4 ms·

Totally. The right way to approach an art gallery is definitely just to walk round until something hits you. Most astonishing time that happened to me was a wa

Totally. The right way to approach an art gallery is definitely just to walk round until something hits you. Most astonishing time that happened to me was a wall-sized Rothko that just floored me, in a way I never would have expected a slab of color to. Dali’s La Gare de Perpignan stopped me in my tracks too. Rarely been as stunned by more famous works as when I got blindsided by something that leapt out and said ‘look’.

forgotmypasswor 2mo ago
^^ this. I was never an art person and then one day I felt like I was just punched in the face when it hit me. It's not like "I like this, it's interesting", it's like "Oh. That."
- 11101010010001 2mo ago
  the punched in the face expression is strange here. I get it but I also presume that you have never been punched in the face much like you never connected (that's the word you are looking for, also a boxing term) with art.
  - kstrauser 2mo ago
    You should also go apologize to your English teacher.
    - pavel_lishin 2mo ago
      Perhaps more teachers should punch students in the face.
  - roarcher 2mo ago
    I presume you think having been punched in the face makes you special. I have too. It doesn't.
  - deleted 2mo ago
    [deleted]
the_af 2mo ago
I wish I could do this. In general, in museums I always feel compelled to go through all the exhibits my time allows, when clearly some of them capture my attention and others are just filler. But I would feel guilty "wasting" my time with the piece that caught my attention.
- cmdoptesc 2mo ago
  This is where a membership to the local museum comes in handy. Then there's no pressure to see all the exhibits because you could always come back next week.
- matthiasv 2mo ago
  I have the same feeling always, so for my upcoming trip to Amsterdam and a visit to the Rijksmuseum I vibed https://rijksmuseum.matze.lol https://rijksmuseum.matze.lol to concentrate on something I _want_ to see.
  - dreamcompiler 2mo ago
    The Rijksmuseum has a very nice shop too. It's a great place to wander and discover and you can browse it without paying museum admission. https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/visit/practical-info/shop https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/visit/practical-info/shop
encomiast 2mo ago
Possibly the best thing about Washington D.C. is that the National Gallery of Art (along with, I think, all the Smithsonian) is free. This means you just take a casual stroll through without any of the pressure of having spent a sizable sum like you might to visit a place like the Art Institute in Chicago. In Chicago a visit is an event, you need to see the Seurat, the Grant Wood, etc. You've spent money and you need make it count. In D.C. you can literally walk in, go look at the big Joan Mitchell for 10 minutes and continue on your day. Or you can wander through a room you've never been interested in and find something and then go to lunch. Without the commitment to get everything done, you are suddenly free. Good libraries (edit: even mediocre libraries) also have this quality.
- bluGill 2mo ago
  Many museums have a membership. For one price you can visit the museum any time you want. I strongly recommend everyone do this for all their local museums. It changes the experience when you don't feel bad about wasting the admission because you only have an hour. Particularly small local museums where spending all day isn't worth it, but if you have to pay admission you feel compelled to spend all day to get your money's worth. Some of them also include reduced price admission to others of the same time. My local zoo isn't very big, but the membership means half price admission to a very good zoo just a couple hours away. My local science museum got me free admission to many other science museums and children's museums. My local historic farm got me into a lot of interesting historical sites. Be sure to understand what you get and take advantage of it on vacations. I strongly recommend you get the version that lets you bring two guests. When my parents or some other friend from out of town comes to visit we have something interesting to show them (and if they are not having fun we can leave early).
- azath92 2mo ago
  For those of us on the other side of the ditch: all museums in London are free. and I would echo the sentiment that it makes exploration of them less of a completionist activity to "get your monies worth" and more of an enjoyable forey into a rich space. Its literally a paradigm shift. Also almost all commercial art galleries are like this, obvs for other reasons. The gallery district (google art galleries then wander those streets, chelsea is the most established) in NYC is an amazing place to spend a day wandering around seeing amazing art. my uncle who teaches art introduced me to it and i try to spread the word. Free art for any reason is amazing.

forgotmypasswor 2mo ago

^^ this. I was never an art person and then one day I felt like I was just punched in the face when it hit me. It's not like "I like this, it's interesting", it's like "Oh. That."

11101010010001 2mo ago
the punched in the face expression is strange here. I get it but I also presume that you have never been punched in the face much like you never connected (that's the word you are looking for, also a boxing term) with art.
- kstrauser 2mo ago
  You should also go apologize to your English teacher.
  - pavel_lishin 2mo ago
    Perhaps more teachers should punch students in the face.
- roarcher 2mo ago
  I presume you think having been punched in the face makes you special. I have too. It doesn't.
- deleted 2mo ago
  [deleted]

the_af 2mo ago

I wish I could do this. In general, in museums I always feel compelled to go through all the exhibits my time allows, when clearly some of them capture my attention and others are just filler. But I would feel guilty "wasting" my time with the piece that caught my attention.

cmdoptesc 2mo ago
This is where a membership to the local museum comes in handy. Then there's no pressure to see all the exhibits because you could always come back next week.
matthiasv 2mo ago
I have the same feeling always, so for my upcoming trip to Amsterdam and a visit to the Rijksmuseum I vibed https://rijksmuseum.matze.lol https://rijksmuseum.matze.lol to concentrate on something I _want_ to see.
- dreamcompiler 2mo ago
  The Rijksmuseum has a very nice shop too. It's a great place to wander and discover and you can browse it without paying museum admission. https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/visit/practical-info/shop https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/visit/practical-info/shop

encomiast 2mo ago

Possibly the best thing about Washington D.C. is that the National Gallery of Art (along with, I think, all the Smithsonian) is free. This means you just take a casual stroll through without any of the pressure of having spent a sizable sum like you might to visit a place like the Art Institute in Chicago. In Chicago a visit is an event, you need to see the Seurat, the Grant Wood, etc. You've spent money and you need make it count. In D.C. you can literally walk in, go look at the big Joan Mitchell for 10 minutes and continue on your day. Or you can wander through a room you've never been interested in and find something and then go to lunch. Without the commitment to get everything done, you are suddenly free. Good libraries (edit: even mediocre libraries) also have this quality.

bluGill 2mo ago
Many museums have a membership. For one price you can visit the museum any time you want. I strongly recommend everyone do this for all their local museums. It changes the experience when you don't feel bad about wasting the admission because you only have an hour. Particularly small local museums where spending all day isn't worth it, but if you have to pay admission you feel compelled to spend all day to get your money's worth. Some of them also include reduced price admission to others of the same time. My local zoo isn't very big, but the membership means half price admission to a very good zoo just a couple hours away. My local science museum got me free admission to many other science museums and children's museums. My local historic farm got me into a lot of interesting historical sites. Be sure to understand what you get and take advantage of it on vacations. I strongly recommend you get the version that lets you bring two guests. When my parents or some other friend from out of town comes to visit we have something interesting to show them (and if they are not having fun we can leave early).
azath92 2mo ago
For those of us on the other side of the ditch: all museums in London are free. and I would echo the sentiment that it makes exploration of them less of a completionist activity to "get your monies worth" and more of an enjoyable forey into a rich space. Its literally a paradigm shift. Also almost all commercial art galleries are like this, obvs for other reasons. The gallery district (google art galleries then wander those streets, chelsea is the most established) in NYC is an amazing place to spend a day wandering around seeing amazing art. my uncle who teaches art introduced me to it and i try to spread the word. Free art for any reason is amazing.