INTERPRETIVE TOURING STRATEGIES VISUAL THINKING STRATEGIES (VTS) 1. What is going on in this picture? 2. What do you see that makes you say that? (In response to interpretive comments) 3. What more can we find? (After paraphrasing) Works well with narrative artworks.
OBJECT-ORIENTED QUESTIONS 1. Looking: Focus on what can be seen objectively: materials, techniques, subject matter, size, formal elements, composition, etc. 2. Reacting: Consider what the work “means� to the viewer and how the work affects them. Ask for reasons for reactions. 3. Cultural/Historical Context: Give relevant information. 4. Making Judgments: Was the artist successful in the work? Works well with artworks that have a strong cultural connection.
DISCOVERY 1. What was the very first thing in this work that caught your eye? 2. Why do you think you noticed this first? OR How did the artist make this element attract your attention? 3. Where is your eye drawn next? 4. How did the artist take you from here (the first element discussed) to there? Repeat 1-4 until there is a visual inventory. 5. Now that we have looked at the way the artist has organized the work (the things emphasized through formal means) why do you think the artist made the decision to. . .? 6. What are some of your responses to this work? 7. What message (if any) do you think the artist is trying to convey? 8. Do you think this is a successful work of art? Why? or Why Not? Works well for exploration of the materials and formal elements of an artwork.
COMPARISON OF TOURING STRATEGIES VISUAL THINKING STRATEGIES
OBJECT-ORIENTED QUESTIONS
DISCOVERY
What is going on here (or in this work)? OR: What can you tell me about this person?
Slow down—Really look. Choose a Focus. Ask questions about: materials OR scale OR composition OR subject ...
What is the first thing you noticed? Point it out, paraphrase, ask for clarification. (Go with majority consensus.)
Follow an interpretive response with: What do you see that makes you say that? Paraphrase the visitor’s responses.
“How has the artist arranged this scene? Tell me about the composition OR subject Or materials ...”
How did the artist capture your attention to this spot? (Was it the color, the size, the contrast, etc.?)
What else can you find? What more do you see? Who sees something else? Encourage the group to look closer and find multiple meanings — take a complete visual inventory.
“How do the materials affect the composition? The color? What other decisions did the artist have to make?”
Where is your eye drawn next? How did the artist take you from here to there? Becoming aware of compositional elements. (Is it a line? a color? a brushstroke, high contrast?)
Continue to follow an interpretive response with: What do you see that makes you say that?
Reactions: What are your gut reactions to this? Single words to describe? What do you see and/or What is it about you that makes you react this way?
Where is your eye drawn next? How did you get from here to there? Repeat until you’ve seen the whole work—taken a full visual inventory.
Point out the visual evidence and Paraphrase the visitor’s responses. Gather and focus the group’s attention.
What are your personal associations? Does it remind you of anything?
What effect did the artist’s decision to ... ? ( use the responses above) have on the work? What if he had done “X” differently?
Work on scaffolding or connecting different responses. Take an answer and relate it to different answers.
Use the object as stimulation. What can we learn about the cultural history, the values, the tastes of the artist from looking at this work?
What are some of your responses to this work? (state connections between responses and the visual stimulus; state connections among different visitors’ responses.)
Make sure that opinions and observations are grounded in visual evidence by repeatedly asking, “What do you see that makes you say that?”
Making Judgments: Offer both subjective criteria, i.e. value judgments (Like? Respect? moved by? Believe?) and objective criteria, (condition? time to make? Originality? Size?)
What message (if any) do you think the artist is trying to convey? OR What theme is the artist addresssing in this work?
Are there any other observations we haven’t discussed? O.K., then let’s move on to another work.
Work may be judged highly by one set of criteria and low by another. Important to explore the range and reasons for our responses.
Is this work successful to you? Why or why not? Summarize major discussion points.
SAN JOSE MUSEUM OF ART DOCENT COUNCIL For more help in implementing these practices at your own institution:
sjmusart.org/nds2019 • nds2019@sjmadocentcouncil.org