Gallery Glimpse: Liz Heeren
By Liz Heeren
Gallery Director
Ipso Gallery — Fresh Produce
Art galleries are magical spaces. Here we have a seldom seen glimpse of the profound ideas and imagery that exist within the minds of other human beings. In moments spent before a work of art, we experience memory, challenge, nostalgia, familiarity, the bizarre, the mundane—art activates the many corners of our minds.
With such profound input, we are often left with questions about our experiences. These become great points of departure for contemplation or conversation. At Ipso Gallery, we often discuss the questions and thoughts that materialize when we spend time in the gallery. Because we want the public to have great art experiences in our art community, we took the time to write down a few art-related questions that we contemplate and discuss at Ipso Gallery.
First, it is good to keep an open mind when looking at art. Consider its value beyond beauty and décor, and begin to regard it for its craftsmanship, its meaning, the time and place of its execution, the life and events that brought it into existence. Then, remember that you need not puzzle over the specific response you should have. Art is not a riddle to be solved. It is instead an evolving, shifting dialogue—based on experiences, based on your understanding of and relationship with art or the artist. Understand that histories, whether personal or global, are being represented by an artist—but we will likely never fully understand it on that level or by their terms. Even an artist’s understanding of their works shifts over time.
I was once taught that a good way to start a conversation about art starts with observing design and subject matter, which, in combination, allude to meanings. These simple questions are a good starting point:
What do I see?
What is it about?
How do I know that?
These are simple questions, but not always easy to answer. In the very least, they ask us to look long and hard at a work. And, after some time, you may find yourself asking more questions.
What did I first notice? Why?
Am I repeatedly drawn to a particular quality in art? Why?
Do I have a visceral connection to this work?
Am I experiencing an emotional response to this work? Where does that come from?
What does this work remind me of? How does memory influence my interpretation of the work? What role does memory play in art viewing?
What curiosity about the artist do I bring to this piece? Am I seeking to understand another human?
Am I being presented with something that touches upon human experience?
What is obvious in this work? What is hidden?
Am I able to view something that is highly abstracted and find abstract meaning, detached from what is recognizable?
What five words would I use to describe this piece?
How would I describe this work of art to a stranger? How would I describe this work of art to my best friend?
More unusual questions to ask yourself:
If you were sitting in an upside-down chair, what would you notice about this piece?
How does this art represent danger? Delight?
Imagine you were in a hotel and you saw this art in your room. Can you describe the rest of your room?
What if this work belongs to someone you know. Who would that be and why would they own it?
If the most essential items in this piece were integrated into a hand-knit sweater, what would the completed sweater look like?
If I could ask this piece a question, what would it be?
What does the voice that belongs to this piece sound like?
What would your Aunt Janice tell you about this piece?
If you could walk into the art piece, what sensory environment would you be responding to?
How would a meteorologist describe this piece in weather terminology?
If this piece was part of a well-balanced breakfast, which part of the breakfast meal would it be, and why?
What day of the week is this piece?
Where would this work fall on the spectrum of natural to synthetic?
How is this art not art but something else?
How am I not myself?
Maybe these questions can bring you to a new place in art viewing. We hope so. See you soon at Ipso Gallery.