ART CONNECTING WITH
creating new avenues for emerging artists to grow and thrive. Even Canyon Road now offers everything from New Mexico modernism and contemporary abstraction to interactive digital and computer art. You’ll find traditional pottery from local pueblos alongside the work of contemporary Native artists reimagining traditional media. As always though, art can be difficult to access, particularly when we don’t immediately recognize its subject, media, method or creator. Many of us, even those of us in the art world, are not taught to look at art in a way that helps us connect with it. We may possess
I
By Elaine Ritchel
t has happened to every gallery or museum-goer at one point or another: you visit a highly anticipated exhibition or work of art and, instead of elation, interest or admiration, your response is lukewarm. John Armstrong, a philosopher and art dealer, has experienced this too. “Art-disappointment,” he says, “reveals a gap between personal response and public status. This gap is troubling in the philosophical discussion of art not just because it is a pity if we don’t have a better time in the gallery but also because the stature of a work of art is intimately tied to the quality of the experience it offers to the spectator.”
In Santa Fe—home to several art museums and over 200 galleries—one might assume we have incredible experiences with art all of the time. But in a town where art is ubiquitous and has become a major economic driver, it is easy to get caught up in what we’re expected to think rather than probing our actual responses to it. Santa Fe’s art scene is growing, maturing and diversifying in exciting ways. The Railyard Art District provides access to cutting-edge contemporary art, and local art collectives are
information about a particular work of art, but information itself doesn’t necessarily create an experience. The key is surprisingly simple. All you need is time—you’ll have to spend more than a minute or two looking at a work of art—and four actions adapted from a helpful method for art criticism: describe, analyze, interpret and reflect. Give it a try the next time you visit a gallery. Pick a work of art that intrigues you, and slowly start to describe it, taking stock of detail, color and texture. Consider the composition: how are the forms or figures in the work arranged? How do they relate to one another? After taking note of these visual “facts,” think about what the work of art might mean. Is there a story or a message? How does it make you feel? Let your own knowledge and personal history guide your interpretations. Finally, reflect on the work of art and your experience with it. How do you feel about it now? As you explore Santa Fe’s museums and galleries this summer, try taking a more active approach to engaging with art. Instead of glancing, take time to really look. When a work of art attracts you or challenges you, ask yourself why. Armed with this new approach, you can make the most of your artistic encounters. Great works of art become greater, more meaningful and more memorable when you are able to connect with them. And you’ll have a better time in the gallery too. Elaine Ritchel is the director of Santa Fe Art Tours. To learn more, visit SantaFeArtTours.com.