Seeing Slowly

by Michael Findlay

When it comes to viewing art, living in the information age is not necessarily a benefit. So argues Michael Findlay in this book that encourages a new way of looking at art. Much of this thinking involves stripping away what we have been taught and instead trusting our own instincts, opinions, and reactions. Including reproductions of works by Mark Rothko, Paul Klee, Joan Miró, Jacob Lawrence, and other modern and contemporary masters, this book takes readers on a journey through modern art. Chapters such as “What Is a Work of Art?”, “Can We Look and See at the Same Time?”, and “Real Connoisseurs Are Not Snobs,” not only give readers the confidence to form their own opinions, but also encourages them to make connections that spark curiosity, intellect, and imagination. “The most important thing for us to grasp,” writes Findlay, “is that the essence of a great work of art is inert until it is seen. Our engagement with the work of art liberates its essence.” After reading this book, even the most intimidated art viewer will enter a museum or gallery feeling more confident and leave it feeling enriched and inspired.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Art History, Philosophy

248 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2017

Reviews

[Jerecho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Art appreciation is not my line. I see the blue, blue. I see red, red. But generally, in order to see what the art is... There's a description below the painting.

I do read anything, or what I find interesting... But maybe I'm barking at the wrong tree...

[Richard Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first thing to note about this book is that it is beautifully made -- thick, soft, substantial paper, lovely typeface and page layout and bright, brilliant, high fidelity reproductions of the art used for the illustrations. I was able to engage with the physical volume in the way that Findlay urges us to engage with art generally, with a deep appreciation that enhanced the reading experience.

The overall thesis of the book is that to appreciate art, we need to strip away the distractions -- first and foremost crowds, noise, cell phones and those horrible audio museum guides. And we need to give each work of art that is worth viewing at all enough time to speak to us, so that we can truly engage with it. So far so good. It is hard to disagree with the basic part of his thesis, but then he goes a giant step further, suggesting that we should disregard titles of works and informational labels, not talk about art while we are viewing it and put aside considerations of technique, intent and art history so that those things can be separated from the viewing experience. Here I think that he goes too far.

When we look at art we always necessarily do so in a context of when, where, why and how we are looking at the work, the history behind the work, the society we live in, the physical circumstance of the exhibition space, our moods, our company, and so on. Great art is enhanced by context, not obscured by it. It isn't possible to view art in the abstract divorced from context. It is better to be aware of context and to appreciate art within it than to try in vain to erase it. And while it might appeal to the untutored layman to be told that his like or dislike of a piece of art is just as valid as an expert's, I think that is a gross oversimplification. I agree that the best art in every form of artistic expression should have a visceral appeal that anyone can appreciate, but some art is specifically designed for a more tutored eye, sometimes in addition to having a basic appeal for a broad audience and sometimes exclusively for an elite. Elitism may be less admirable that universality, but that doesn't make art designed for an elite audience bad art. And I think that my knowledge of history, context and technique adds a dimension to my ability to engage with a work of art that I did not have before I took the time to read and learn. I do think that Findlay has valid points, and the next time I go to a museum or gallery I plan to try some of his suggestions for slow engagement, just as I ate my food slowly, savoring every bite for months after reading "A Day In the Life of Ivan Denisovich." And perhaps I will manage to retain Findlay's lesson and not go back to wolfing down my art as I regrettably have come to do again with my food.

[Trissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book freed me of the notion that viewing art requires a certain dialect or background. It requires letting go of what you think you know and opening yourself up to art - letting the art look at you as much as you look at it. His writing is humorous and beautiful and snarky and sprite.

[Shawn Callon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Findlay has published a very elegant work. It's well-designed with an attractive layout and is full of excellent reproductions of fine art. He maintains that "the inescapable gift of art is its ability to stir our feelings". When visiting museums he encourages us to eschew the audio guide and smartphone apps telling us what to think and just look at art without any preconception. Otherwise we will suffer from "perceptual contraception". He advises not to read biographies of artists before we visit their works or read the labels and captions that are placed adjacent to their paintings. Rather than hug the walls like most visitors who spend on average ten seconds per painting (including three for reading labels) he recommends us to stand in the middle of the room and scan slowly until a painting beckons us. He berates the modern investor-collector whose opinions drown out the fading authority of curators and academics. It's all about the money! One final point - high quality art should equate to high prices but the reverse is not true. If there's a criticism about his book, it's the repetition of his point of view about the need to see art without preconception. But many of his stories highlighting his philosophy are amusing and alleviate the didacticism of his work.

Review written by author of The Diplomatic Spy from Shawn Callon.

