H5

Applied Humanities

Going Public Do You See What I See? 5 Module Five: Impact of the Humanities / Page 5.3.1 Do You See What I See? On this page: 0 of 2 attempted (0%) | 0 of 2 correct (0%) Objective: Explore what it means to talk about art.

In the first part of this course, we learned to look at the cultural artifacts of the humanities more closely. In the second part, we explored ways of examining these artifacts. Now we are shifting our focus to how these artifacts actually impact society.

Hopefully you’ve found that by looking longer, listening closer, and reading more actively, you can derive more meaning from the artifacts you’ve been examining. Through your research, you have also leveraged years of work by others to more quickly unpack specific works and their themes. Most likely, you’ve sharpened your ability to look closely, detect perspective, and note themes—skills that involve attending to the world around you in different ways. The next natural step is for you to share what you think you’re seeing with others.

A mural on the side of a bowling alley in Asheville, North Carolina, December 9, 2016.

Soomo Learning

Interpreting What We See

When we interpret art, we’re engaging in a kind of casual criticism. For example, say you watch the trailer for a new film and announce to your friend that you think the movie will be long and boring. You’ve read the signs (music, actors, pacing, genre, and so on) and interpreted them all to reach a conclusion that you’ve boiled down to a few words to share with a friend.

We can certainly experience art in isolation. We can read about it, think about it, study the context in which it was created and the history to which it belongs. But when we begin to speak or write about it, we’re moving to another level of participation. Implicit in whatever we say about it is the question “Do you see what I see?” If you find a song haunting or sad, you’ll describe it as such and see if others feel the same way. Likewise, if you find a painting or image to be humorous or sweet, you want to know that others see it the same way, too.

Keeping this in mind can make writing or speaking much easier. Start humbly—you don’t have to present the definitive word on the subject. Offer some observations about what you’re perceiving. As you make claims (e.g., she sounds bummed on this album) describe the things in the work that support those claims (e.g., every song is about a breakup or the loss of childhood). Focus on stating as clearly as possible what you think you’re perceiving and why. Doing this gives others the chance to hear you describe what you’re seeing and to see if they have the same reaction.

Multiple-Choice Question

Which of these sentences offers both a conclusion and a reason to reach it?

I love the song they used in that trailer. I counted 12 people who were killed in that trailer. Given the number of A-list stars they got, I’ll bet that film will be fantastic. Did that trailer seem long to you?

A rectangular painting of two squares. The outer trim is orange. There is one medium size yellow square in the upper half of the painting and an equally sized orange square in the lower half of the painting.

Click to enlarge

Orange and Yellow. By Mark Rothko. 1956. Oil on Canvas. 180.3 x 231 cm © Albright- Knox Art Gallery/ Art Resource, NY.

Multiple-Choice Question

Which of these sentences refers specifically to the work above?

This painting has always seemed happy to me. I think it’s the color choices. Rothko used art to free unconscious energies in the viewer. Abstract art can only be understood as pictures of nothing. Mark Rothko (1903–1970) is best known for his abstract multiforms.

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