“Words form the thread on which we string our experiences.”
Aldous Huxley
Art is about ideas and ideas are expressed in words.
I volunteer at a museum in our city and am given the task of explaining the art exhibits that the museum offers to the public. How those exhibits are explained can affect the way a person perceives the art. Words can enhance the work or destroy its power. We can change an emotional experience simply by choosing new words to describe it.
Two new exhibits have opened at the museum. One is about the immigrant experience and the other about reimagining the world of disenfranchised peoples. Both displays can bring up emotions in the viewer. Words we use can change feelings. For instance, if you develop a habit of saying you “hate” something instead of saying you “don’t understand” an artwork, you are closing off the possibility of learning a new point of view.
Art is about opening up perceptions about the world we live in. Contemporary artists often express ideas about how we think about something. My job as a docent is to expand the way the viewer experiences the art. This is done by carefully choosing words to ask questions, to interpret, to describe, to invite participation in the process of expanding our thinking.
The next time you visit a museum, an art show, an exhibition, think about what words you can come up with to expand your understanding of what the artist is expressing.