[Neven · Rating 3 out of 5]

I generally agree with Findlay’s argument here—that more of us should give modern art a chance, and that we should do so by viewing the art itself instead of reading or worrying or theorizing about it nervously—but the book stretches what seems like a position that could be succinctly stated and defended in a short article.

[N.J. Danatangelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book even though I somewhat agree with the sentiment that it could have been a lengthy article instead. BUT this book spoke to me at exactly the right time, it was just what I had been searching for. I realize I had been “doing” art the wrong way for my whole life, going straight to the info card and then making my judgement on the art. I also played the silly game of trying to impress myself by knowing what piece of art belongs to which artist. As I attempt to spend more time experiencing art with my four year old son, this will become an indispensable guide.

[Angela Koon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beginner book to teach you see art in a nutshell. Be patient and see with your eyes, not your brain, ignore the label next to the artwork, do one thing at one time. basically whatever museumgoers like to do, do the exact opposite lol
I wouldn't say this is a must read for art lovers but not a bad start if you truly want to get to know modern art.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a very simple message: take your time looking at art and don't let anything influence your emotional perception of it. It spends a lot of the book repeating this message. Nevertheless it is an enjoyable journey through the art world!

[Lubovedsky · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely the worst book about art appreciation I have ever read. He is a fan of abstract art who puts the onus on the viewer if the art is not appreciated. Just sit there until you "get it".Totally subjective, it might be useful as a projective technique in psychology.

[Mircah Foxwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, I’m not a fan of modern art. Michael Findlay clearly is. He obviously sees it differently than I do: good for him, if he finds value in it. There’s no way I would spend hours staring at a painting of identical green diagonal lines. I would love to see the Sistine Chapel, though.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

could have been shorter. liked the urgency in asking us to take our time looking at art and doing so without distraction. disliked his disregard of context - context can be an important and revealing lens when looking at art

[Katya Castellanos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought this book at the Christchurch Art Gallery. Changed my perspective on a whole lot of things. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Alec Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable and easy read, though a little shy on substantive content.

[Eve]

Finished at 23%

[Kevin McDonagh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Occasionally, my wife and I don't see eye to eye. It's confusing to me and infuriating for us both as I try to erect a bridge of reason between our gap in understanding. I mansplain. My position is naturally correct, and once clearly understood, we will, of course, agree.

Perhaps one day I'll join Findlay for a whiskey, standing upon the porch, outside his extremely attractive mansplain house. Many of his generation don't like youngsters taking photos, chatting and doing anything apart from being awash with awe for 15min in front of an artwork in a museum. I disagree with him there, and he sounds like a Crumudgin trying to hammer home the point.

However, beyond this, it is a charitable and accessible message for anyone who may try to engage with art through curiosity. A younger Michael may have been more generous, but the heart of his message is as true as any ever told.

[Adam Stern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book on slowing down, practicing mindfulness and trusting yourself in art and in life

[Enna · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I agree with the author that we've lost the ability to "sit" with art without the distraction or influence of smartphones and audio guides -- the advent of modern technology has diminished our attention spans in all aspects of life -- the amount of patronization about people who "look" at art ultimately felt snobbish and a bit classist.

For example, Findlay notes that most people spend an average of 10 seconds in front of an artwork at the Louvre. There are a number of reasons for this: museums are more expensive than ever, so it feels imperative to be able to "get your money's worth" for people who cannot afford memberships or multiple visits; many visitors are from a different state / country and may never have the chance or financial means to visit again, so of course they're not going to "select artwork like a library," as the author describes when lamenting about the good old days of museum-going; and most crucially, museums themselves operate under capitalism and wholly encourage a large influx of visitors moving about quickly from work to work (how profitable could they be if every visitor actually takes their time in viewing art?).

Many parts of this book were meant to describe the author's viewpoint about looking at art without context, but the anecdotes he included just make him seem condescending & privileged (there's a bizarre dialog with a woman who prefers seeing art with labels, and I don't understand the reason that this exchange was included except to highlight that the author is unable to accept that some people may actually like having some sort of context around an artist's identity when looking at art). While he makes a generally good point that viewing art without context helps prevent preconceived notions from influencing your own opinion on how the art makes you feel, there are many different ways that someone can view art, and they should all be valid. If I see a nude photograph of a woman in a provocative pose in a museum, I'd like to know whether a straight cis male took the photo or if it was a self-portrait meant to critique the male gaze; as a feminine person, those details are important to me when wholly viewing the piece.

There are several more pretentious lines in this book ("Imagine I invited you to dinner at my home, and when you arrived there was a copy of Saveur magazine at your place at the table instead of a delicious Coquelles St.-Jacques..." -- what?), but I mean, what can you expect from a highly successful art dealer?