Does what we believe affect what we see?

Visual art can be intimidating. We often look at art and think we are supposed to see or feel something that’s prescribed by the artist. Knowledge of art history, mediums, and genres, can become a barrier to engaging with and talking about art. Instead of coming to art with “shoulds,” we encourage Premise students to ask two core questions: What do I see? How does this make me feel?

Whether exploring a classic painting in a museum or public art mural in a neighborhood, we want students to feel empowered to engage with art on their own terms. At Premise, we use visual art (including film, painting, sculpture, and photography) as text to support wonder and grappling with enduring questions:

• What is art? Who decides?

• Do we need art for a well-lived life?

• To whom does art belong?

• What is beauty?

• How do habits and culture shape how we perceive ourselves and our world?

• Why do we create?

• In a given culture, who decides what is considered art?

• Is seeing objective?

• What’s the difference between seeing and perceiving?

About the Course:

(*This class session is part of the Premise series that uses visual art as text. Students are welcome to participate in either series or take courses à la carte.)

This introduction class is meant to be for individuals who are interested in learning more about art history, individuals who already have a foundation for their art historical rhetoric or those who just want to have an open-minded discussion about pieces. We will explore the central question: How do habits and culture shape how we see and perceive ourselves and our world?

We will discuss various works of art selected by the instructor that span time, place, and culture. The instructor will guide students in talking about art without pretentiousness and through the questions: What do you see? How does this make you feel? This class is more focused on what you are seeing in the artwork without right or wrong answers.

Reading/ Texts: for this Class:

• Lucy Lippard’s Overlay is a great text to compare the past with the present and analyze art from a historical perspective

• Ways of Seeing by John Berger is a great text for learning different art history vocabulary.

Class Date & Time:

Spring 2023, date and time TBD

(*This course was scheduled for February 2023 and we’ve needed to shift the date to late spring.)