How to get the most out of your next art gallery visit
Art galleries and museums are places of splendour and inspiration that can open doors to other worlds, cultures and historic secrets.
Despite the joy many experience within the walls of an exhibition, others can find it dull, exhausting and even in some cases, boring.
With all this in mind, there are a few ways you can capitalise on your next gallery experience to get the most out of it without being left feeling exhausted by the end of the day.
Don’t try to see everything in one visit
When you step inside a gallery, the first impulse many feel is to soak in as much art and culture as you can.
Justin Paton, the head curator of international art at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, says there's no shame in only looking at the things that really grab your attention.
"I think you walk through openly, you walk through curiously, you walk through with your antennae up," he told ABC RN's The Art Show.
"Look for that physical response — it might be adoration, it might be arousal, it might be revulsion.”
"Those bodily cues, those ungovernable responses, are exactly what should make us look twice, make us look a third time.”
"See what the wall label says about it, and if that doesn't correspond with the way you're feeling about it, look again, go and find out more."
Slow down
Studies have shown that many people tend to zoom their way through galleries, with research finding many people move on after less than 30 seconds.
When you're not rushing through trying to see everything, you can afford to slow down and appreciate the things that speak to you.
"If you spend good time with one work it is infinitely more valuable than doing a grainy tour of a museum and coming out exhausted," Paton says.
"A great painting will flip switches and unlatch thoughts."
This helps when you’re looking at what you’re connecting with, rather than what art or exhibitions you feel like you should be seeing.
Get to know the art
When first observing art, we all have the instinct to judge a piece on its immediate appearance, prompting comments such as “I love it” or “I hate it” or “Surely a child could’ve done this”.
Resisting this urge will let you connect with the artist and their intentions on a deeper level, and reading more about a certain work will give you a more elaborate insight into an artists’ inspiration.
"It's nice to think about artworks as you would think about people: not rushing into a judgement too fast," says Paton.
Lighten up! Don’t take it too seriously
Alongside the reverence and reflection that comes into art, there is also plenty of room for humour and silliness.
"People in the past, they had a sense of humour, they liked to have a joke. They weren't a stuffy, serious culture," says Art historian Mary McGillivray.
"When you're looking at a painting and you think, 'That's a bit suspect,' it almost certainly will be.”
"There's a lot of penis jokes in art history, let me tell you."
Do your homework
A little planning can go a long way when it comes to your next art gallery visit.
Looking at what exhibitions are currently on, utilising digital maps, or even booking in a guided tour will help you get the most out of any museum.
"Those tours will give you so much more insight into what you're looking at, and it's way more engaging to hear someone talk about art in a collection that they're interested in," says McGillivray.
Public programming can also include art and dementia programs, tactile tours for kids, student learning initiatives, and programs created for, and facilitated by, First Nations people.
Don’t feel like you don’t belong
You absolutely do!
Public art galleries and museums are open to everyone for a reason: to share a love and appreciation of art, history and culture with as many people as possible.
"Galleries are not meant to be elitist, they're not meant to be just for some people to understand and everyone else to stay away from. Everyone deserves to have a go at enjoying those collections," McGillivray says.
"You're allowed to talk, you're allowed to laugh, you're allowed to joke, you can walk through really quickly or you can slow down or sit down. There's no right or wrong way."
Image credits: Getty Images