Gertrude Stein once said “Art isn’t everything, it’s just about everything”. Once you recognize that this is true, you’ve already gained a major insight into the process of understanding art. Trying to understand art all at once is kind of like trying to understand the world around you all at once; it’s easier to analyze individual bits a little at a time instead of trying to comprehend it all in one sitting. Art serves as a “mirror” of the time in which it was created. It reflects the thoughts, ideas, culture, surroundings, imagination, and values of its creator. Any topic at all has the potential to be the subject of someone’s art.

Subject matter is an important part of art. Some subject matter is universal; everyone can relate to it. Some is so obscure that only the artist will ever “get” it. Some subject matter has depth and some is light or humorous. Some is not even supposed to mean anything specifically, and was created just to be “eye candy” or to express visually what words cannot.

One straightforward way to understand more about art you are looking at is to talk to its creator and ask questions. “What inspired this piece?” “What made you decide to create it in the first place?” “How did you go about making it?” Artists are usually thrilled to educate potential collectors about their art and the thoughts and processes behind it.

Don’t be embarrassed if your perceptions of the art are totally different than the artist’s. It does not reflect badly on you, the viewer. We all view art through the filters of our own experiences and our own imaginations. Artists often become artists in the first place because they see the world in a different way than people who are less visually oriented do. So if you just can’t see it their way, that is really no cause for alarm. Art will speak to everyone differently and in their own personal way. The artist has no right to dictate to you what you should think or feel when you view his/her art; the artist only has the right to make suggestions, and the rest is up to your own imagination.

Good art deeply engages the viewer. It draws a person in. They linger over it. It might be interesting because of the subject matter, the colors, the textures, or any number of other reasons. “Good” art is also highly subjective. One person’s “good” art may well be another person’s “bad” art. (Have you ever looked at a famous, museum-quality painting and thought “I just don’t get it?” You’re not alone! That is a common reaction.)

One way of educating yourself more about art is to pick a period or movement, and learn a bit about it. You can make a start by going to my art history page for a brief introduction. If you are seriously interested in gaining an understanding of art, it is a great idea to take an art history class as well.

You will find that in many cases, understanding the art also requires an understanding of the context in which the art was created- perhaps a religious or cultural or symbolic understanding, depending on the particular art. To give one example: Buddhist art often incorporates images of the buddha seated in different positions. The positioning of his hands and feet conveys symbolic meaning to the viewer. One must be educated about the different hand positions and postures, and their meanings, in order to fully appreciate the meaning that is being conveyed in the art.

Another important part of understanding art is knowing more about the ways that it can be created and the different media that people use to create art. A thorough list of these ways is pretty well beyond the scope of this article, as there are myriad ways and, I am sure, many that haven’t even been discovered yet. You have certainly heard of many of the most popular ways: oil paintings, graphite (pencil) drawings, clay sculptures, digital art, etc. Exploring even one of these could potentially fascinate a person for a lifetime.

Even with a medium as straightforward as oil painting, you might be surprised to find out how many different processes and approaches there are. Some artists paint thick textural impasto and some paint in thin layers; some mix their paint with linseed oil or other substances; some use oil colors straight from a tube; some prefer to grind their own pigments. This list could go on, almost ad infinitum.

In your explorations of media, you will often find artists who are willing and eager to help you learn more. Many artists are willing to share details of their artistic process, if you will only ask them. I find it enlightening to look at a piece and imagine the approach the artist might have taken in creating it, and then to ask the artist himself how he created it. That is always a fascinating exercise, and sometimes a humbling one. Humbling, because there are so many amazingly creative artists with mind-boggling-ly clever ideas and imaginations.

In conclusion, you will never learn all there is to know, but you can learn to understand art by diving in and exploring areas you find interesting. The more questions you ask and the more exploring you do, the better your understanding will become. The important thing is to have fun and enjoy your journey.