Observing depends on knowledge. And knowledge, of course, on your education. But when you are knowledgeable and educated, what only matters is the use of your eyes.
This quote by the renowned art historian Ernst Gombrich serves as the best introduction to explain why it is essential to study Art. This post is not just only for those who voluntarily choose this as a career, but also those who are planning to do so.
It Helps You Understand Your Culture
Studying Art allows you to know the history of the most critical artistic manifestations of each moment. You will understand how humanity has expressed its desires and how it has materialized the most complex and abstract concepts from antique black and white abstract art pieces.
What is Abstract Art?
Abstract art is an artistic expression in which configuration is not used as the central axis. The idea of abstract art is to propose a new look towards reality based on shapes and colours but disconnected from the real world. It emerged around 1910 and has, as artistic movements to expressionism, suprematism, and action painting.
Abstract art presents multiple views of the receiver; that is, they simulate the multiplicity of looks at the same time and from different angles by the receiver. However, the abstraction of this artistic expression does not always preserve this characteristic in the same way. Often the abstract is barely noticeable. Other times, however, it is more complete and remarkable.
You Will Learn to Observe
We live in a society that does not know how to observe, and that hardly pays attention to details because reality happens before our eyes at a frantic speed. Art helps you see reality from another perspective, knowing how to interpret the coded symbology in cities, in their urban plots, in their sculptures, paintings and architecture.
You Will Be Aware Of The Origin
Studying the images and works of the past allows us to speculate on what our origin might be. From the prehistoric cave paintings to the modern abstract canvas art, we have enough material to feel overwhelmed by the enigmas they contain.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then studying art is more effective than studying history. We live in visual culture, so we should learn history through mages and not through the texts. If we want to put a face on Napoleon Bonaparte or Emperor Carlos V, we have resources to do so. If we want to understand the concept of beauty during the period of the Renaissance in Italy, let’s look at alluring work of Botticelli or Rafael (few artists to name).
It Makes You Learn to Enjoy Museums and Monuments
How many times have you been to a museum and have not understood anything? Does this situation sound familiar? We have all gone through it. It is a real shame that so many people visit museums without understanding what the meaning of the works of art is there. If you want to change the situation, you already know what you should do: study Art.
