Artist Perception - Art and You - Essay Example

ARTISTS PERCEPTION Over the years, artists have appreciated the importance and value of visual experience. As such they have been able to convince people to believe on what they see. Artworks, both recent and from ancient times, have been stored safely in galleries and museums all over the world. They form a rich source of information about human culture and civilization, as they are passed from one generation to another (Marmor, 1997). There are many different forms of art works. Of great importance to this discussion are photographs.

Even though art works provide so much information about given sectors of human civilization, human history and culture are not exhaustively illustrated on a single art work. For this reason, we cannot base our arts education on photographs and reproductions of works of art. Photographs only give two-dimensional view of an object or person resulting in omission of important aspects. Reproduction of photographs is subject to bias as the painter may decide to include what they deem fit. As a result we can never completely understand the importance of art in any given era or culture (Marmor, 1997).

In order for one to gain a deeper understanding of most of the art works, they have to see the object. As was mentioned earlier, photographs and their reproductions are subject to bias. Photographers choose views and angles that they think are most appropriate, beautiful and appealing to the eyes. As a result, some very crucial information is left out. When detailed understanding of human culture is to be obtained, a researcher has to be at the site (in person) so as to gain step-by-step analysis of the object.

Art is one of the most interesting things that are appreciated worldwide. Personally I love paintings since they portray human talent at work. Given a chance to visit some of the ancient paintings, I would visit Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of Monalissa. This is because da Vinci was one of the finest painters in human history. He took his time perfecting the paint every time. It is said that it took him three years to complete the master piece. I would love to find out more about the painting and da Vinci himself (Marmor, 1997) Every time a person decides to do something, they do it for a reason.

The same way artists have their own reasons for doing for doing specific art works. Therefore knowing artists at personal level creates a better understanding of art works. Interaction with artists can help us understand their perspective and reasons for creating given art works (Marmor, 1997). A good illustration of the importance of interacting with artist at personal level is the Monalissa painting by Leonardo da Vinci. Over the years people have tried to fully understand the painting. This has resulted in different and parallel interpretations of the painting.

If da Vinci were alive, such controversies would have been solved. In my opinion art work is very important and helps to fulfill basic human need for understanding their culture and religion. Art provides a livelihood for artists. There paintings that are known to aid in meditation. Art works mean different things to different people, but all-in-all, they provide vital information concerning human existence (Marmor, 1997). ReferencesMarmor, M. F., & Ravin, J. G. (1997). The eye of the artist. St. Louis, MO: Mosby.