to highlight his paintings, causing depth and a more 3-dimensional approach. As for the Roberto Matta piece, i thought this was really interesting how he created this art. Did he purposely paint it to be choppy? or did he smear paint, paint over that, then peel away the cover layer? 

Visibility

     This chapter on Visibility was very interesting when it explained how we perceive reality and imagination. We all think about one thing and depending on how we imagine it affects how we interpret reality. This actually reminded me of the Netflix show "Stranger Things", its about a supernatural girl who can communicate between reality and an upside down world. They intersect at some points of the movie and it was al about how people saw these events. The children had a wild imagination so their interpretations were different than the adults and more mature indivisuals. This idea relates to the chapter on Visibility because reality and imagination can be closely related depending on what people see. Who knows what other people see when we close our eyes?

The Whole Ball of Wax

     After carefully reading The Whole Ball of Wax by Jerry Saltz, i have reconsidered the way i interpret art. I have always through as art as something that was visually stimulating and something that was just enjoyable to look at. But as Saltz explains: art is not just something we see, it os something we react to. "when we look at art, we're not only looking at it; we're also looking into and through it, into and through the paint, pigment, canvas, or whatever to something else." Art cannot be interpreted wrong; however one understands it, that is how it is is meant to convey. 
     This essay also explains how art can change the world, not physically but it can change the minds of the people living in it. Saltz explains that art cannot affect global warming, Aids, or political issues; but it has the power to spread ideas and influence the minds of the targeted audience, which is an interesting concept.
     Another idea Saltz poses was when he used the example of calling the cat and dog. When calling a dog, the owner receives the expected response but when calling the cat, the response is unpredictable. We never know that the cat is going to do or how it will react and that corresponds to the way we view art. We don't expect art to affect us the way it does, and it can affect everyone differently.